From CRI

The Basics of Carpet Cleaning: Create a Vacuum Schedule

Carpet’s benefits are numerous for both homes and facilities. However, it’s imperative to properly maintain carpet to get the most out of these benefits.

Removing soil when it’s on the surface before it gets ingrained in the carpet fiber, is the first and most important step in carpet maintenance. Use slow, repetitive motions that overlap (about four swipes), ensuring you get right up to the edges where dust, pollen, and pet dander like to accumulate.

While vacuuming might be the most well-known way to clean carpet, knowing how often to vacuum is equally important. So, how often should you vacuum your home’s carpet?

Generally once a week with a CRI-certified vacuum is a good place to start, but depending on how frequently the area is used, you’ll likely want to do it more often. For example, high-traffic or pet areas should be vacuumed daily, medium-traffic areas require about twice a week and light-traffic areas can be done once a week. Just as you wouldn’t wear a shirt over and over again without washing it, you don’t want to go too long between vacuuming your carpets.