Kids tearing through every room, dogs coming in from the yard, and a recent dinner party makes you wonder: how often should you clean your carpet?
If you’re too embarrassed to ask friends, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Here’s everything to know about carpet cleaning.
How Often Should You Vacuum?
You should vacuum once a week so your carpet lasts longer. Vacuuming removes loose particles on your carpet’s surface before they seep into the fabrics and abrade its fibers. It also means you can go longer between professional deep cleanings.
But calling in expert cleaners is inevitable and essential. They have the technology and know-how to extract embedded dust and dirt from your carpet to ensure it’s 100% clean.
When You Have Children
Littles ones sometimes spill juice or tear through the house with muddy shoes after playing outside. Sound familiar? If so, clean your high-traffic carpet every six to 12 months and ensure you get it professionally cleaned once a year.
For Pet Owners
A major factor in when you should clean your carpet is whether you have any furry friends. Muddy paw prints, loose hair, and accidents are a carpet’s worst enemies, so you must take cleaning your carpet seriously.
Vacuum your carpet twice a week as hair and dander (tiny flecks of your pet’s skin) can shed and stick to your carpet. You can also sprinkle specialized carpet powder on the stained areas to tackle any odors. Let it sink in for at least half an hour and then vacuum over the area twice.
Aim to clean the high-traffic carpet areas or rugs every three to six months. But to ensure your carpet gets the best treatment, hire a professional cleaner to wash them twice a year.
When a Family Member Has an Allergy
Not sure how often to clean your carpet?
It depends on whether someone in your household has allergies. Carpet fibers work as a filter, collecting dust and allergens floating around the room.
Eventually, they will build up and become airborne once someone walks across the room. You must give your carpet a thorough clean to remove allergens and clear the air. Aim to vacuum once a week and hire a professional carpet cleaner every two months.
Cleaning Light-Colored Carpets
Light-colored carpets brighten up a room but they also highlight any dirt and stains. This means they’ll need more frequent professional cleaning compared to darker carpets.
Vacuum once a week, clean spills immediately and treat carpet stains when they arise. And, to ensure your light-colored carpet looks its best, get a professional clean every six to 12 months.
Mistakes to Avoid
You’ve realized it’s time to clean your carpet. But before you dive in, consider these common mistakes:
Over-Wetting or Over-Shampooing
This happens when too much water soaks into the bottom of the carpet. As a result, the carpet will discolor when it’s too wet and even shrink, tearing itself up from the floor.
When your carpet is soaked, it’s difficult to dry out, therefore increasing the risk of mold and mildew.
Another problem is over-shampooing the carpet. If this is the case, there will be a build-up of soapy residue that is impossible to clean, leaving your carpet susceptible to attracting more dirt.
Furniture on Wet Carpeting
If you set your furniture on wet carpeting, there is a major risk of staining if they are in contact for too long. Or, as many tables have partially metal feet, there’s a risk of leaving rust stains on the carpet.
Benefits of a Professional Carpet Cleaning
To ensure your carpet is 100% clean, consider professional cleaning. Here’s why:
Dangerous Particles Are Destroyed
Your carpet may look clean but deep between the fibers, dirt particles will be lurking. Not only will it make your carpet look dirty but also smell worse over time.
Luckily, a professional cleaner will use particular treatments to combat this. For example, an anti-microbial treatment will kill mold, yeast, and mildew so they return your carpet to its normal state.
Also, it will remove odor and offer relief to those with allergies so you can restore a happy home.
Rugs Will Look and Smell Good
After a while, vacuuming doesn’t cut it.
An expert will use a cleaning solution, like Safe-Dry® Carpet Cleaning to seep into the carpet fibers without over-wetting it. The solution doesn’t contain detergents that leave dirt-attracting residue behind. Instead, they remove the dissolved dirt with a machine that rubs cotton pads over the carpet.
Professionals use this system because the carpet is dry and ready for foot traffic within an hour, perfect for busy households.
Extend Your Carpet’s Life
It’s important to know when to clean your carpet so you can maximize its life. A professional cleaning will do this by using retreatment chemicals, all fluorochemical based.
To see whether you need this, drip a few drops of water on the carpet in the discolored areas and see whether the drops get absorbed or bead up. If the carpet absorbs them, call a professional so they can treat your carpet.
How Often Should You Clean Your Carpet?
Now you don’t have to Google “how often should you clean your carpet”?
But if you’re worried about how often you should clean your carpet consider the factors at play. For example, if your household has children or pets then you must vacuum weekly and call in professional cleaners for a deep clean.
Doing this ensures no allergens are floating around in the air and will keep your light-colored carpets clean. Good luck!
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