Having your carpet cleaned professionally has several benefits for your carpet and your family. First, professionally cleaning your carpets can help thwart dust mite infestations and rid them of dirt, pet dander, particle pollution, and even lead. This can, in turn, help your allergies. Regular professional cleaning can also help prevent mold and mildew growth and even help extend the life of your carpet.

There are six main types of carpet cleaning. Each type is unique in its process of cleaning your floors. Your pro can help suggest the best method based on your carpet material and level of cleaning needed.

• Steam cleaning uses hot water to clean deep into your carpet. Pressure is applied to the hot water to create steam, moving the chemicals to your carpet fibers.

• Shampooing leaves foam on the carpet fibers to break up the dirt and stains before removal.

• Dry cleaning only tackles the dirt on the surface level that hasn’t set in yet. 

• Carbonated cleaning uses bubbles to move debris to the surface of the carpet for removal. 

• Hot water extraction cleaning combines steam cleaning with ammonia or an acid solution to help liquefy debris.

• Bonnet carpet cleaning uses a cleaning detergent and a specialized cleaning device that cleans the carpet's surface.

The cost for professional carpet cleaning is $180 for the average homeowner. However, you could end up paying as low as $80 or as high as $375 or more, depending on how much carpeting you have in your home and the type of cleaning you’ll have done, plus any add-ons like furniture and upholstery cleaning. For example, bonnet carpet cleaning averages around $150 since it’s more surface-level. However, due to its complexity, hot water extraction cleaning averages closer to $400.

There are many different types of carpets for you to choose from. When choosing a carpet, it’s essential to consider the following:

• Fiber: Describes what your carpet is made of, such as polyester, wool, nylon, or acrylic. 

• Pile type: Explains how your carpet looks. Your carpet fibers can be looped, twisted, cut, or woven.

• Pile height: Describes the length of your carpet. You can choose a low, medium, or high pile.

• Density: Refers to how close yarn fibers are to each other. 

The cost to install carpet is $1,780 on average for 330 square feet, the size of an average living room. This cost could range from $200 to $5,000, depending on the amount of carpet, material, and type of carpet. 

If you need 500 square feet of carpet, it’ll cost $1,500 to $5,500, while 1,000 square feet of carpet costs $3,000 to $11,000. Polyester is one of the more affordable options, ranging from $1 to $3 per square foot. Wool is a more luxurious option, ranging from $4 to $20 per square foot.