Area rugs hide a surprising amount of dirt. Most of it is dry grit that works its way down into the foundation, where it grinds against the fibers every time someone walks across the rug. Here are straight answers about methods and costs for area rug cleaning around San Francisco, based on our published rates. We collect and return rugs with white-glove pickup and delivery, and our full hand-wash process is explained on the cleaning page.

On this page: Methods · What it costs · Is it worth it?

Methods

What is the best way to clean a large area rug?

For a large handmade or wool rug, the most thorough method is washing it in a rug facility rather than on the floor. The rug is dusted first to remove the embedded grit, fully submerged and washed by hand, rinsed until the water runs clear, and dried flat in controlled conditions. That reaches the foundation, which no amount of surface cleaning can.

A large synthetic rug can be cleaned at home: vacuum both sides, apply a rug shampoo with a garden pump sprayer, work it in gently with a soft brush, then rinse with clean water using a wet-vacuum or extractor and dry it fast with fans. The two things that go wrong are leaving soap in the rug and letting it stay wet too long. Do not try this on wool, silk or Persian rugs; see why steam and extraction are wrong for them.

Is it better to steam clean or shampoo a rug?

For handmade wool, silk and Persian rugs, neither. Steam can make dyes bleed and shrink the wool and foundation, and shampoo leaves a residue that is very hard to rinse out of a dense pile. These rugs should be washed by immersion and rinsed completely.

For synthetic rugs, hot water extraction (what most people mean by steam cleaning) generally gives a better result than shampooing, because it rinses as it cleans. Shampoo-only cleaning tends to leave a sticky film behind that attracts dirt, which is why some rugs look dirty again within weeks of being cleaned.

Can I bring a rug to the dry cleaners?

Some dry cleaners accept rugs, but most of them send the rug out to a specialist and add a margin for handling, which means more time and another set of hands. Dry-cleaning solvents are also not the right treatment for most rugs, since they do not remove the dry grit in the foundation and can be hard on natural dyes.

It is usually quicker and better to go directly to a rug cleaner who washes rugs in water in their own facility. We collect rugs from your home, so there is no need to carry a heavy rug anywhere.

What it costs

How much does it cost to wash an 8×10 rug?

An 8×10 rug is about 80 square feet. At our published rates that is machine-made $360, handmade wool $520, viscose $480, Persian or Oriental $600 and silk $640.

The difference comes down to the fiber and how the rug is made: a machine-made rug is the simplest to wash, while wool, Persian and silk rugs need dye testing, a slower hand wash and controlled drying. Your written estimate, confirmed after we inspect the fiber, construction and condition, is the final price, and nothing extra is added without your approval.

How much does it cost to clean a 9×12 rug?

A 9×12 rug is about 108 square feet. At our published rates that is machine-made $486, handmade wool $702, viscose $648, Persian or Oriental $810 and silk $864.

Specialty work, such as pet urine decontamination, stain treatment or fiber protection (published at $3.50 per square foot), is only added if you approve it. Measuring is part of the estimate, so if your 9×12 is really an 8’10” by 12’3″, the price follows the real size.

What is the average price to clean an area rug?

Professional area rug cleaning is almost always priced per square foot, with the rate depending on the fiber. Our published rates are:

• Machine-made rugs: $4.50 per sq ft
• Viscose rugs: $6.00 per sq ft
• Handmade wool rugs: $6.50 per sq ft
• Persian and Oriental rugs: $7.50 per sq ft
• Silk rugs: $8.00 per sq ft

To estimate, multiply the rug’s length by its width and then by the rate. For anything unusual, such as an antique, a rug with pet damage or one that has been flooded, send photos and we will give you guidance before the rug is collected.

How much does Stanley Steemer charge to clean an 8×10 or 9×12 area rug?

National carpet-cleaning chains set their prices locally, so the only reliable figure is a quote from your local branch. When you compare quotes, it is worth asking two questions: is the rug cleaned in your home or washed in a facility, and how are wool and silk rugs handled?

For reference, our published rates for in-plant hand washing put an 8×10 between $360 and $640, and a 9×12 between $486 and $864, depending on the fiber.

What is the average cost of a carpet cleaner?

It varies widely by region, by method, and by whether you are cleaning wall-to-wall carpet or area rugs. Wall-to-wall carpet is usually priced per room or per square foot and cleaned on site. Area rugs are usually priced per square foot, by fiber, and the best results come from washing them in a facility.

For area rugs, our published rates start at $4.50 per square foot for machine-made rugs and go up to $8.00 for silk; the full list is on the pricing page.

Is it worth it?

Is professional rug cleaning worth it?

For a rug you want to keep, yes. Most of the soil that wears a rug out is dry grit deep in the foundation that vacuuming does not reach. Every time someone walks on the rug, that grit cuts into the fibers. A professional wash removes it, along with allergens, odors and stains, and it extends the rug’s life considerably.

For a handmade wool, silk or Persian rug there is a second reason: it avoids the dye bleeding, shrinkage and mildew that home cleaning methods can cause, which are far more expensive to fix than a wash. Most households find every two to four years right for a living-room rug, more often with pets or heavy traffic.

Is it worth cleaning carpet yourself?

For light maintenance and synthetic rugs, yes. Regular vacuuming and prompt spot cleaning go a long way, and a synthetic rug can be shampooed at home if you rinse it well and dry it quickly.

For handmade, antique or silk rugs, deep cleaning is best left to a specialist. Over-wetting, the wrong detergent or slow drying can cause permanent damage, such as run colors, shrinkage or a weakened foundation, that costs more to put right than the cleaning would have. Our at-home cleaning guide covers what is safe to do yourself.

Which is better, Stanley Steemer or Chem-Dry?

Both are national carpet-cleaning brands that clean in your home. Stanley Steemer is known for truck-mounted hot water extraction, and Chem-Dry for its carbonated cleaning solution. In practice, the better choice comes down to your local franchise and the technician who turns up.

For handmade wool, silk or Persian rugs, consider a rug specialist instead. In-home extraction cleans the surface of the rug but does not wash the foundation the way full immersion does, and hot water carries a real risk of dye bleeding on natural dyes.

Related Zoom Rugs pages

These pages go deeper into the topics above:

• Rug cleaning in San Francisco
• Why dry soil removal comes before washing
• How professional cleaning protects wool fibers
• Handmade rug cleaning in Palo Alto
• Rug cleaning in San Mateo

More questions answered

• Moth-damaged rug repair: questions answered
• Rug repair and restoration: questions answered
• Persian rug cleaning: questions answered
• Cleaning rugs and carpet at home: questions answered

Our services

• Rug repair and restoration services
• Hand-wash rug cleaning process
• Rug cleaning and repair pricing
• White-glove pickup and delivery
• All Zoom Rugs FAQs

For professional rug cleaning, repair or restoration in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Zoom Rugs Services: call 408-472-6086, email info@zoomrugs.com, or send photos for an estimate.