Carpet Cleaning Cost in Edinburgh

Carpet Cleaning Cost in Edinburgh

A standard carpet clean in Edinburgh starts from £46 for a two bedroom flat with a living room and from £83 for a three bedroom house with stairs, based on our Scotland regional model. Prices come from the InstantCost carpet cleaning calculator and cover Edinburgh and the Lothians, including Leith, Musselburgh, Dalkeith and Livingston.

Carpet cleaning in Edinburgh: key facts (2026)

• Single room: from £19

• Two bedroom flat with living room: from £46

• Three bedroom flat with living room: from £61

• Three bedroom house with living room and stairs: from £83

• Deep steam cleaning costs about 50% more than a standard clean

• Extras start from £4 for an anti allergen treatment

• Edinburgh's Low Emission Zone has no daily charge. Non-compliant vans are banned from the city centre instead.

• Source: InstantCost carpet cleaning calculator, Scotland regional model, checked September 2026

Calculate my exact price

Written by the InstantCost team. Reviewed by Rehan Naeem, founder of InstantCost and a former professional carpet cleaner.

How much does carpet cleaning cost in Edinburgh?

Carpet cleaning in Edinburgh starts from £19 for a single room and from £99 for a four bedroom house with stairs. Most people in Edinburgh live in flats, so the flat prices below are the ones most readers need.

How much do extras add to a carpet clean in Edinburgh?

Each extra adds its own starting price to the basic clean. The table shows the total for a three bedroom house with stairs when each extra is selected in the calculator.

Worked examples from the calculator

These are starting prices from the InstantCost calculator. Your final price depends on room size, carpet condition, extras and access, so always get a fixed written quote before the work starts.

How much does carpet cleaning cost near Edinburgh?

Every town within about 25 miles of Edinburgh is priced on the same Scotland regional model. A standard clean for a three bedroom house with a living room and stairs starts from £83 in all of them.

How do Edinburgh prices compare with other UK cities?

Carpet cleaning in Edinburgh starts from £83 for a three bedroom house with stairs, about a third less than London's starting price of £127. Edinburgh and Glasgow share the same Scotland regional prices.

Follow regional prices for every service in the InstantCost UK Price Index, or compare with our guides to carpet cleaning costs in Manchester and carpet cleaning costs in Birmingham.

What affects carpet cleaning prices in Edinburgh?

Edinburgh's old buildings shape the price more than anything else. A top floor tenement in Marchmont, a main door flat in the New Town and a new build in Livingston are three very different jobs.

Tenements and common stairs

Much of Edinburgh lives in tenements, from Marchmont and Bruntsfield to Leith and Gorgie. The shared common stair is usually stone, so you won't pay for stairs in most flats. The cost comes from carrying equipment up several floors with no lift. Tell the cleaner which floor you're on when you ask for a quote.

New Town flats and main door homes

Georgian flats in the New Town and Stockbridge have tall rooms, wide hallways and often fine wool carpets. Main door flats and duplexes may have their own internal stairs, which are priced like house stairs. Basement flats can be damp and slower to dry.

The Low Emission Zone

Edinburgh's Low Emission Zone covers the city centre, roughly from Tollcross and Palmerston Place across to Abbeyhill and Holyrood. There's no daily charge. Non-compliant vans are banned and get a £60 penalty if they enter. Most cleaners run compliant vans, but Old Town and city centre residents should check.

Parking

Central Edinburgh has extensive controlled parking zones, and many streets in the New Town, Marchmont and Leith have permit parking. Ask the cleaner whether they need a visitor permit, and have one ready to avoid paid parking being added to the bill.

The August festival and holiday lets

In August, the Edinburgh Festival brings road closures, heavy traffic and a rush of holiday let changeovers. Cleaners are busier and travel takes longer, so book outside August if you can.

Student flats

Flats around the University of Edinburgh in Marchmont, Newington and the Southside see heavy wear and frequent move outs. Carpets in these flats often fall into the heavy soiling band, which starts from £132 for a three bedroom house with stairs.

VAT and minimum charges

VAT registered cleaners add 20%, while smaller traders under the £90,000 threshold don't charge VAT. Most cleaners also set a minimum charge per visit. Check both before comparing quotes.

From the trade: In a tenement, the stairs are the hidden part of the job. Getting a machine and solution tanks up four floors of stone steps takes real time, and the cleaners who've done it before price it in from the start. Always mention your floor, and ask whether they'll use a van mounted or portable machine. A van mounted machine is more powerful, but the hoses only reach so far up a common stair.

Which carpet types cost more to clean?

Most synthetic carpets cost the standard price. Wool, deep pile and natural fibre carpets need more care and may cost more.

Wool carpets are common in Edinburgh's New Town flats and older family homes, so tell the cleaner what your carpet is made of when you book.

Which cleaning method should you book?

For most Edinburgh homes, hot water extraction gives the deepest clean. A deep steam clean starts from £124 for a three bedroom house with stairs, compared with £83 for a standard clean.

Which stains come out of carpet?

Most everyday stains lift out with a professional clean, but some old or chemical stains can only be reduced.

How long does carpet cleaning take?

A single room usually takes 20 to 30 minutes to clean, and a three bedroom house with stairs takes around 2 to 3 hours. Tenement flats on upper floors take a little longer because of the time spent carrying equipment up and down the stairs.

Should you hire a machine or pay a professional?

Hiring a carpet cleaning machine works for a light refresh of one or two rooms. A professional is better for stains, pet homes, wool carpets and end of tenancy cleans.

Hire machines are less powerful, so they leave more water in the carpet and pull out less dirt. That means longer drying, which matters in Edinburgh's cool, damp climate, and a higher risk of shrinking or browning on wool carpets. If you're carrying a hire machine up a tenement stair, the saving can disappear fast.

Should you clean or replace your carpet?

Clean your carpet if it's structurally sound and the problem is dirt, stains or smell. Consider replacing it if the backing is coming apart, the pile is crushed flat in walkways, there are large bleach marks, or pet urine has soaked through to the underlay. A professional clean costs far less than new carpet, so it's worth trying first unless the damage is permanent.

What should an Edinburgh carpet cleaning quote include?

A fair quote lists every room, your floor level, the cleaning method and one total price with VAT. Avoid cleaners who won't give a fixed price before the day.

Check that your quote includes:

• Vacuuming before cleaning

• Pre treatment of stains and walkways

• Whether it's a standard or deep steam clean

• How large rooms and hallways are counted

• Your floor level and any access charge

• Any parking cost

• The total price including VAT

Already have a quote? A standard clean for a two bedroom flat starts from £46. Check how your quote compares with the Edinburgh starting prices.

Check my quote

How much is end of tenancy carpet cleaning in Edinburgh?

End of tenancy carpet cleaning in Edinburgh starts from £91 for a three bedroom flat with a deep steam clean, and from £124 for a three bedroom house with stairs. Heavily soiled carpets with pet stains start from £132.

What can a Scottish landlord take from your deposit for cleaning?

Scottish tenancy law is different from England's. Landlords and letting agents in Scotland cannot charge any fees beyond rent and a refundable deposit, and your deposit must be held in one of three approved schemes: SafeDeposits Scotland, MyDeposits Scotland or Letting Protection Service Scotland.

A landlord can only claim cleaning costs if the carpets are dirtier than at the start of your tenancy, and they can't charge for fair wear and tear. Scotland's housing tribunal has ordered landlords to return deductions for a standard professional clean when there was no evidence it was needed. Keep your receipt if you book a clean, take dated photos once the carpets are dry, and use the deposit scheme's free dispute service if you disagree with a deduction.

Moving out of an Edinburgh flat? Price the full end of tenancy clean, including the kitchen and bathroom, with the house cleaning cost calculator.

Price an end of tenancy clean

When is the best time to book carpet cleaning in Edinburgh?

Spring and early autumn are the easiest times to book, with milder weather for drying and more availability. August is the hardest month because of the festival, and late spring and early summer get busy as student lets end. In winter, book a morning slot so carpets have the whole day to dry.

How long do carpets take to dry in Edinburgh?

Most carpets dry in 4 to 8 hours after a deep steam clean. Wool carpets, basement flats and cold, damp days can take longer.

Open windows on a dry day, run a fan and keep doors open between rooms. In winter, keep the heating on low rather than closing the flat up, as a damp room with no air flow can start to smell musty.

How do you stay safe during a carpet clean?

• Take care on damp carpet, especially on internal stairs.

• Keep children and pets off the carpet until it's fully dry.

• Ventilate well while it dries, especially if anyone has asthma.

• Ask which products are used if anyone has allergies or sensitive skin.

• Put foil or plastic blocks under furniture legs to protect the damp pile.

• In a tenement, warn neighbours if hoses run up the common stair.

• Check the cleaner has public liability insurance.

How do you choose a carpet cleaner in Edinburgh?

Choose a cleaner who gives a fixed written price, names the cleaning method and holds public liability insurance. Membership of the National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA) is a good sign of proper training and insurance.

Get at least two quotes for the same rooms, and tell each cleaner your floor level and carpet type. A cleaner who regularly works in tenements and New Town flats will know how to handle stairs, parking and wool carpets.

Edinburgh carpet cleaning questions

How much does it cost to clean one room in Edinburgh?

One room starts from £19 on our Scotland regional model. Most cleaners have a minimum charge, so booking several rooms together gives better value.

Do I pay for the common stair in a tenement?

Usually not. The common stair is shared and normally stone, so you only pay for the carpets inside your flat.

Is carpet cleaning cheaper in Edinburgh or Glasgow?

Neither. Edinburgh and Glasgow share the same Scotland regional starting prices, from £83 for a three bedroom house with stairs.

Does the Low Emission Zone add to my bill?

There's no daily charge in Edinburgh's Low Emission Zone. Non-compliant vans are banned from the city centre, so most cleaners use compliant vans and the zone shouldn't change your price.

How often should carpets be professionally cleaned?

Every 12 to 18 months for most homes, or every 6 to 12 months with pets or young children.

Is professional carpet cleaning worth it?

For stains, pets, wool carpets and the end of a tenancy, yes. A professional machine removes far more dirt and water than a hire machine, so carpets dry faster and stay clean for longer.

Related cost guides

• Carpet cleaning cost UK: national prices, methods and the full calculator.

• Carpet cleaning cost in Manchester: prices for Manchester and Liverpool.

• Carpet cleaning cost in Birmingham: prices for Birmingham and the Midlands.

• House cleaning cost: regular, deep and end of tenancy cleaning prices.

• House exterior cleaning cost: driveway, patio, roof and wall cleaning prices.

• UK Price Index: monthly regional prices for every service.

How we price this page: all figures are starting prices from the InstantCost carpet cleaning calculator using the Scotland region, with a standard clean, average carpet condition and a few stains unless stated otherwise. Checked September 2026. Your final price depends on room size, carpet condition, extras and access, so always get a fixed written quote. InstantCost is an independent price comparison service and does not carry out cleaning work.