# How Often Should Carpets Be Professionally Cleaned? What the Carpet and Rug Institute and Shaw Floors say about professional carpet cleaning intervals, and how pets, children and stairs change it. Canonical: https://kleinscarpetclean.com/guides/how-often-to-clean-carpets/ Updated: 2026-09-26 Publisher: Klein's Carpet Cleaning The Carpet and Rug Institute advises professionally deep cleaning home carpet every 12 to 18 months, and Shaw Floors advises professional hot water extraction every 6 to 18 months depending on traffic. A home with pets, young children or someone with allergies belongs at the short end, around every 6 to 12 months. A quiet home with one or two adults can go the full 18 months. Weekly vacuuming in between is what makes either interval work. Klein's cleans carpets across Hamilton and Halton. By Klein's Carpet Cleaning, Waterdown, Ontario. Last updated September 26, 2026. ## What do the carpet makers and the industry say? Professional carpet cleaning intervals, from the source SourceWhat it says [Carpet and Rug Institute](https://carpet-rug.org/carpet-for-homes/cleaning-and-maintenance/)"Professionally deep clean your carpets every 12 to 18 months to remove embedded dirt and grime." [Shaw Floors](https://shawfloors.com/en-us/care-and-warranties/carpet)"Schedule a professional hot water extraction (steam cleaning) anywhere from 6-18 months, depending on traffic." ## Where does my home fit in that range? Placing a home in the 6 to 18 month range (Klein's reading of the sources above) HomeSuggested interval Dogs, or cats with accidentsEvery 6 to 12 months, plus spot treatment as it happens Young childrenEvery 6 to 12 months Asthma or allergies in the homeEvery 6 to 12 months (see [carpet and allergies](https://kleinscarpetclean.com/guides/carpet-dust-mites-and-allergies/)) Busy family home, no petsAbout every 12 months One or two adults, shoes off at the doorEvery 12 to 18 months Stairs, hallways and the carpet just inside the door wear first in every home. If the whole house is not due yet, those areas often are. ## Does the warranty care how often I clean? It can. The CRI notes that its certified cleaning products and services are "recommended and sometimes required by the manufacturer to ensure results and warranty protection." Read the care section of your own carpet's warranty, and keep the receipt from each professional clean. ## What should happen between professional cleans? Vacuuming does most of the work. The CRI's first step is to vacuum high-traffic areas frequently and everywhere else on a schedule; Health Canada, writing about dust mites, advises vacuuming carpets and soft furnishings frequently, ideally with a [HEPA-filter vacuum](https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/chemicals-product-safety/dust-mites.html). Deal with spills straight away by blotting rather than rubbing, and put mats at the doors, which the CRI calls stopping dirt at the door. ## Why does carpet look dirty again soon after some cleanings? Usually because cleaning solution was left in the pile. Residue is sticky, and it grabs the next soil that walks over it. That is why hot water extraction rinses and vacuums the solution back out rather than leaving it to dry. See how Klein's does it on the [home carpet cleaning](https://kleinscarpetclean.com/residential/) page; for workplaces, [commercial carpet cleaning](https://kleinscarpetclean.com/commercial/) plans the cleaning by traffic zone. ### The short version - Every 12 to 18 months as a baseline - 6 to 12 months with pets, kids or allergies - Stairs and entrances more often - Vacuum weekly in between - Keep the receipt for the warranty ## Everything about carpet cleaning - [Stair carpet cleaning](https://kleinscarpetclean.com/residential/stairs/) Why stairs wear first, and how each step is cleaned by hand. - [Pet urine and odour in carpet](https://kleinscarpetclean.com/residential/pet-urine-and-odour/) What cleaning fixes, what it cannot, and when the pad is the problem. - [Carpet cleaning in Waterdown](https://kleinscarpetclean.com/carpet-cleaning/waterdown/) Home base, and the newer family homes around the village. - [Carpet cleaning in Hamilton](https://kleinscarpetclean.com/carpet-cleaning/hamilton/) Century homes, stair runners, rentals and the Mountain's finished basements. - [Carpet cleaning in Burlington](https://kleinscarpetclean.com/carpet-cleaning/burlington/) From Aldershot basements to Alton Village bedrooms and stairs. - [Carpet cleaning in Stoney Creek](https://kleinscarpetclean.com/carpet-cleaning/stoney-creek/) Below and above the escarpment, where family homes carry the most carpet. - [Steam cleaning vs dry carpet cleaning](https://kleinscarpetclean.com/guides/steam-cleaning-vs-dry-carpet-cleaning/) What the carpet makers' warranties actually require. - [How long carpet takes to dry](https://kleinscarpetclean.com/guides/how-long-does-carpet-take-to-dry/) Several hours, the 24 to 48 hour mould limit, and basements. - [Winter salt stains on carpet](https://kleinscarpetclean.com/guides/salt-stains-on-carpet/) The Carpet and Rug Institute's own salt steps, and why the mark comes back. 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