How Often to Clean Your Carpet: IICRC-Based Home Schedule

sudsupcarpetcleani
6 days ago
2 min read

How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets? A Simple Guide You Can Actually Use

Ever wonder how often you really need carpet cleaning? The answer depends on how much soil and foot traffic your home sees. Using the IICRC’s carpet care guidance (S100), here’s a plain-English version of the chart—plus quick tips to keep fibers looking new. Below is a easy to read chart to find out how often to clean your carpet.

First, find your “soil level”

Light Soil: adults only, shoes off, little indoor traffic
Normal Soil: families with kids or elderly, everyday traffic
Heavy Soil: pets and/or smokers, lots of in-and-out
Extreme Conditions: large families, multiple pets, frequent spills

Your Maintenance Plan (by soil level)

Light Soil

Vacuuming: 1× per week
Spot cleaning: ASAP when you see a spot
Pro “heavy-use area” cleaning: every 12–18 months (hallways, living room paths)
Full restorative cleaning: every 2 years (or per manufacturer warranty)

Normal Soil (most homes)

Vacuuming: 1–2× per week
Spot cleaning: ASAP
Pro heavy-use areas: every 6–12 months
Full restorative cleaning: annually

Heavy Soil (pets, smokers, busy households)

Vacuuming: 2–4× per week
Spot cleaning: ASAP
Pro heavy-use areas: every 3–6 months
Full restorative cleaning: twice a year (semi-annually)

Extreme Conditions (large families, multiple pets)

Vacuuming: daily
Spot cleaning: ASAP
Pro traffic lanes: every 2–3 months
Full restorative cleaning: quarterly (4× per year)

What do these terms mean?

Vacuuming: The first line of defense. Grit (sand/crumbs) is what scratches fibers and makes traffic lanes appear.
Spot cleaning: Treat spills right away—blot, don’t scrub.
Heavy-use area cleaning (professional): Targeted clean of the busiest paths to keep soil from building up between full services.
Restorative cleaning (professional): Full home clean using hot water extraction (steam cleaning) to reset the carpet and protect your warranty.

Quick tips to stretch time between cleans

Place walk-off mats at entries (wash them often).
Use a CRB or grooming rake on matted stairs/lanes between pro visits.
Keep HVAC filters fresh—less dust = cleaner carpet.
Rotate furniture slightly every few months to even out wear.

Not sure where your home fits?

Ask yourself:

Do we have pets or smokers?
Do kids play on the floor daily?
Do we see visible traffic lanes or dark filtration lines at baseboards?If you answer “yes” to two or more, you’re likely Heavy Soil or Extreme—and you’ll benefit from more frequent professional care.

We hope our chart helps you understand how often to clean your carpet. Ready to set your schedule?

Suds Up Carpet Cleaning (family-owned & operated) serves Pasco & Pinellas with:

Carpet steam cleaning (hot water extraction)
Tile & grout cleaning + sealing
Upholstery cleaning
Pet urine & odor removal (UV-guided, sub-surface flush)

Text or call 727-534-3332 and we’ll build a maintenance plan that matches your home’s soil level—so your carpet looks better, lasts longer, and stays warranty-safe.