Anyone who lives in a home with carpets of any kind knows that there are special steps needed to keep them looking their best. Just like hardwood, vinyl, laminate or other types of flooring need to be regularly cleaned, so do carpets. However, many are unsure about the best time to clean carpets. In this article, we’ll seek to resolve the questions and determine the best approach.

FIGURING THE BEST TIME TO CLEAN CARPETS IN YOUR HOME
One of the first things to know about the best time to clean carpets is this: It should be on a fixed schedule.

Why? If you wait to clean carpets only when they look dingy, dirty or even stained and faded, it may be too late to get the problems taken care of fully or properly. So, rather than holding on cleaning until it is needed (such as when visitors are coming), you want to make a fixed routine of regular cleaning.

How do you make a good routine or schedule? To do that, you need to answer a few questions about your home specifically.

THE KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER

To gauge the best time to clean carpets in your home, just jot down the answers to these questions:

• How many adults live here?
• How many kids live here?
• Do any of the people living in the house have allergies?
• Do any adults in the home smoke?
• Do we have pets?
• What is the purpose of the room with the carpeting? How often do we use it?

Now, you can look at those answers and make some general plans. How? Well, the experts would tell you that the more adults in the home, the more frequent the need to clean. If there are kids or pets, that only increases the frequency that you should clean the carpets.

If someone has allergies, you’ll need to do more frequent cleaning to keep allergens under control and at bay. The same goes for a smoker in the household. If they smoke indoors, the scent of the smoke is going to be absorbed by the carpet fibers and will, eventually, give a stale smell.

It is that last point that is a bit different. If the room is not heavily trafficked, such as a formal living room or a formal dining area with an area carpet, it is not likely that frequent cleanings are a must.

WHAT DOES CLEANING MEAN?

Of course, when trying to determine the best time to clean carpets, it is helpful to really define the word cleaning. Regular vacuuming is something that should be done on a weekly, regular basis. However, there is also professional cleaning that most experts recommend at least once per year, or more often if you have smokers, pets and those with allergies.

The autumn season is ideal as it eliminates debris, pollutants and set in soil or dirt before the home is more “shut up” for the winter months. This ensures the best indoor conditions. You need to remain off of any carpets that have been cleaned for 8-12 hours as well, though quality cleaners can leave the carpet ready for use.