Carpets and area rugs are great decorative elements for your flooring; they can instantly boost the aesthetic value of any room. However, they are also one of those things you probably put off cleaning until it’s absolutely necessary.
If you want to keep your carpets looking new and fresh, you’ll want to clean them regularly. So just how often should you be cleaning your carpets and area rugs? This article shares the answer along with numerous factors to consider.
How Often Should You Clean Your Area Rugs And Carpet?
As a general rule, most carpets and area rugs should be vacuumed at least once a week or more. You should also schedule professional deep cleaning at least once a year. Hiring experts like Rug Wash Specialist ensures that deeply ingrained allergens, grime, and dirt will be removed from your carpet and area rugs.
That’s the short answer. However, the longer answer is that regular carpet and area rug cleaning depends on a variety of factors.
6 Factors That Impact How Frequent You Should Clean Your Area Rugs And Carpets
- Carpet And Area Rug Type
The type of carpet and area rug you have plays a big role in how often you should clean it. In general, a light-colored carpet can get dirty more easily than dark-colored ones. This is also true for carpets with tight weaves.
In addition, the levels of durability and wear resistance vary. Carpets made of durable materials are more suitable for families and can withstand frequent cleaning. However, carpets and area rugs made of silk or wool are exceptionally delicate, thus you want to clean them fewer times a year.
- Placement And Foot Traffic
Another important factor to consider when deciding when to clean your carpet is its placement and the amount of foot traffic it receives.
Obviously, in a room where traffic is high, carpets and area rugs tend to collect dirt and dust fast. Thus, regular cleaning is necessary and never optional. Most high-traffic rooms include living rooms, hallways, stairs, and dining areas.
By contrast, carpets and area rugs placed in bedrooms or guest rooms may not need frequent cleaning.
- Kids And Pets
Children and pets are major contributors to the wear and tear of your carpets and area rugs. In addition, kids tend to spill liquids and food debris or may get creative with their indoor play, leaving behind crayons and markers that can stain your carpeting.
Pets, particularly furry dogs and cats tend to shed their coat. What’s more, new pets are prone to making accidents on carpet or rugs.
So depending on how many kids and pets you have at home, you’ll need to clean your carpets and area rugs at least once a week or more.
- Family Members With Allergies
This is a critical factor to consider as well. If you have family members with allergies or respiratory issues, you’ll want to clean your area rugs and carpets more frequently to keep up with your home’s indoor air quality.
Although not always visible, your home has lots of hair, pollen, dust, and microbes floating around. These debris and dust tend to settle on carpets and area rugs. Every time the rug fibers are agitated by walking on them, these microbes are lifted in the air and can cause allergic reactions.
So when you notice that your or your loved ones’ allergy symptoms seem to get worse, your carpet or area rug may be the culprit. Cleaning them can help reduce the allergens floating around your home.
- Warranties
Depending on the carpet or area rug you have, some manufacturers may provide a warranty agreement, specifying the frequency of cleaning your carpets for the warranty to stay valid. You don’t want to ignore these directions and precautions to ensure that the warranty remains valid.
- Region
You also want to look out for the general surroundings of your home since they can also affect how often you need to clean your carpets.
For instance, if you live in a busy city close to the main road, then your place may be vulnerable to several pollutants and dust. As such, you’ll need to clean your carpets and area rugs more frequently. If you live in a remote suburban, you may get away with cleaning your carpets and area rugs less often.
Takeaway
Carpet and area rug cleaning is a necessary evil not only to keep them looking good but also to contribute to a healthier indoor quality. That said, how often you should clean your carpets and area rugs depends on several factors. So make sure to keep the above factors in mind when scheduling your next carpet and area rug cleaning project.