How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets?

You want your carpet to last for years to come. Proper care, handling, and maintenance ensures that this desire becomes a reality. In fact, your regular vacuuming, spot and stain removal, and carpet damage repair efforts go a long way! Yet still, many property owners are curious about how often should you clean your carpets? The answer is multi-faceted. Let’s explore the recommended cleaning frequency in more detail.

Factors That Affect Your Carpets

There will be several aspects to consider when determining how often to clean carpets. Here are the tidbits you’ll need to gather to make the best decision for your space:

• Traffic – how often is the carpet being walked on? Your formal dining room carpet will likely require less frequent cleaning than your family room.
• Soil Level – dirt, dust, debris, and other particulates lodge themselves deeply in carpet. The extent of this could require more or less frequent cleaning.
• Special Requirements for Certain Types of Carpet – the construction and material of your carpet matters. Take special care requirements into consideration.

IICRC Recommended Carpet Cleaning Frequency

The IICRC sets the standard for all cleaning and restoration services. Below, you’ll find the general recommendation for frequency intervals for activities commonly performed by carpet owners (vacuuming, spot cleaning), as well as those performed by trained professionals (maintenance, restoration, cleaning). 

Typically, residential carpet should be professionally cleaned at least once a year. See the chart for variations in soiling conditions.

How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets?

While there are specific guidelines as to the frequency of carpet cleaning, there are unique circumstances that may change the answer. Use this guide:

How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets With Kids?

Children bring joy to our lives, but the truth is – they sure know how to make a mess! Kids often carry dirt, bacteria, and germs with them that become embedded in the carpet. Additionally, the chance of stains and spills amplifies exponentially when you add children into the mix. Try to vacuum every few days, or ideally, daily. Shampoo the carpets every six months, and seek professional carpet cleaning services once a year.

How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets With Pets?

We understand that most people view their pets as family. We do too! However, this means they make messes just like the rest of the family. Between muddy paws, incontinence issues, and other accidents, you probably already have your hands full. But add in the pet dander, and you’re looking at a need to vacuum at least twice a week. Any stains should be removed immediately. Opt for DIY steam cleaning every 3-6 months and call Armstrong Cleaning semi-annually between these cleanings for best results.

How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets With Allergies?

Allergies can be a real nuisance, and unfortunately, your carpet can be complicit in worsening the issue. Your carpet helps filter dust and allergens, but this also means that these get trapped deep in the carpet fibers. For allergy sufferers, we highly recommend investing in a vacuum with a HEPA filter. Shampoo every two months to eliminate allergens, and for extreme cases, consider professional carpet cleaning every 3 months.

How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets With Smokers?

Smoking is not the best activity for your health or your carpets. Tar and nicotine situate themselves in carpet fibers which can cause adverse health effects for your home’s inhabitants. To keep up with this, you’ll want a cleaning every 3-6 months at least, scheduling more frequently for very heavy smokers.

Is it Time to Clean Your Carpets? Call Armstrong Cleaning

Despite your best efforts to keep up with cleaning your carpets, we know that day-to-day life gets in the way sometimes. For this reason, Armstrong Cleaning offers professional carpet cleaning services in the Sturgeon Bay, WI area and beyond. Contact us today to see how we can help your property shine!