A commonly asked question by most customers is how often should I clean my carpet?
Frequently-used carpet should be professionally cleaned by a qualified technician at least annually – perhaps a little longer interval for infrequently-used carpet, and even sooner for carpet in homes of respiratory-sensitive or allergic persons, or in homes with indoor pets. [Editor’s Note: Ad links featured on this page are not affiliated with IICRC and should not be considered a recommendation or endorsement by IICRC.
The following information from the IICRC S100 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Carpet Cleaning is a guide to cleaning frequencies for carpet. Factors to consider include: traffic, soil level, vacuuming schedules, spot cleaning schedules, professional interim cleaning schedules, and restorative cleaning schedules.
Remember: It’s important to follow the carpet manufacturer’s recommended cleaning schedule to maintain your warranty.
Residential Carpet Cleaning Frequency Guide
If you have:
Light Soil
- Vacuuming: 1x per week
- Spot Cleaning: Daily or as soon as spots are noticed
- Heavy-Use Area Cleaning (Professional Carpet Cleaner/Restorer): Traffic areas every 12 to 18 months
- Restorative Cleaning (Professional Carpet Cleaner/Restorer): Every 2 years or per manufacturer warranty
Normal Soil (families with children, elderly)
- Vacuuming: 1 to 2 x per week
- Spot Cleaning: Daily or as soon as spots are noticed
- Heavy-Use Area Cleaning (Professional Carpet Cleaner/Restorer): Traffic areas every 6 to 12 months
- Restorative Cleaning (Professional Carpet Cleaner/Restorer): Annually
Heavy Soil (families with pets and smokers)
- Vacuuming: 2 to 4 x per week
- Spot Cleaning: Daily or as soon as spots are noticed
- Heavy-Use Area Cleaning (Professional Carpet Cleaner/Restorer): Traffic areas every 3 to 6 months
- Restorative Cleaning (Professional Carpet Cleaner/Restorer): Semi-annually (2x annually)
Extreme Conditions (large families, multiple pets)
- Vacuuming: Daily
- Spot Cleaning: Daily or as soon as spots are noticed
- Heavy-Use Area Cleaning (Professional Carpet Cleaner/Restorer): Traffic lanes every 2 to 3 months
- Restorative Cleaning (Professional Carpet Cleaner/Restorer): Quarterly (4x annually)
(Heavy-Use Area Cleaning and Restorative Cleaning are often best handled by professionals. 
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