Carpet Care Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I have my carpet cleaned?

That is probably the most frequently asked question we hear. Let's examine some of the factors leading to the answer:

High-traffic, high-profile commercial buildings have carpet spot cleaning as part of their daily cleaning routine. Some clean their high-traffic halls and lobbies as often as every week. At the other end of the spectrum, a quiet little grandmother's home with no heavy foot traffic, where food is only eaten in the kitchen, may have carpet that looks great even after a year or two with no professional cleaning. All carpet manufacturers recommend having your carpets professionally cleaned at least once a year.

Where are you in that broad range? Here are some of the things that contribute to how frequently your carpets need, or don't need, cleaning.

Vacuum Often

Regular vacuuming, done conscientiously and with a quality vacuum cleaner, will extend the time between cleanings.
Conversely, lack of vacuuming, or using an inadequate vacuum cleaner, leads to more frequent cleanings.

Choosing a Color

White, gray, salmon, and other light or bright colors show soiling easily. Carpets which have a more "earth tone" color hide soils better and allow a longer interval between cleanings. That's why you don't see white carpet in a commercial building - it requires more cleaning. Naturally, carpets that see a high flow of traffic need more service. The reverse is also true; carpets with low traffic need service less often.

Routine Maintenance

Even a carpet which is vacuumed regularly, sees no kids or pets, faces few airborne soils, is relatively new, faces little traffic, and is located on the tenth floor, will need routine maintenance. In general, commercial carpets need cleaning between two and four times per year. Restaurants need more, plush offices with little traffic need less. Homes usually need to be cleaned about once a year. They also may need a visit or two between regular cleanings to do spot removal or to clean some of the traffic areas.

Building Level

People who live on the second or third floor of a building get less tracked-in soil than people who live on the first floor. Even a single family home with two floors will see a difference in how the carpet at ground level soils compared to the floor above.

Allergens

You may think that having carpet in your home will increase the amount of allergens, and that having hard flooring installed would be more helpful for those with allergies. However, removing carpet will not reduce the number of airborne allergens that produce allergic reactions; in fact, removal of carpet may actually increase the amount of airborne allergen, because other surfaces, such as hardwood or tile, do not offer the capability of holding allergens and keeping them from becoming airborne. Removing allergen materials from a carpet is as easy as regular vacuuming and routine cleaning.