Carpet steam cleaning, also called hot water extraction, is the deep clean we use on most carpets in Canberra and Queanbeyan. It rinses out the grit and oily soil that vacuuming leaves behind. We check your carpet first, tell you honestly what will and won't come out, and confirm your price before we start.
The three questions we get asked most before a booking.
How much does carpet steam cleaning cost?
From $49.50 a room ($45 + GST) or $4.95 per m² ($4.50 + GST). Small jobs have a $176 minimum ($160 + GST). For an exact price, book an on-site quote.
Is steam cleaning right for my carpet?
For most home carpets, yes. Lightly soiled carpet may only need a bonnet refresh, and office carpet tiles often suit encapsulation. We check the carpet before we start, and if hot water extraction is not the right choice, we will tell you.
Can you remove every stain?
No, and we tell you which ones before we start. Bleach marks, burns, sun fading and dye transfer are damage, not stains. Most food, drink, dirt and pet stains do come out.
What carpet steam cleaning actually is
Despite the name, carpet steam cleaning doesn't use steam. Its proper name is hot water extraction. Heated water and a cleaning solution are pushed into the carpet under pressure. This loosens the oily soil that holds dirt onto each fibre. A strong vacuum then pulls the water back out, and the dirt goes with it.
That second step is where the real cleaning happens. The more water the machine recovers, the less is left in your carpet. We use a truck-mounted Sapphire Scientific 370SS. The machine stays in our van and only the hoses come inside.
Who it suits
Steam cleaning is the right choice when:
the carpet hasn't had a deep clean for a year or more
you're moving out and the carpet needs to be done before the final inspection
hallways and doorways show dark traffic lanes
spills or pet accidents have soaked below the surface
Moving out? The ACT Government's guide to ending a tenancy says a rental should be returned as clean as it was at the start of the lease, apart from fair wear and tear. Check your lease and entry condition report to see what your property manager expects for the carpet.
Steam cleaning isn't always the best method. For carpet that is only lightly soiled, a bonnet refresh clean is quicker and costs less. Offices with carpet tiles or glued-down carpet often suit encapsulation cleaning, because it uses very little water.
How we check your carpet first
Every job starts with an inspection. We look at:
the fibre, such as wool, nylon or polyester, because each one needs different handling
traffic lanes and heavily soiled areas
each stain, and what most likely caused it
damage that cleaning can't fix, such as bleach marks or burns
For wool and other natural fibres, we lower the water temperature and use WoolSafe-approved, pH-neutral products. The WoolSafe Organisation tests and certifies cleaning products as safe for wool. High heat and strongly alkaline products can shrink, brown or fade wool.
We check the carpet before we start, and if hot water extraction is not the right choice, we will tell you. Checking the carpet before cleaning is part of the IICRC S100 standard for professional carpet cleaning, which covers inspection as well as cleaning. Our lead technician, Mark, holds IICRC certifications in carpet cleaning (CRT) and water damage restoration (WRT), and has more than 10 years' experience in cleaning.
What results to expect
Most food, drink, dirt and pet stains come out. Traffic lanes improve a lot, but worn fibre tips can still look grey even when they are clean. Some marks are damage rather than stains, so no cleaning will remove them:
bleach marks, where the dye has been destroyed
burns and heat marks, where the fibre has melted
sun fading near windows and sliding doors
dye transfer from rugs, mats or cordial, which can sometimes be reduced but not guaranteed
old pet urine that has soaked into the underlay
We tell you which marks we expect to lift before we start, so there are no surprises at the end. For pet accidents, our pet stain and odour treatment goes further than a standard clean.
Sometimes a faint mark comes back as the carpet dries. This is called wicking. Deep soil travels back up the fibre as the moisture evaporates. It is normal on deep-cleaned carpet and doesn't mean the clean failed. If it happens, tell us within 5 days and we come back and treat it free.
Getting ready for your clean
Pick up small items, toys and anything breakable.
Leave the heavy furniture to us.
If you live in an apartment or a townhouse, tell us the floor level and where we can park when you book. The hoses run from our van to your door.
Keep children and pets out of the rooms while we work.
Looking after your carpet afterwards
Until the carpet is dry, walk on it only in clean socks, and don't wear shoes.
Try not to track damp onto timber or tiles.
Leave the protective tabs under heavy furniture until the carpet is fully dry. Metal feet on damp carpet can leave rust marks.
Open a window slightly or run the heating or air conditioning to help it dry.
Vacuum once it is dry to lift the pile.
Where we clean
We clean carpets across Canberra, plus Queanbeyan and Googong in New South Wales. For carpet cleaning options across Canberra, see our Canberra carpet cleaning page.
A Sapphire Scientific 370SS stays in the van, so only the hose comes inside. Stronger vacuum than a hire or portable unit means more water comes back out and your carpet dries in hours. We also carry a portable unit for apartments where the hose cannot reach.
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Every job photographed
We take before and after photos with a numbered job label in the shot, on every job. You get an honest record of the starting condition rather than a memory that changes later.
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We tell you what will not come out
Bleach marks, burns, sun fading and dye transfer are permanent damage rather than stains. We check before starting and say so upfront, so there are no surprises at the final inspection.
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Method matched to the fibre
Wool and natural fibres get a lower water temperature and a pH-neutral, wool-safe solution, because heat and alkaline products can shrink or brown wool. We identify the fibre before anything gets wet.
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Pricing published, including the minimum
$45 per room or $4.50/m², bonnet $35 per room or $3.50/m², $160 minimum including GST, stains $30 to $60. Most cleaners hide the minimum. You can budget before we arrive.
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Insured, checked and verifiable
$20 million public liability, police-checked technicians, White Card and seasonal flu vaccination. ABN 99 253 199 401, which you can look up on the public register.
What you can check before you book
Facts you can verify, not promises.
Family owned since 2013
Not a franchise. ABN 99 253 199 401, which you can look up on the public register.
4.8★ from 45 Google reviews
Read every one of them on our Google profile.
IICRC-certified lead technician
Mark holds IICRC CRT and WRT certifications and has more than 10 years' experience in cleaning.
Insured and police-checked
$20 million public liability insurance, and everyone on our team is police-checked.
5-day re-clean guarantee
If a mark reappears or we missed something we agreed to clean, tell us within 5 days and we come back free.
Quick replies
We usually reply to quote requests within 30 minutes.
Truck-mounted machine compared with a hire machine
Aussie DuoTypical Cleaner
Where the machine sits✓ In our van; only the hoses come insideIn the room with you
Suction✓ Strong vacuum recovers more waterWeaker vacuum leaves more water behind
Water heating✓ Heated at the machineLimited to your hot water tap
Specialized Carpet Steam Cleaning Services
Explore our comprehensive range of specialized carpet steam cleaning solutions, tailored to meet the unique needs of your home or business.
Six steps on every job, residential or commercial.
1
Book and confirm your price
Tell us the rooms and any stains. We confirm the price before any work begins.
2
Inspection and fibre check
We identify the fibre, look at every mark, and tell you what we expect to lift and what we don't.
3
Pre-treatment
Traffic lanes, spots and heavily soiled areas are treated first and left to work. This is what makes the difference once the carpet dries.
4
Hot water extraction
We clean in overlapping passes and finish with dry passes to pull out as much water as possible.
5
Grooming
We groom the pile so the fibres stand up and dry evenly, and apply a light deodoriser where it's needed.
6
Final check
We go over the result with you and give you simple aftercare tips.
Choosing the right method for your carpet
Hot water extraction (steam cleaning)
Our deep clean for most jobs. Best for heavily soiled carpet, end of lease cleans and homes that haven't been done in a year or more.
Bonnet cleaning
A low-moisture surface clean with faster drying, for lightly soiled carpet between deep cleans. From $38.50 a room ($35 + GST). It won't reach soil at the base of the fibre.
Carpet shampooing
A machine works shampoo through the pile before extraction. Useful when heavy soil needs breaking up rather than just flushing out.
Encapsulation
A low-moisture method for office carpet, carpet tiles and glued-down carpet. The solution wraps around soil so it can be vacuumed away.
What steam cleaning removes well
Ground-in dirt and traffic lanesThe dark paths in hallways and doorways where grit has worked down to the base of the fibre.
Food, drink and everyday spillsCoffee, tea, wine and most food marks, treated before the main clean.
Pet hair, dander and most accidentsUrine can be treated, provided it hasn't soaked through to the underlay.
What cleaning cannot fix
Bleach marks, where the dye is destroyedDye transfer from mats, rugs or cordial, which can sometimes be reduced but not guaranteedBurns and heat marks, where the fibre has meltedOld pet urine that has soaked into the underlayTraffic lane wear, where worn fibre tips look grey even when cleanSun fading near windows and sliding doors
Deep steam cleaning is $49.50 a room ($45 + GST) or $4.95 per m² ($4.50 + GST). The minimum job value is $176 ($160 + GST). Stain treatment is $33 to $66 ($30 to $60 + GST), and stairs are quoted separately. These are starting prices. For an exact price, book an on-site quote.
Every job gets photographed before and after, with a numbered job label in the shot. These are our own jobs across the ACT and NSW, not stock photos. Some marks lift completely, some improve without disappearing, and we tell you which one to expect before we start.
Deep steam cleaning is $49.50 a room ($45 + GST) or $4.95 per square metre ($4.50 + GST). Stain treatment is $33 to $66 ($30 to $60 + GST), depending on how many marks there are and what caused them. Stairs are quoted separately. These are starting prices. For an exact price, book an on-site quote.
Have a question not listed here?
Talk directly to Mark, lead technician — no call centre, no script.
