The short answer: every 12 to 18 months for most homes. That’s what the Carpet and Rug Institute recommends, and it lines up with what the big carpet makers require.
Your warranty probably requires it
Check the fine print. Shaw’s Pet Perfect warranty and Mohawk’s carpet warranties both ask for a professional cleaning at least every 18 months, and both ask for proof, such as a bill or invoice. Mohawk names hot water extraction specifically. Terms vary by product line, and some ask for a certified cleaner, so read your own warranty.
So keep the receipt from every cleaning with your warranty papers. If you ever file a claim, it’s one of the first things they’ll ask for.
Clean sooner if…
- you have pets: dander, hair and the occasional accident
- kids or grandkids play on the floor
- someone at home has allergies or asthma
- anyone smokes indoors
- your carpet is light-colored, or your hallways see a lot of traffic
- sand gets tracked in from the yard or the beach. Grit wears carpet fibers down like sandpaper.
In those homes, every 6 to 12 months keeps carpet healthier and looking better longer.
Don’t wait until it looks dirty
Carpet hides soil, wool especially. By the time traffic lanes look gray, the grit has been grinding at the fibers for months. Clean on a schedule, not by appearance (more on that in cleaning wool carpet and rugs).
Between cleanings
- Vacuum busy areas twice a week, and the rest of the house weekly.
- Put a mat outside and inside every door, and take shoes off at the door.
- Blot spills right away with a white cloth. Don’t rub.
Away for the summer?
If you spend part of the year up north, book a cleaning the week before you leave or the week you get back. Your carpet sits clean while you’re gone, or you come home to fresh floors.
