Carpet Cleaning Solution Calculator

This calculator sizes out a hot water extraction (steam cleaning) job from carpet area and soil level. Solution volume scales directly with square footage using a per-square-foot rate that steps up with soil level: 0.5 gallons for light soil, 0.7 for moderate, and a full gallon for heavy soil, since heavier soiling needs more passes and more water to fully rinse and extract embedded dirt. Pre-spray (the alkaline or enzymatic treatment applied before extraction to break down soil) is sized separately using an ounce-per-square-foot rate that also tightens with soil level — one ounce covers 10 sq ft on light carpet but only 6 sq ft on heavy carpet, reflecting the stronger dwell-and-agitate treatment dirtier fiber needs. Extraction passes follow the same logic: 2 passes for light soil, 3 for moderate, 5 for heavy.

Cleaning time combines extraction time (total solution divided by your machine's flow rate in gallons per hour) with an estimated pre-spray application time based on a 2,000 sq ft/hour coverage rate. Drying time is a flat lookup by soil level (6, 12, or 24 hours) reflecting that heavier soil means more water was used and left in the fiber. Keep in mind these are planning estimates, not job guarantees: real-world solution use varies with carpet pile density, humidity, ventilation, and your specific machine's actual flow rate versus its rated spec, so always verify machine flow rate against the manufacturer's number rather than a nameplate maximum, and budget extra drying time in humid or poorly ventilated spaces to avoid mold risk.