How Long Does Carpet Cleaning Take?

Anyone that has carpet in their home knows that it requires a thorough cleaning from time to time. While regular vacuuming and spot cleaning should keep your carpet relatively clean, there’s nothing that can replace a truly deep clean from the pros. If you’ve never had your carpet professionally cleaned, though, you may have some questions about it.

For example, what does a carpet cleaning appointment involve? Most importantly, how long does carpet cleaning take? That’s the question we’ll tackle in this post. Learn more about carpet cleaning from Steam Smart Pro here.

To have a clear picture of how long the carpet cleaning process will take, you’ll have to take a few things into account first. After all, different types of carpets clean differently, and if you have more carpets to clean, that will take longer, too.

As a general rule, you should set aside approximately 24 hours for the entire cleaning and drying process, but it could be slightly more or less than that, depending on your carpet’s needs.

Any carpet cleaner will need to do a bit of prep work before your cleaning time begins. First, they’ll need to move any furniture and decor out of the way before any cleaning can happen. They’ll also need to bring in and set up all of their cleaning equipment.

Most carpet cleaning professionals should be able to keep this close to or below half an hour. However, if you have especially large rooms, lots of furniture, or multiple rooms to be cleaned, it could take longer. 

How long the process takes may also depend on what kind of furniture you have. If you have delicate furniture, such as fine china or family heirlooms, the process could take more time since you may need to move them yourself. 

The way that the cleaners must move your furniture makes a difference, too. If they need to move it to a faraway room during the cleaning process, removing the furniture could take significantly longer. 

Once your cleaners get to the actual cleaning phase, the overall cleaning time can still depend on a few different factors. If you have multiple rugs or rooms to clean, the process will usually take more time. 

If you haven’t cleaned your carpets in a long time, it may take longer for the cleaners to remove all of the stains, oils, dirt, and grime from your carpet. This is doubly true if you have pets at home who can shed on and otherwise soil them. 

High-traffic carpet areas and old stains can also take longer for your carpet experts to clean. This is because these areas require special cleaning products that penetrate deeper into your carpets. 

The method your cleaners use to clean your carpet can play a role as well. If they use exclusively dry methods to clean your carpet, you won’t have to deal with an extended waiting time as your carpet dries. 

However, conventional steam cleaning methods, which take longer, often clean your carpet more thoroughly. You won’t be able to walk on or interact with the wet carpet for several hours at a minimum, and some cleaners may recommend leaving it alone overnight. 

You may also opt to have your cleaner add a special protective conditioner during the cleaning process. This protective agent will help protect your carpet in the future, but it may add more to your original cleaning time.

So, how long does carpet cleaning take? The drying time usually claims the largest chunk of the cleaning process. Of course, if your cleaners use exclusively dry methods to clean your carpet, you may be able to walk on them immediately or after a very short time. However, wet methods and special protectants need to dry thoroughly first. 

All carpet cleaners (including us) caution against walking on your carpets until they’re fully dry and moving your furniture back for even longer. In general, you should plan to wait at least six hours to walk on your rugs and carpets, and even then, be sure to keep dirty shoes away for a while. If you soil your freshly-cleaned carpets before they dry, you could reintroduce bacteria into them, which can cause unpleasant odors to develop over time. 

In most cases, you shouldn’t move your furniture back until the next day. Some cleaners recommend that you wait a full 24 hours to replace your furniture. Always err on the side of caution, as placing furniture on a wet carpet can cause problems down the line. 

If you absolutely must walk on your carpets before they dry – e.g., if it’s the only way to enter and leave your home – leave your shoes at the door or put protective coverings over them before walking through.

While some homeowners may not consider booking time to be part of the cleaning process, if you need an appointment right away, it might be something for you to consider. For example, if you have a serious stain that could become permanent after a day or two of sitting, a 24-hour cleaning may be essential. 

However, most homeowners will want a little more flexibility with their appointments. You may want to schedule one for when you’ll be out of town for the day or otherwise out of the house. Your carpet cleaners will appreciate an empty or nearly empty house to do their work, and you won’t have to wait around to walk on your wet carpet, either. 

In the end, the answer to the question, “How long does carpet cleaning take?” really depends! In general, your carpet cleaning appointment should take less than 24 hours, so you should plan to set aside at least a day to stay out of the house (or just that room, if necessary). 

Do you need your carpets cleaned in the Tucson, AZ area? If so, consider contacting Steam Smart Pro for all of your cleaning needs! We offer excellent prices and same-day carpet cleaning services in Tucson, AZ, as well as duct cleaning, dryer vent cleaning, mold removal, and more. Contact us at (520) 600-6467 to make an appointment today! 

Author Bio:

Eric Bullard

The owner of Steam Smart Pro in Tucson, AZ, brings over 20 years of invaluable experience in the field of carpet, tile, and air duct cleaning. With a strong dedication to quality and a deep understanding of effective cleaning techniques, Eric consistently delivers outstanding results to his satisfied residential and commercial clients.