How Much Does Carpet Cleaning Cost in Melbourne? (2026 Price Guide)
One of the first questions Melbourne homeowners ask is simple: what does professional carpet cleaning actually cost? Here are our real prices, what moves them, and how to make sure the number you’re quoted is the number you pay.
South Clean’s 2026 prices
We publish our starting prices rather than making you call to find out. These are the figures we quote from across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula.
| Service | Price (from) |
|---|---|
| Carpet cleaning (residential) | $40 per room |
| Upholstery / sofa cleaning | $40 per seat |
| Mattress cleaning | $80 per mattress |
| Rug cleaning | $80 per rug |
| Stairs | $3–$5 per step |
| Commercial carpet cleaning | $3–$5 per m² |
| Minimum call-out | $120 |
The minimum call-out of $120 covers smaller jobs, so a one-bedroom unit or three bedrooms and a hallway is still a normal booking rather than something we’d turn away.
What actually changes the price
- Number of rooms — the main factor, and the per-room rate improves the more you book.
- Condition — heavily soiled carpet or set-in stains need extra pre-treatment time.
- Stairs — priced per step, because a flight takes roughly as long as a small room.
- Specialty treatments — pet odour, deodorising or stain protection are optional add-ons.
- Floor area for open plan — where per-room pricing doesn’t fit, we quote by m² instead.
Why the cheapest quote often isn’t
Unusually low quotes tend to resolve one of two ways. Either it’s a fast surface pass that lifts what’s visible and leaves the soil in the base of the pile — which means the carpet looks tired again within weeks — or the number changes once the technician is standing in your lounge room.
What a fair price should include
At minimum: an inspection before starting, pre-treatment of stains and traffic lanes, hot water extraction rather than a surface shampoo, and grooming so the pile dries evenly. It should also include someone telling you honestly if a stain has permanently damaged the fibre, rather than charging you to discover that afterwards.
How to get an accurate quote
Have three things ready: how many rooms are carpeted, roughly how many stairs, and any stains you already know about, including anything you’ve already tried to treat yourself. That last one genuinely changes our approach — supermarket spot sprays leave a residue that attracts soil, and knowing it’s there means we rinse it out rather than cleaning around it.
Want your exact price?
Tell us what needs cleaning and we’ll come back with a fixed figure. No obligation, seven days a week.
Related reading: how often carpets should be cleaned, what carpet cleaning can’t fix, and our end of lease cleaning service if you’re moving out.
