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Carpet/Upholstery Cleaner

Do you want to become a Carpet/Upholstery Cleaner? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

Job Description - Print Page

Carpet/upholstery cleaners are responsible for cleaning carpets, rugs, curtains and a variety of soft furnishings within buildings.

Carpets and upholstery need cleaning for all sorts of reasons:

• as part of a spring clean
• regular cleaning in offices, hospitals and schools
• to remove wine and food stains after a party
• when people move into a new house
• to remove the smell of cigarette smoke from curtains
• specialist treatments for leather, tapestries or antique furniture
• as part of a clean-up operation following fire or water damage.

Carpet cleaners drive themselves to jobs where they assess the cleaning that needs to be carried out and prepare a quote for the customer. They then use a variety of machinery and chemical solutions to clean the area required. They may apply treatments to prevent further staining and make minor repairs to fringes and buttons.

Working hours may be long and can include evenings and weekends. It is a physically demanding job and cleaners are constantly on their feet, often moving heavy furniture and equipment. They may work alone, with a partner or in a team of cleaners. They wear protective clothing including overalls, gloves and face masks.

Salaries range from around £10,000 to £20,000 a year.

A carpet/upholstery cleaner should:

• have physical strength and stamina
• know how to operate a variety of cleaning equipment
• know how to make minor repairs to equipment
• be able to communicate effectively with customers
• be able to follow instructions and routines
• be interested in the care of textiles and fabrics.

Carpet/upholstery cleaners may work for carpet cleaning companies, or cleaning companies that have contracts to clean carpets in offices and buildings such as schools, hospitals and government buildings. Many are self-employed.

There are no academic requirements for this work. Most cleaners train on the job.  Apprenticeships may be available leading to NVQs/SVQs in Cleaning and Support Services (Levels 1 and 2). There are also short/specialist courses run by organisations such as The British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc), City & Guilds and The National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA).

There may be opportunities for promotion to supervisory and managerial roles. Some carpet/upholstery cleaners progress by setting up their own businesses.

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