How often should you clean your carpet? The answer depends on your living space. If you have a lot of people and traffic on your carpet, you should be vacuuming and shampooing more often. Get a schedule for when to shampoo and vacuum your carpet.
How Often to Vacuum Your Carpet
When it comes to simple vacuuming of your carpets, consider vacuuming them at least once a week for a family that is rarely home. However, in busy families or high traffic carpet areas, you want to vacuum at least twice a week, if not more. Cleaning daily can cut down on the dirt and allergens, especially if you have pets or children running around or allow shoes to be worn in the house.
| Household Factors | Vacuuming Frequency |
|
Light traffic |
Weekly or less |
| High traffic | 2 times a week |
| Pets | Daily; at least twice a week |
| Children | Daily; at least twice a week |
How Often Should You Shampoo Your Carpet?
You should consider cleaning your carpet at least every 12 months to remove dirt, grime, and allergens. However, this schedule can vary depending on several factors in your household. If you have children or pets, you might shampoo your carpets more regularly. Check out the different factors that can affect your carpet cleaning schedule.
| Household Factors | Shampooing Frequency |
| Light traffic | 12 months |
| High traffic | 6-12 months |
| Pets | 3-6 months |
| Children | 6-12 months |
| Light colored | 6 months |
| Family with allergies | 2-3 months |
| Smokers | 3-6 months |
How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets With Kids
Kids are dirty! Young children, older children, they all have a propensity to get dirt and germs on them. And some kids are much better at this than others. Therefore, to clean up those muddy messes or spilled Kool-Aid, you need to vacuum at least every few days, if not daily. Shampoo or steam clean your carpets at least every 6 months and consider having a professional cleaning service come in every 12-18 months to make sure your carpets stay fresh.
How Often Should You Clean Your Carpet With Pets
Furry children are even worse than their human counterparts. In addition to muddy paws and accidents, they are also shaking off pet dander all the time. Therefore, you want to make sure to vacuum at least twice a week to keep up with your four-legged friends. It can help to use a vacuum designed for pets like a Miele. Clean your carpets yourself with a carpet cleaner or steam cleaner at least every 3-6 months. However, call the professionals every 6 months if you want to make sure everything is gone. This is especially true for high-traffic areas and for animals prone to accidents. Make sure to clean up messes as soon as they happen to avoid lingering odors.
When to Clean Light Colored Carpets
Another beast to tame in your lovely abode is the light-colored carpet. While these carpets can bring life to a room, they show the dirt. While this will require more cleaning, on the plus side, the dirt is not hidden to build up. Therefore, you want to be diligent in your cleaning routine for white or light carpets. This means you need to vacuum at least twice a week and shampoo them once every 6 months. Shampoo them more often if you notice dinginess. You can use the carpet fibers as your guide here.
How Often to Clean Carpets With Allergies
Carpets are great for filtering out dust and allergens. But not so great when they build up. If you are vacuuming your carpets with a HEPA filter, you are one step ahead and keeping those allergens at bay. However, despite your best efforts, these allergens build up over time. Therefore, shampoo your carpets every two months to draw these allergens out and make the air breathable again. For bad allergies, consider bringing in a professional every three months.
How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets With Smokers?
When you have smokers in your home, all that nicotine and tar need to go somewhere. So, it goes right into your carpet fibers. That means it's going straight into your carpets. To keep up with tar and nicotine stains, shampoo your carpets at least every 3-6 months. More often for heavy smokers and less for light or moderate smokers. It's not going to hurt to do it more often.
Tips for Cleaning Your Carpets
Shampooing your carpets is essential, but there are a few tips you need to remember.
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Avoid over-wetting carpet since the wetness can stay in the pad.
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All carpet to fully dry before moving furniture back.
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Take your time vacuuming before shampooing.
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Go slowly when doing weekly vacuuming to ensure you get all the particles.
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Follow all the instructions when doing home shampooing to ensure a proper clean.
How Often Should You Clean Your Carpet?
Carpets are a great floor covering that is warm and cozy when you walk around. However, it also takes some work to maintain it, especially when you have children and furry friends. Next, keep your carpets pristine by following a few tips for cleaning shag rugs.
