DIY GUIDE · CLEANING · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to deep-clean fitted carpets yourself
A day for a three-bedroom house. €63–€70 for the hire, detergent and a spotter.
Check the carpet can take water, vacuum hard, pre-treat, go slow, and dry it fast.
- Every step, start to finish
- Checked October 2026 — sources at the end
- Honest about when to call a pro
FIRST, THE HONEST ANSWER
Do it yourself, or get a cleaner?
Do it yourself if…
- The carpet is a synthetic or a wool blend and its label or the fitter says it can be wet-cleaned
- The problem is everyday soiling, traffic lanes and the odd spill
- You can lift a hire machine in and out of the car and up the stairs
- The rooms can be heated and aired so the carpet dries the same day
Get a pro if…
- The carpet is pure wool, a natural fibre such as sisal or seagrass, a Berber loop or a flocked type
- There has been a flood, sewage or a long-running pet urine problem that has reached the underlay
- Old stains have already been attacked with household products and have spread or changed colour
- You have long flights of stairs and landings and no appetite for a hand tool on every tread
Safety first
- Carpet detergents and spotters can irritate skin; wear gloves when mixing, spotting and emptying the tank, and read the hazard pictograms on each label.
- Never mix two cleaning products. The HSA warns that some cleaning chemicals, bleach among them, give off harmful gas when they come into contact with others.
- A wet floor is a slip hazard. Keep the cable behind you, the plug and socket dry, and other people out of the room while you work backwards over damp carpet.
- A full machine and a full bucket are heavy. Lift with your knees bent, carry the tanks close to your body, and get help on the stairs.
- Keep children and pets off the damp carpet and away from the detergent bottles.
| MATERIAL | COVERAGE | FOR THIS JOB |
|---|---|---|
| The machine maker's carpet detergent | Up to two rooms per litre, by the hire shop's guide; dose by the label | 2 litres for four rooms |
| Spotter or traffic-lane pre-treatment | Suited to your fibre; test on a hidden patch first | One bottle |
| Odour treatment for pet areas (optional) | Only one made for the machine, used as its label says | As dosed |
How much detergent you need
36 m² of wall → 36 L for 2 coats. Buy about 36 L.
Litres ≈ number of rooms ÷ 2, using the hire shop's guide of up to two rooms per litre, and count a full stairs and landing as one room. Example: three bedrooms plus the stairs and landing is four rooms, so 4 ÷ 2 = 2 litres — one 2-litre bottle.
Heavily soiled carpet and pre-treated traffic lanes use more. Buy the next size up if you are close to the line; an unopened bottle keeps for the next time.
Look for the label on an offcut, the receipt or the fitter's paperwork. The hire shop lists carpets the machine should not touch, including non-colourfast fabrics, Berber and flocked floor coverings, and it also rules out memory foam mattresses. Wool needs extra care: the machine maker warns that too much water or the wrong product can shrink wool, make the colour bleed and distort the pile. If in doubt, a hidden test patch tells you more than any label.
Irish DIY chains hire upright machines by the day. At one, a standard machine costs €37.20 for 24 hours and a wide-track €43.90; for 48 hours the standard is €43.90 and the wide one €49.20. The wide machine has a bigger tank and a wider path, which saves emptying trips in a big open-plan room. For a few bedrooms and a hall, the standard one is plenty. Expect a €10 cleaning deposit and photo ID.
The detergent is not included in the hire. Bottles carry their coverage on the label, and the hire shop gives a guide of up to two rooms from a 1 litre bottle, four from 2 litres and eight from 4 litres. Use only the detergent made for that machine at the dose it states; household products foam in the tank and leave residue in the pile.
Wool is durable but absorbs water readily and reacts to heat and harsh chemicals. The machine maker recommends a cleaning solution approved as safe for wool, lukewarm water, slow passes and two or three dry passes at the end. Pure wool and expensive wool carpets are often better left to a professional who can control the moisture.
Deal with stains and traffic lanes before the machine reaches them. Use a spotter suited to your fibre, test it first on a hidden area, apply it to a white cloth rather than straight to the carpet, and blot from the outside of the mark towards the middle. Older stains benefit from the treatment sitting for a few minutes before you clean.
Stairs, landings, edges against skirting and the bottom step need the hand tool, which costs extra on the hire — €6.65 at one chain. It is slow work, but the upright machine cannot reach a tread safely, and balancing it on the stairs is how people fall.
THE PART THAT DECIDES THE FINISH
Preparing the carpet — by what you are cleaning
Find your carpet below and do its preparation the day before you collect the machine. If yours is on the unsuitable list, stop and get it cleaned by someone who works with that fibre.
Synthetic cut pile — polypropylene, nylon, polyester
Most carpet laid in Irish homes in the last thirty years.
- Clear the room completely, or move the furniture into the middle so you can do the edges first
- Vacuum slowly in two directions at right angles, doubling up on doorways and in front of sofas
- Spray the traffic lanes with the pre-treatment made for the machine and leave it the time on the bottle
- Put foil squares or plastic tabs under any furniture legs that stay on the carpet
Wool or wool-rich carpet
Common on stairs, in older houses and in better-quality rooms.
- Check the label or ask the fitter whether it can be wet-cleaned; if it is pure wool, consider a professional
- Test the detergent on a hidden corner, let it dry fully and look for colour change or shrinkage
- Plan on lukewarm water only and a cleaning solution approved for wool
- Vacuum with the brush bar on its gentlest setting so you do not fluff the fibres
Deep pile or shaggy carpet
Bedrooms mainly; the pile holds more water than you expect.
- Raise the vacuum head to its highest setting and go slowly
- Rake the pile upright with your fingers or a carpet rake so the machine can reach the base
- Plan fewer wet passes and more dry passes than on a short pile
- Allow a longer drying time, with the heating on and a window open
Carpet with stains or pet accidents
The reason most people hire a machine in the first place.
- Scoop up any solids with a spoon and blot fresh spills with white kitchen roll, pressing rather than rubbing
- Test the spotter on a hidden area, apply it to a cloth and blot from the edge of the mark inwards
- For mud, let it dry fully and vacuum it before any liquid goes near it
- Smell the area; if the odour comes from the underlay, a surface clean will not cure it
Stairs and landings
Done with the hand tool, from the top down.
- Vacuum each tread and riser and push the crevice tool hard into the back corner of every step
- Park the machine on the landing or at the foot of the stairs, never on a step
- Route the hose and cable along the wall side so they are not under your feet
- Plan to start at the top so you never kneel on a clean, damp tread
Carpets on the unsuitable list
Sisal, jute, seagrass, coir, Berber loop, flocked, non-colourfast, dry-clean only.
- Do not use the hire machine on them
- Vacuum often and blot spills straight away
- Use only a dry method if the carpet maker allows one
- Get a quote from a carpet cleaner who works with that fibre
THE JOB
How to deep-clean a carpet, in order
Check the carpet and clear the room
45 minUse the surfaces section above to confirm your carpet can be wet-cleaned and do a test patch the day before. Then move everything you can out of the room. What cannot move goes into the centre, so you clean the edges first and the middle last. Lift long curtains off the floor and tie them up. Open a window or set the heating so the room can start drying the moment you finish.
- Photograph where the furniture stood so it goes back without guesswork
- Unplug and lift lamp and charger cables off the floor
- If the test patch shows any colour on the cloth, stop there
Mistake to avoid: Skipping the test patch. A carpet that bleeds dye does it across the whole room, not just in the corner.
Vacuum like you mean it
30 minVacuum slowly in two directions at right angles, overlapping each stroke. Give the traffic lanes, the doorway and the strip in front of the sofa twice the time. Run the crevice tool along every skirting board, where grit gathers. The machine maker calls vacuuming first one of the most important steps, because it lets the washer work on the dirt bedded in the fibres rather than on crumbs and hair.
- Empty the vacuum when it is half full so the suction stays strong
- On wool or loop pile, switch the brush bar to its gentlest setting
- Change the direction of the last pass to lift the pile
Mistake to avoid: Letting the washer do the vacuuming. Dry grit turns to mud under the spray and is harder to get out than before.
Pre-treat the stains and lanes
20 minBlot any fresh spill dry first, pressing down with white kitchen roll. Apply the spotter to a white cloth and blot from the outside of the mark towards the centre so it does not spread. For the grey lanes, spray the pre-treatment evenly and leave it the time on the bottle. Older stains benefit from a few minutes' dwell before the machine reaches them.
- Blot, never rub; rubbing frays the pile and pushes the stain wider
- Use a clean part of the cloth each time you press
- Rinse a water-based spotter out with a damp cloth so it does not leave a sticky patch
Mistake to avoid: Scrubbing a stain with a household cleaner. It spreads the mark, can bleach the dye, and leaves a residue that turns grey.
Fill and dose the machine
10 minTake off the dirty-water tank. Fill the clean tank with warm tap water — lukewarm for wool — to the line shown, and add the detergent with the measuring jug at the dose on the bottle. Refit the dirty tank firmly; if it is not seated, the suction leaks and the carpet stays wet. Set the machine to carpet mode if it has more than one.
- Detergent goes in the clean tank only, never the dirty one
- Measure it; overdosing foams and leaves a residue that re-soils fast
- Check the filter in the dirty tank is clear before you start
Mistake to avoid: Adding extra detergent because the carpet is filthy. It foams, leaves the pile sticky, and the carpet looks dirty again within weeks.
Start in the far corner and work slowly
40 minBegin in the corner furthest from the door so you never walk over clean carpet. Press the spray as you push forward, then release it and pull back slowly over the same strip so the suction recovers the water. Work in straight, slightly overlapping lines, as slowly as you can bear — the suction needs time. Stop spraying a stride before the wall and keep pulling to the edge.
- Slow is the whole technique; fast passes leave the water behind
- Overlap each strip by a few centimetres with the last
- Plan your route so you finish at the door
Mistake to avoid: Spraying on both the push and the pull, or going over one strip again and again with the spray on. That is how the backing soaks through.
Do dry passes before you move on
15 minWhen a section is done, go over it again with the spray off. The machine maker recommends extra extraction passes to lift as much moisture as possible, and two or three on wool. Watch the dirty tank: if the water coming up is still dark, that area needs one more wet pass; if it is clear and little is coming up, you are done.
- Dry passes do more for the drying time than any fan
- Empty the dirty tank as soon as it nears the line or the suction drops
- Feel the carpet: damp is right, wet means more dry passes
Mistake to avoid: Skipping the dry passes to finish sooner. The carpet then takes far longer to dry and is more likely to smell musty.
Do the stairs with the hand tool
45 minFit the hand tool and park the machine on the landing or at the foot of the stairs. Start at the top tread. Spray onto the tread as you draw the tool towards you, then release and draw it back over the same line to extract. Do the riser the same way, then move down one step. Keep the hose and cable on the wall side and never stand on a tread you have just cleaned.
- Work one step at a time, tread then riser
- Keep a hand free for the banister
- Clean the bottom step last, from the hall floor
Mistake to avoid: Balancing the upright machine on a step. It is heavy, top-heavy when full, and tips easily.
Empty and rinse the machine
15 minSwitch off and unplug before you remove the tanks. Pour the dirty water down a toilet or an inside sink, never an outside drain, which runs to streams and rivers. Rinse both tanks and the brush area, clear the filter and wipe the outside down. The hire shop refunds the deposit only if the machine comes back clean and undamaged with the receipt.
- Carry the dirty tank level; it slops
- Rinse the hand tool and hose with clean water through the machine
- Keep the receipt with the machine so you do not forget it
Mistake to avoid: Returning the machine with dirty water and hair in it. You lose the deposit, and the next person inherits your dirt.
Dry it fast
4–8 hoursOpen windows if the weather allows, leave internal doors open for a through-draught and put the heating on at a comfortable level. A fan pointed across the floor helps. The hire shop expects carpets to dry in two to four hours; the machine maker gives four to eight hours for most carpets, longer for thick pile or cold rooms. Keep off it until it is dry right down to the base.
- Lay old towels as a path if you have to cross the room
- Keep pets out; damp pile is slippery and the detergent should not be licked off paws
- Once dry, vacuum once more to lift the pile
Mistake to avoid: Putting the furniture back while the carpet is damp. Wood stain, rust and dye from the feet mark the carpet and do not come out.
The mistakes that leave carpets worse
- Over-wetting: spraying on the pull as well as the push, and skipping the dry passes
- Using washing-up liquid, laundry detergent or too much of the machine's own detergent
- Rubbing stains instead of blotting them from the outside in
- Wet-cleaning a carpet on the unsuitable list
- Putting furniture back on carpet that is still damp
Stop here and get a carpet cleaner
- The carpet is pure wool, a natural fibre, Berber, flocked, or marked dry-clean only
- The colour test shows dye on the cloth
- There has been a flood, sewage, or a heavy pet urine problem that has reached the underlay
- A stain has already been treated with household products and has spread or bleached
| WHAT YOU SEE | WHY, AND THE FIX |
|---|---|
| The carpet smells musty after cleaning | It stayed wet too long. Ventilate, heat the room and run a fan; next time do more dry passes and spray only on the forward push. |
| Stains came back as it dried | Over-wetting pulled the stain up from the backing as the water wicked to the tips. Spot-treat again, then clean with quick passes and plenty of dry passes. |
| The carpet feels sticky or gets dirty again quickly | Too much detergent, or a household product, is left in the pile. Go over it with plain warm water in the clean tank and extract thoroughly. |
| Brown patches appeared after drying | Slow drying let residue or the backing's colour wick to the tips. Rinse that patch with clean water, extract hard and dry it fast. |
| Rust or white marks under furniture legs | Furniture went back on damp carpet. Blot with clean water and a cloth; next time use foil or tabs until it is dry. |
| The pile looks flattened or fluffy | The pile dried lying in different directions, or wool was cleaned too hot. Brush the pile upright while it is still damp and use lukewarm water on wool. |
| A patch is lighter than the rest | The carpet or a spotter was not colourfast. Stop treating that area; a professional colour repair is the fix. |
| The machine sprays but leaves the carpet soaking | The dirty tank is full or not seated, or the filter is blocked. Empty it, clear the filter, refit it firmly and do dry passes over the wet area. |
WHAT YOU SAVE
What it costs to do it yourself
| Carpet washer hire, 24 hours | €37.20 |
|---|---|
| Machine maker's detergent, 2 litres | €21 |
| Carpet stain remover | €4.99 |
| Hand tool for stairs (optional) | €6.65 |
| Total, three bedrooms and the stairs | €63–€70 |
| DIY total | €63–€70 |
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
Hire is by the day, so doing the whole house in one go costs little more than one room. The deposit comes back when the machine goes back clean. Detergent is the variable: dose it properly and a 2-litre bottle goes further than you think.
RATHER NOT?
Carpet cleaners near you, with prices shown
The ones who cover your area, nearest first, with one score from every review. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
Then vacuum once to lift the pile before the furniture goes back, with foil under the legs for the first day.
Dirty water goes down a toilet or an inside sink, never an outside gully. Rinsed detergent bottles go in the household recycling bin; an unwanted part-used spotter or chemical goes to your local civic amenity site, which mywaste.ie will find for you.
For wool, the machine maker suggests going over the busy routes two or three times weekly and the whole floor once a week. Put mats at outside doors and blot spills at once.
Once a year for most homes, and every six to twelve months on wool or with pets. Spot-treat in between and the annual clean stays light.
Deep-cleaning fitted carpets with a hired machine: questions people ask
The hire shop expects two to four hours; the machine maker gives four to eight hours for most carpets, longer for thick pile and cold rooms. Dry passes, open windows, a fan and the heating on all shorten it.
No. Use only the detergent made for the machine, at the dose on its label. Household products foam in the tank and leave a residue in the pile that pulls dirt back in quickly.
With care: a cleaning solution approved for wool, lukewarm water, slow passes and two or three dry passes. Test a hidden patch first. Pure wool and expensive wool carpets are often better left to a professional.
At one national chain, a standard machine is €37.20 for 24 hours and a wide-track €43.90, with a €10 deposit and detergent extra. The hand tool for stairs costs €6.65.
The Locufy price guide puts professional carpet cleaning at €30–€75 per room, typically €45. Stairs, heavy staining and wool carpets cost more.
It was over-wetted and dried too slowly. Ventilate, heat the room and run a fan; next time spray only on the forward push and do more dry passes.
MORE GUIDES
More DIY guides
Sources — checked October 2026
- Vax — step-by-step guide to carpet cleaning: preparation, technique, drying
- Vax — how to clean a wool carpet
- B&Q Ireland — carpet cleaner hire: prices, deposit, detergent coverage, drying time, unsuitable carpets
- B&Q Ireland — price check: carpet cleaner detergent, October 2026
- HSA — floor wet cleaning: slip risk
- HSA — Safety in Contract Cleaning: chemical safety
- MyWaste.ie — chemicals and household hazardous waste
- Mr Price — price check: carpet stain remover, October 2026