How Often to Clean Carpets with Pets
As a pet owner, you know that fur can end up everywhere in your home, especially ground into your carpets. While vacuuming helps, to truly revive carpets covered in pet hair and dander, periodic deep cleaning is a must. Ignoring carpets allows grime, dirt and allergens to build up, potentially creating health issues and damaging carpets beyond repair. Implementing a regular carpet cleaning routine removes embedded pollutants and helps extend the life of your carpets.
Knowing when and how often to seek professional help from your local carpet cleaning service ensures your home stays fresh, healthy and looking its best. Read on for tips on developing an effective carpet cleaning routine when living with furry friends.
The Damage Done
Like most pet owners, you likely invest in regular vaccinations, nutritious food and plenty of toys to keep your four-legged family members happy and healthy. However, despite your best efforts, your pets still track in dirt, mud and who knows what else they’ve stepped in. Over time, ground-in grime dulls carpet fibers, destroying not only their appearance but also reducing air quality.
While routine vacuuming helps remove surface debris, it simply cannot extract the accumulated layers below. Dirt, dander and grime become trapped deep down around the base of carpet fibers and even between the carpet’s backing and padding. Attempting DIY cleaning rarely solves the problem. Renting equipment or using inferior products could potentially cause more damage.
Only hot water extraction cleaning, performed by qualified technicians, lifts stains from below without using excess moisture or harsh chemicals. This method is the gold standard endorsed by leading carpet manufacturers.
Signs It’s Time to Call the Pros
So how often should you enlist professional carpet cleaning services when living with pets? Industry experts recommend a thorough cleaning every 12 to 18 months. However, your individual needs may require more or less frequent attention.
Watch for these telltale signs that your carpets desperately need some TLC:
- Noticeable dullness in color
- Areas feel crunchy or sticky underfoot
- Visible staining despite vacuuming
- Lingering pet odors
- Increased dust/dander/hair triggering allergies
- Frequent illnesses making the rounds
Take action at the first indication. Call your local carpet cleaning service to schedule an evaluation. The longer you wait, the more engrained pollutants become.
Carpet cleaning service Key Benefits Thorough carpet cleaning provides multiple benefits beyond just improving appearance. Clean carpets help promote better indoor air quality and safeguard health. Other advantages include:
- Extracts up to 96% of pollutants
- Eliminates stubborn odors
- Removes embedded allergens
- Prevents mold/bacteria growth
- Extends carpet life
- Dries within hours
- Safe for kids/pets
- Improves home’s air quality
With professional carpet cleaning, your floors end up fresh, clean and free of irritants.
Determine Optimal Cleaning Frequency
When establishing a customized cleaning routine, consider these influencing factors:
- Number/type of pets
- High vs low foot traffic areas
- Carpet fiber and weave
- Age/quality of carpets
- Household allergies
- DIY spot cleaning habits
As examples, homes with only one small dog likely need less frequent cleanings than those with multiple pets. Delicate silk carpets show wear sooner than tight low pile wool versions. Plus, lightly used formal spaces fare better than high traffic hallways and stairs.
Set Expectations
Understand that even with an ideal cleaning regimen, carpets still require care between professional services. Spot clean messes ASAP before they have time to set. Thoroughly vacuum all floors a minimum of once weekly to manage loose hair and surface debris.
Take steps to minimize dirt tracked inside. Place mats at entryways limit pets to certain non-carpeted areas and enforce no-shoes rules.
Know What to Expect
On cleaning day, assume some preparation and minimal disruption. The carpet cleaning technicians arrive with high powered truck mounted equipment. After a quick walk through to assess needs, they pre-treat heavily soiled areas then begin deep cleaning using hot pressurized water. The powerful suction immediately extracts dirty water and grime back into the truck mount.
Key Takeaways:
- Vacuuming alone cannot remove deep-down dirt in carpets – professional cleaning extracts embedded grime that damages carpet fibers.
- Signs like visible stains, lingering odors and increased allergies indicate carpets desperately need a deep clean.
- Hot water extraction used by professionals lifts stains below without excess moisture or harsh chemicals.
- Homes with pets typically need carpet cleaning every 12-18 months depending on factors like number of pets and foot traffic.
- Clean carpets promote better indoor air quality, eliminate allergens and bacteria growth and help preserve carpet condition.
- Between professional cleanings, immediately spot clean spills before they set and vacuum at least weekly.
- Allow some minimal preparation and drying time 4-6 hours when having carpets professionally cleaned.
Fans and air movers help accelerate drying, allowing you and your pets to enjoy your revived carpets within just a few hours. Soon you’ll be enjoying refreshed revived carpets that look and feel luxurious again!
Why does my home still smell like pet urine after I’ve cleaned the carpets myself?
Even after DIY cleaning, pet urine odors often linger because the urine seeps deep into padding and backing, areas beyond the reach of rented machines or store-bought cleaners. Only professional grade hot water extraction used by carpet cleaning services can fully eliminate the bacteria causing ammonia odors. Technicians use truck mounts and special chemicals to fully sanitize and deodorize, lifting stains from below. They also often use blacklights to detect hidden urine spots. For urine issues, skip DIY and call the pros immediately before permanent damage sets in.
How can I limit the amount of dirt and mud my pets track inside?
Use mats outside and inside all exterior doors so paws get wiped upon entry and exit. Avoid letting pets freely roam into carpeted areas right after being outside. Set up crates, barriers or designate tiled spaces indoors for pets before their paws are fully clean. Brush long haired pets outdoors to remove debris before letting them inside. Limit backyard access to dry weather only. Blot damp paws with towels. Check between paw pads where mud often gets compacted. These simple steps greatly reduce the amount of outdoor grime making its way onto indoor carpeting.
Should I bother vacuuming if I have to get carpets professionally cleaned anyway?
Absolutely! Frequent vacuuming remains critical even if you routinely hire professional carpet cleaning services. Thorough vacuuming lifts away surface-level pet hair and debris to prevent it from getting ground deeper into carpet fibers. Vacuuming also limits loose dander and allergens from circulating in the air you breathe. So while DIY cleaning cannot extract embedded soil, regular vacuuming between deep cleanings promotes better air quality and extends the life of your carpet investment.
How do I know if my carpets are ruined and need replacing?
Even carpets with excessive staining and wear often get revived with hot water extraction cleaning. Truck mounted equipment used by professionals clears away layers of residue to reveal carpet backing nearly like new. Consult with technicians as to whether carpets require extra efforts like repeated cleanings or special add-on services. Typically pet urine, food stains, traffic lane dirt and most other common issues get eliminated. Carpets with non-salvageable mold damage or persistent inspector-verified urine odors may truly require replacement. Still, always defer to the experts for an in-person inspection. Their high powered methods can often astonish even the most skeptical!
Do I need to buy any special products or treats before professional carpet cleaning?
For optimal results from scheduled carpet cleanings, move furnishings to fully access floor areas. Clear surfaces to allow equipment and technicians free reign. Sprinkling baking soda on fabric upholstery then vacuuming up freshens between professional services. Avoid introducing new cleaners or treatments right before scheduled cleaning because chemical reactions can occasionally occur. Technicians come fully equipped with commercial grade cleaners and deodorizers. For best success tackling pet-related grime, simply grant them full access and let them revive carpets to like-new freshness using the power of hot water extraction. Skip DIY attempts so professional methods give superior results.