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.
Fresh Start is your best source for carpet cleaning in Southern, NJ and Philadelphia.
We have Green products for people with allergies and all of our detergents are pet and child safe.