How often should I vaccum? One of the most important steps in taking care of your carpet is frequent, thorough vacuuming. Vacuuming, especially in areas that get a lot of foot traffic, is vital for removing dry soil. There are 3 types of soil that are found in carpet:

Dry particulate soils like sand, carbon, limestone, quartz, clay and feldspar plus animal hair and vegetable fibers.

Animal, mineral and vegetables soils.

Water-soluble soils like food, drinks, etc.

The majority of soil in your carpet will be the first type - dry particulate soil. The most effective way to remove this dry particulate soil is through thorough vacuuming. It's very important to frequently remove this dry particulate soil from your carpet because this soil works its way into your carpet pile and scratches the carpet fibers as you walk on your carpet. This creates traffic patterns and shading issues that will prematurely wear out your carpet.

One of the questions that we get asked frequently is how often should I clean my carpet? The Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration has given the following guidelines for how often you should clean your carpet:

Traffic Soil Rating

Vacuuming

Professional Carpet Cleaning

Light Soil

1x per week

Every 12 to 18 months

Normal Soil

(families with children, elderly)

1 to 2x per week

Every 6 to 12 months

Heavy Soil (families with pets, smoking)

2 to 4x per week

Every 3 to 6 months

Extreme Conditions (large families, multiple pets)

Daily

Every 2 to 3 months

So remember, vacuuming is critical to maintaining your carpet and increasing its life. If you want to delay the formation of traffic patterns and want to keep your carpet looking newer, longer, clean your carpet frequently!