How Big Is the Carpet Cleaning Industry?

The American carpet cleaning industry is enormous. In 1988, the carpet cleaning industry grossed about $1.8 billion. In 2013, that amount had risen to $3.9 billion. It’s dominated by more than 40,000 small, independently owned businesses and historically grows at about a 5 percent annual rate.

Think about how much carpet there is in the United States: Every year, homeowners lay more than 10 billion square feet of carpet, and all of that carpet has to be cleaned. The amount of carpet installed has been increasing for more than half a century, up from 9 million square feet a year in the 1950s. Carpet makes up a little less than half of all residential home flooring in the nation, making it the most common type of residential floor covering.

Think, too, about how many people are concerned these days about green and healthy alternatives to ordinary cleaning and you’ll understand why people want to hire Chem-Dry. The USA Government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that homeowners with children clean carpets every six months every three months in high-humidity areas to keep dust particulates out of the air and minimize the chance of mold.

The upshot is that there’s plenty of carpet out there to be cleaned, and Chem-Dry is in a perfect position to take advantage of the huge market. A top-ranked franchise system with professional, trained technicians, excellent customer service and a main office that keeps its franchise owners trained and stocked with equipment and supplies that lead the industry can easily outpace an independent vendor trying to do business in his own van.