How Often Should Carpets Be Professionally Cleaned?

Carpets add texture, color and comfort to your space. However, carpet fibers retain grime, dirt and pet hair over time, hiding them from view. Professional carpet cleaning can restore the appearance of your carpets and protect your health.

One study found that the typical indoor carpet is 4,000 more times grimier than a toilet seat. That adds up to 200,000 bacteria per square inch. It almost makes you almost want to sleep with your socks on forever. Yikes!

Frequent cleaning and vacuuming can help mitigate the bacteria, but a professional carpet cleaning gets deep into carpet fibers to eliminate bacteria from the “root.” So, how often should carpets be professionally cleaned?

From DIY to Professional Carpet Cleaning

At what degree of dirtiness do you call in a professional to clean the carpets? Is it when you can’t get the red wine stain out, or when there’s a perceptible, lingering odor? Let’s break it down by cleaning stages.

1. How often should you vacuum?

For light to medium soiling, vacuum your carpets one to two times a week. For the typical household, it’s best to vacuum two times a week, especially if you have kids, pets, smokers or messy employees in a similarly high traffic area.

2. How often should you spot clean?

Spot cleaning prevents the buildup of grime and bacteria and is not cutting corners when practiced regularly.

Spot clean light, medium and heavy soiling as soon as you noticed spots and keep up treatments daily. Stubborn or toxic spots require professional cleaning, especially in the case of a flood whether caused by bursting pipes or a hurricane.

Does anyone have specific allergies? Then, you may require more frequent cleaning passes with green cleaning products. For heavily traffic areas, depending on the degree of soiling, you should clean your carpets at least three times a week. You may need to vacuum or spot treat areas daily.

3. So, how often should your carpets be professionally cleaned?

We generally recommend that you professionally clean your carpets at least once a year. It mitigates long-term damage to your carpets and health as a result of letting problem areas go. Those spots add up — especially when a natural disaster strikes.

When water soaks into a carpet, it can spur on the growth of mold and bacteria — not to mention inviting bed bugs and other pests to come to live with you.

What Are the Benefits of Professional Carpet Cleaning?

Regularly vacuuming and spot cleaning can help combat dust, dirt, food particles, pet dander and other particles that transfer to the carpet. These particles need to be removed regularly, or they can cause odors, stains and permanent damage — to the carpet and potentially your health.

“Seasonal” allergies may not be seasonal. If you let these particles build up in your carpet fibers, the spread of bacteria can adversely affect your health.

A professional carpet cleaning also extends the longevity of your carpets and improves their appearance. Life gets too busy and rushing to get things done can put such chores at the bottom of your to-do list. So, when you let those chores go, it’s easier and cost-effective to bring in a professional for restorative servicing.

You put money into your carpets, and their appearance adds to the impression of your residence or company. A grimy carpet makes guests cringe and can quickly send them running for the front door. The buildup of bacteria-causing particles can wear away at the carpet’s structure and deteriorate the carpet. After a while, you may need new carpet installed rather than a professional cleaning.

Vacuuming, spot cleaning and some over-the-counter treatments can maintain your carpets for general cleaning. However, the long-term health and appearance of your carpets are a concern that needs to make your yearly to-do list.

Over time, grime and bacteria build up to destroy the structure of your carpets and spread. That’s when you definitely need to call in the professionals. ECOS Environmental uses safe and green cleaning products and techniques to deep clean your carpets and restore them to their original beauty. Contact ECOS today 24/7 at 888-491-4652 to speak with us about your professional carpet cleaning needs.