How often you get carpet cleaning depends on some factors. The amount of time between professional carpet cleans will be different for each family or household. For example, a couple who doesn’t spend a lot of time at home and don’t have pets, kids or smoke will only need to worry about cleaning their carpets once a year or so. Whereas if you have small kids, pets and smoke then carpet cleaning should be a regular item on your maintenance list.
The factors that come into play are affected by certain situations. The following are some factors that determine How Often should I clean my carpet?
Health reasons.
If an allergy sufferer or asthmatic lives in a home with carpets, it would be wise to get the carpets steam cleaned about twice a year, or perhaps annually, if the allergies aren’t too severe. People with allergies to dust mites will need to ensure their carpets are regularly vacuumed and professionally cleaned to allow their environment to be as free from dust and allergens as possible. Asthmatics are sensitive to dust, and so keeping dust free, clean carpets will go a long way to preventing an often debilitating condition.
Pet Owners.
Pet owners are all too familiar with the challenges of keeping a clean house when pets are roaming around. Not only is there the problem of accidents and vomits but there is also the ongoing struggle to get rid of shedding hair. Accidents and particularly vomits, which are extremely bad for carpets due to the stomach acid, should always be cleaned up immediately. A professional clean should also follow these incidents, to ensure the stains and odors don’t become permanent features of the carpet. In general, though, pet owners should aim to clean their carpets twice a year to keep the house free from odor. Breeds with long hair obviously make your carpet even dirtier and make you call for professional help quicker than usual (within about three to six months).
Children.
People will children will notice that carpets seem to receive the lion’s share of dirt and grime when it comes to the home. Small children spill food and have accidents and may vomit. Older kids often walk over the carpet in muddy shoes and have a careless attitude towards carpeted areas resulting in dirt and scuffs.
Smokers.
If there is a smoker in a home with carpets, it is also recommended that you get the carpets cleaned twice a year. Smoke will invade every porous surface in your home including couches, curtains, and carpets. The smell will get worse with age and even cause discoloration, so it is essential for smokers to maintain a clean and odour-free home by getting regular carpet cleaning.
The number of members in your family.
Depending on how many members of the family live in your house (even pets should be counted as members here for proper estimate), you might need professional cleaning anywhere between 6-18 months. If you vacuum your carpets well, and there are just 2-3 adult members in your house, you might not need professional carpet cleaning for as long as 18 months. But if you’ve pets or toddlers or more members, you will need it more often.
Pets.
Even if your pet is well trained, and there has never been a pet accident on the carpet, your pet sheds hair, oil, and dander. All of this gets deposited on the carpet.
Children.
Kids might spill over some drink on the carpet or just move around it with dirty hands or feet. These things are very usual in houses with children and require cleaning more often than usual. Go for professional cleaning within six to eight months.
Allergy and asthma patients in your home.
Do you know a dirty carpet can worsen the condition of allergic and asthma patients? It’s because carpets act like dirt storehouses and trap several bacteria, micro-organisms and dust particles that affect such patients.
Cooking frequency.
If you cook a lot of oil based dishes, your carpet around the open area adjacent to the kitchen will need more cleaning as cooking oil fumes get deposited into the carpet fibers.
Home decor elements like rugs and shoe racks at the entrance.
People who have rugs at entrances and restrict the entry of shoes around the house have cleaner carpets than others. Having rugs ensures that your shoes leave off the dirt on the rugs (that can be easily washed) and not on the carpet. Using separate shoes for walking around the house makes it even better. This makes your carpets stay clean for a longer time.
The amount of soil in your carpet.
Do not go with the fancy claims of carpet manufacturers that say you don’t need to clean your carpet for months at a stretch. The truth is you need not clean them as long as there’s not much dirt deposited on them. Dust invariably damages the carpet fibers and should be removed as soon as possible. This is why regular vacuuming is again an important aspect of carpet maintenance.
If you have the above living situations, then it would be wise to consider steam carpet cleaning every three months. Steam cleaning your carpets ensures the deepest clean and the best results, and for allergy sufferers and children, it is the less toxic way to keep your carpets clean and your home healthy.
You should use a steam cleaner or a foam cleaner every couple of months. For those with a lot of traffic in the house or small children that love to make a mess, you might want to consider cleaning the carpet a little more often.
Families, therefore, need also to get their carpets cleaned every six months to ensure that stains and smells don’t become permanent and to provide a clean and sanitary environment for growing children.
The one key thing to keep in mind is to get the carpet cleaned before it gets bad. Don’t wait till the carpet looks terrible. Once you notice a few spots here and there and start to see those high traffic marks, then call a professional and get it done.
