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Professional Carpet Cleaning

How Often Should I Get My Carpets Cleaned?

By IICRC

Categories: Green Cleaning, Carpets & Flooring
Tagged: Carpet Cleaning, Cleaning Services, Cleaning Strategy, House Cleaning Tips, Professional Carpet Cleaning, Stain Removal

Question: How often should I get my carpets cleaned?

 

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Answer: 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. [Note: Ad or content links featured on this page are not necessarily affiliated with IICRC (The cleantrust) and should not be considered a recommendation or endorsement by IICRC (The cleantrust)].

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, smoking)

  • 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. Find a Certified Professional at http://iicrc.org/locate-a-certified-professional/.)

How Often Should I Get My Carpets Cleaned?:  Created on March 5th, 2008.  Last Modified on January 21st, 2014

 

About IICRC

The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) is a certification and standard-setting nonprofit organization for the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries. The IICRC serves the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Japan, in partnership with regional and international trade associations.

The mission of IICRC is to identify and promote an international standard of care that establishes and maintains the health, safety and welfare of the built environment.

The IICRC, with industry-wide participation, certifies - and develops certifications and standards for - inspection, cleaning and restoration. The IICRC also serves as a valuable consumer referral source for IICRC-Certified technicians and firms. There are currently more than 53,000 active IICRC-Certified technicians, many with multiple certifications, and more than 6,000 IICRC-Certified Firms around the world.