One of the most common questions we get from our customers in Whitby, Oshawa, Scarborough and the surrounding areas is how often they should get their carpets cleaned.
The truth is, it depends on many factors. However, our number one recommendation is to get them cleaned every 12-18 months, at the absolute minimum. The 12-18-month range is typically required by carpet manufacturers in order to keep your warranty valid.
But what if you vacuum a lot, do you need still need to have your carpets professionally cleaned? The short answer is yes. What many people don’t realize is that carpet manufacturers actually recommend vacuuming your house the number of times per week that there are people living in your home. For instance, in a home with two parents and two children, you’d need to vacuum your home four times a week. Add another vacuuming session for each pet you have and you’ll quickly find yourself running out of time, making it even more important to keep a consistent carpet cleaning schedule.
A good rule of thumb to follow is that you should get the professionals to steam clean your carpet more than you think you should. We realize how biased this sounds, but it’s the truth. Firstly, you don’t want to void your carpet warranty by skipping out on carpet steaming, and secondly, more frequent carpet cleaning can also reduce the amount of dust in your home – something that’s necessary for people with dust allergies. If you want to reduce the level of dust in your home, Carolyn Forte, director at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, recommends steaming your carpets every six months to reduce dust and every four to six weeks if you have a pet in the home.
Another important thing to remember is to vacuum your carpets at least weekly in between professional carpet cleanings. You may want to vacuum more than one a week if you have pets or even just in higher traffic areas of your home. A great tip to get the most of your vacuuming sessions is to vacuum slowly so that your vacuum can work to its maximum potential.
Wondering what other factors come into play when deciding how often to get your carpets cleaned? Read on.
- You have pets – with shedding hair, dander and occasional accidents, you’ll want to make sure your carpets stay in good condition.
- You cook frequently – constant cooking can actually lead to microscopic droplets of oil to be deposited on your carpet without you even realizing.
- You go barefoot a lot – oils and odors from your feet are absorbed into the carpet, need we say more?
- You have allergies or asthma – if you have bad allergies or asthma, it’s more important than ever to properly maintain your carpets.
- Your carpets have longer fibers – longer fibers and shag carpets are more apt to trap dust. Carpets with nylon fibres generally require more upkeep than more durable carpet materials like wool.
If we surprised you by how often you actually need to get your carpets cleaned, there’s no need to worry. What a lot of people don’t realize is how affordable carpet cleaning can be, especially with a locally run business like ours. We operate out of Bowmanville, Whitby, Oshawa and Scarborough and would be happy to give you a free, no-obligation quote today.
Please visit us online or give us a call at 1-888-766-0128 for more information.