Are You Supposed to Tip Carpet Cleaners?

All year round, carpet cleaners keep your family healthier, your home more immaculate, and your rugs and carpet looking new. This can be a godsend, especially if you have pets. But do you need to tip carpet cleaners? Here are some general guidelines to follow.

Should I Tip My Carpet Cleaner?

If you’re hiring a professional carpet cleaner near you, it’s not necessary or expected to give them a tip. However, if they’re prompt, courteous, do a wonderful job, or exceed expectations by doing extra work at no charge, it’s a nice gesture to tip them.

How Much to Tip Carpet Cleaners for Their Services

If you do wish to tip your carpet cleaner, a flat $10 to $20 per person is an acceptable amount.

If the carpet cleaner spends time and energy moving a lot of heavy furniture out of the way in order to access the carpets, that may warrant a tip for the extra effort. It’s also nice to tip service providers around the holidays.

How a Carpet Cleaner’s Payment Structure Works

Carpet cleaners typically make an hourly wage or salary for their service (as opposed to the way people in the restaurant service industry are paid where they rely on tips as part of their payment).

According to PayScale data, carpet cleaners make $10 to $19 per hour, $14.40 on average, and sometimes more if they’re self-employed versus working for a larger chain of carpet cleaning companies. This means tips aren’t a necessary or expected portion of their income, though they are appreciated if you feel inclined after particularly good service.

When You Shouldn’t Tip a Carpet Cleaner

Some larger carpet cleaning companies don’t allow their employees to accept tips, so check the company website or ask the owner about their tipping policies ahead of your service. You also probably don’t need to tip if the person carrying out the carpet cleaning is the business owner as they’ll likely charge you a rate conducive with the value of their service.