The Short Answer
If you just want the number: in 2026, cleaning a synthetic area rug in your Chattanooga home costs $1 per square foot with us. An 8x10 rug is $80. If the rug needs a deeper wash at our Rug Spa, it's $3 per square foot, so the same 8x10 is $240. Pickup is free, and bringing the rug back is $30.
Wool, silk, Persian, and other hand-made rugs are priced after I see them, because the fiber and the dyes decide how they can be washed. The rest of this guide shows where those numbers come from, what real Chattanooga rug jobs have cost this fall, and how to tell which kind of cleaning your rug actually needs.
Most Chattanooga companies don't put rug prices online at all. You call, you describe the rug, and you hope the number on the invoice matches the one you heard on the phone. I'd rather you know before you call.
Our 2026 Area Rug Cleaning Prices by Size
I price rugs by the square foot because it's the fairest way I know. A 5x8 in a guest room and a 10x14 under a dining table are very different jobs, and a flat "per rug" price either overcharges the small one or undercharges the big one. To find your rug's square footage, multiply the length by the width in feet. A 5x8 rug is 40 square feet.
Here's what common sizes cost for synthetic rugs, which covers most machine-made rugs (nylon, polyester, and polypropylene):
| Rug size | Square feet | Cleaned in your home | Rug Spa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5x8 | 40 | $40 | $120 |
| 6x9 | 54 | $54 | $162 |
| 8x10 | 80 | $80 | $240 |
| 9x12 | 108 | $108 | $324 |
| 10x12 | 120 | $120 | $360 |
| 10x14 | 140 | $140 | $420 |
Rug Spa prices include free pickup. Bringing the rug back clean is $30. You can also drop the rug off yourself at our shop at 10205 Miller Rd in Soddy-Daisy. Just call or text Brian at (423) 595-8318 first so he can set up a time. Small mats cleaned during a carpet cleaning visit usually come out to $6 to $12, since they're only a few square feet.
One more charge can apply, and I'd rather you hear about it here than on the invoice: if you're more than 25 miles from our office, there's a $25 trip charge.
What Real Chattanooga Rug Jobs Cost This Fall
A price list is one thing. Here's what people actually paid. Between mid-September and mid-October 2026, we cleaned more than 30 area rugs for customers around Chattanooga, not counting small mats. Most of them came in between $60 and $165, and the typical rug was right around $100. A 10x12 rug we cleaned in September was $120. The biggest single rug so far this season came to $439.
Most of those rugs were cleaned on the same visit as the customer's carpets or furniture. That's the way most people handle it: while we're there for the carpets, the rugs get done too. If you're planning carpets as well, my carpet cleaning cost guide explains how I price rooms and hallways.
How Our Prices Compare to National Averages
HomeAdvisor's rug cleaning cost guide (updated June 2026) puts professional steam cleaning at $1 to $4 per square foot and hand washing at $5 to $8 per square foot. It says most homeowners pay between $100 and $350, with an average around $180, and it lists pickup and delivery at $25 to $50.
So our in-home rate sits at the low end of the national range, and our $30 return charge is at the low end of what other companies charge for delivery. Keep in mind that the national hand-washing numbers are mostly for wool and hand-woven rugs. Our $3 Rug Spa rate is for synthetic rugs, and wool is quoted on its own.
In-Home Cleaning or the Rug Spa: Which Does Your Rug Need?
We offer two ways to clean a rug. The right one depends on the rug, not on which one costs more, and I'll tell you honestly if the cheaper option will do the job.
Cleaning in your home ($1 per square foot)
For routine cleaning, we clean the rug right where it sits, using the same truck-mounted hot water extraction system and rug cleaning solutions we use on carpet. You don't have to roll it up or haul it anywhere, and same-day service is available.
In-home cleaning is the right call for:
- Synthetic, machine-made rugs
- Regular upkeep on a rug that's dirty but not damaged
- Times when you need it done quickly, like the week before guests arrive
The Rug Spa ($3 per square foot)
Some rugs need more than a surface clean. At our Rug Spa, every rug is inspected first for fiber type, color fastness, and any damage. Then it goes into a soaking tub with cleaning solutions matched to that rug. That full-immersion wash flushes out the soil, dust mites, and allergens that have worked their way down to the base, where in-home cleaning can't reach. After the wash, we pull out the water and soil with squeegees and extraction equipment, then hang the rug to dry in a controlled space. Fringe cleaning and minor repairs can be done while the rug is with us.
The Rug Spa is the right call for:
- Oriental, Persian, silk, and antique rugs
- Pet urine and odor that has soaked through
- Rugs that haven't been cleaned in years
- Rugs with dirty fringe or small repairs
Not sure which one yours needs? Text me a photo of the rug and the tag on the back at (423) 595-8318 and I'll tell you.
Oriental, Persian, and Wool Rugs
Oriental and Persian rugs are where the most cleaning damage happens, and almost all of it comes from treating them like wall-to-wall carpet. Many hand-knotted rugs are colored with dyes that can bleed when they get wet with the wrong solution or too much heat. Once a red border runs into a cream field, it's very hard to undo.
That's why delicate Oriental, Persian, and antique rugs go to the Rug Spa, where the first step is checking the fiber and testing the colors before anything else touches the rug. For wool rugs, I'll tell you after I see it whether it can be cleaned in place or needs the Rug Spa.
I don't publish a flat rate for wool, silk, or hand-made rugs, because two 8x10 wool rugs can need very different care. For context, HomeAdvisor puts wool rug cleaning at $3 to $8 per square foot and silk at $4 to $8 nationally. I'll give you an exact number once I've looked at your rug, and you'll have it before any work starts.
Pet Urine in Area Rugs
If a dog or cat has had accidents on a rug, the urine usually goes all the way through to the backing and onto whatever is underneath. Cleaning the top of the rug can make it look fine while the smell comes back on the first humid Chattanooga day. That's the same reason pet odor keeps coming back in carpet, which I explain in detail in my guide to getting pet urine smell out of carpet.
Pet odor is one of the main jobs the Rug Spa is built for, because soaking the whole rug reaches what's in the backing. If the urine also went into the carpet and pad under the rug, that spot needs its own pet odor treatment, which is $30 per room. If you've noticed a smell in the carpet under the rug too, mention it when you call.
What Changes the Price
- Size. This is the biggest factor. Everything is priced by the square foot.
- Fiber. Synthetic rugs are priced from the table above. Wool, silk, and hand-made rugs are quoted after I see them.
- Where it's cleaned. In your home is $1 per square foot. The Rug Spa is $3 per square foot plus $30 to bring it back.
- Condition. Heavy pet urine or years of buildup usually means the Rug Spa instead of in-home cleaning.
- Fringe and repairs. These are quoted separately, before any work starts.
- Distance. A $25 trip charge applies only if you're more than 25 miles from our office.
How Often Should You Clean an Area Rug?
For a rug in a busy room, once a year is a good rhythm. Rugs in entryways, under kitchen tables, or in homes with pets and young kids usually need it every 6 to 12 months. A rug in a formal room that nobody walks on can go longer.
Fall is a good time to do it. Guests show up for the holidays, and pets spend more time inside once it cools off. In between cleanings, a few habits make a real difference:
- Vacuum both sides a few times a year. Grit works its way down and collects under the rug, where it wears the backing.
- Rotate the rug every six months so foot traffic and sun fading even out.
- Use a rug pad. It keeps the rug from shifting and takes some of the wear.
- Blot spills, don't scrub them. Scrubbing spreads the stain and roughs up the fibers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to clean an 8x10 rug in Chattanooga?
With Heavenly Touch, an 8x10 synthetic rug costs $80 to clean in your home, or $240 at our Rug Spa plus $30 to bring it back. Pickup is free. Wool, silk, and hand-made rugs are quoted after I see the rug.
Do you pick up and deliver area rugs?
Yes. Pickup is free, and return delivery is $30.
Can I drop my rug off for cleaning?
Yes. You can drop your rug off at our shop at 10205 Miller Rd in Soddy-Daisy instead of having us pick it up. Call or text Brian at (423) 595-8318 first to set up a time.
Can you clean my rug at my house instead?
Yes. Most rugs can be cleaned right where they are with the same truck-mounted equipment used on carpet, at $1 per square foot for synthetic rugs. Same-day service is available.
Do you clean Oriental and Persian rugs?
Yes. Delicate Oriental, Persian, and antique rugs go to our Rug Spa, where each rug is checked for fiber type, color fastness, and damage before it is washed. You get an exact price before any work starts.
Can you get dog or cat urine out of an area rug?
Pet odor is one of the main jobs the Rug Spa is built for. Soaking the whole rug reaches urine that has gone down into the backing, which cleaning the surface cannot reach.
Is there an extra charge if I live outside Chattanooga?
Only if you are more than 25 miles from our office. Then there is a $25 trip charge.
Get a Real Number for Your Rug
Measure your rug, check the tag on the back for what it's made of, and call or text me at (423) 595-8318. For a synthetic rug, I can give you the exact price right on the phone. For wool, silk, or a family heirloom, I'll take a look first and give you a number before anything gets wet.
You can also request a free quote online, or read more about our area rug cleaning in Chattanooga, including how the Rug Spa works.
Brian Young, Owner
Heavenly Touch Carpet Care
Call or text: (423) 595-8318
Serving Chattanooga, Soddy-Daisy, Hixson, Red Bank, Signal Mountain, Ooltewah, East Ridge, Cleveland, and surrounding areas.