You probably look at your carpets in your home, and wonder how often they should be cleaned. It’s a great question, but unfortunately, it does not come with a clear answer. This should serve as a guide for you and give you some helpful assessments to determine how often you should call in the professional.
Recommended Frequency
Officially speaking, the Carpet and Rug Institute says that you should have your carpets cleaned every three to six months. But, many carpet cleaners will tell you that you should have your carpets cleaned every six months to a year. So which is it? It has been my experience that… it depends. What do I mean by this? The frequency with which you clean your carpets depends on your lifestyle. For example, if you are:
- a single person with no pets, you don’t do a lot of cooking with oils, and you consistently vacuum every day or two, you probably don’t need to have your carpets cleaned but every 18-24 months.
On the other hand, if you:
- live with a lot of kids, 3 dogs, 2 cats, your yard is mostly dirt and weeds, you deep fry all of your foods, and the vacuum cleaner is more of a post to hang your clothes on than a cleaning appliance, then a quarterly professional cleaning may be in order.
Middle of the Road
Most of us will likely fall somewhere in between these extremes. No matter what, it is important to vacuum your carpets often between professional cleanings. It is also important to note that once you see the carpet is dirty (usually in the high-traffic areas), it is past due for a cleaning.
When deciding how often is necessary for carpet cleaning, it is important to be mindful of the amount of carpet traffic in your home, the type and frequency of exposure to carpet contaminants, and your weekly cleaning habits. After 20+ years in the industry, it is my opinion that most people will fall into the once a year cleaning category.