A Pet Parent Guide: How Often To Clean Carpets With Pets

We all love our pets. They are our best friends and our snuggle-buddies. They also love to leave tokens of affection for their humans. Sometimes that’s a toy or blanket, maybe it’s pet hair or muddy paw prints, and other times it may be a mess that’s a little more gross. Occasionally, every pet has an accident that their owner has to clean up. It’s just part of being a pet parent. Usually, we don’t mind, apart from the 3 am wake-up call, but it’s one reason why pet owners should clean carpets regularly to keep their homes clean.
 
With pets come extra responsibility and the extra pet dander, hair, dirt, and messes that love to live in carpet. We see pets as furry family members and we have all the solutions and tips to extend the life of your carpet with pets. 

How Often Should You Clean Your Carpets With Pets In The Home?

Pet owners should clean carpets by vacuuming one to two times a week to keep up on loose pet hair, pet dander, and tracked dirt. Pet owners seeking a deeper carpet clean should shampoo carpet three to four times per year. Cleaning when the seasons change is an easy way to remember when it’s time to deep clean your carpets! Of course, depending on how many pets you have and how long their hair is can change how often you should clean your carpet.

Why Should Pet Owners Clean Their Carpets?

There are several benefits of carpet cleaning for pet owners. Renting a Rug Doctor® by BISSELL carpet cleaning machine can help pet owners clean their carpets to remove stains, embedded dirt, pet dander, pet hair, and other debris. Deep cleaning carpet also refreshes your carpet fibers by helping them stay looking nicer and feeling softer for longer.

How To Clean Carpet With Pets In The Home

Now that you know how often your carpets should be cleaned, here is a step-by-step guide to keeping your carpet in tip-top shape by vacuuming and deep carpet cleaning.
 

Vacuuming Carpet With Pets

First: Prepare Your Carpet To Be Vacuumed

Before getting out your vacuum, pick up objects that are on the floor that may get in the way. Toys, pillows, pet beds, etc., all need to be picked up. Make sure blankets or sheets aren’t dragging down on the floor because they could get sucked into the vacuum brush roll. Move cords or curtains that may be in your vacuuming path.

Vacuum In Horizontal And Vertical Motions

Because carpet is walked on and gets pushed down from all directions, it makes sense to vacuum from different directions too. To get the most dirt and debris out of your carpet, go over the carpet one way with your vacuum and then go back over it again in the opposite direction. You may not need to do this every single time you vacuum, but it’s a good tip for high traffic areas in your home, like hallways or the area right in front of your sofa where your dog likes to sleep.
 

How To Shampoo Carpet With a Rug Doctor® by BISSELL® Carpet Cleaner Rental

Prepare Your Carpet For A Deep Carpet Cleaning

First, we recommend vacuuming your carpet right before deep cleaning to remove any loose pet hair or debris.  In addition to getting day-to-day objects out of the way, you may want to move furniture as well. It’s easiest to deep clean carpets when there is no furniture in the room, but even removing small tables and chairs that are hard to maneuver around will make an easier cleaning experience.

Pre-Treat Carpet Stains

Now is also the time to pre-treat any old, set-in carpet stains. Grab one of our pre-treat sprays (Oxy Spot + Pretreat for oxidizable stains like cola, red wine, chocolate, or coffee; Urine Eliminator for pet stains) and spray the stained areas in your carpet. The pre-treat spray will work on the stain while you are preparing your rental machine.

Deep Clean Your Carpet

Now it’s time to deep carpet clean! Plug in the rental machine and turn it on. Press the trigger on the handle to dispense cleaning solution and make one slow cleaning pass. Then repeat, without the trigger pulled, to rinse the area. Repeat until the solution being pulled up looks clean. We recommend at least two cleaning and two drying passes.  Continue this process until the whole room has been cleaned. Pro tip: Start in a far corner so that when you are done, you are near the doorway and not trapped across the room!

Use Upholstery & Stair Cleaning Tool Attachments

Even though our upright carpet cleaners are easy to use, there are places that they can’t get to easily, but there’s no need for a special rental upholstery cleaner. That’s why we have an Upholstery & Stair Cleaning tool attachment available to add on to your rental for just $5.99. Our Upholstery & Stair Cleaning add-ons all have a long hose and a tool with a brush.

For more information on how to use an upright carpet cleaner, check out our How to Use page. Looking to rent a carpet cleaner near you today? Find a carpet cleaner rental location near you.

Keeping Your Carpet Clean With Pets

Clean And Dry Paws When Pets Come Inside

To help keep your carpets from getting as dirty, it helps to clean paws when pets come in from outside. Keep an old towel by all the doors to your home and make sure that all family members know that they need to wipe paws before pets come back into the house.

In the north, consider covering pets’ paws with paw wax or booties in the winter before they go outside. It will help with muddy paw prints on carpet but, more than that, it will protect paws from salt that is so often put down to melt ice on sidewalks and streets. Deicing salt can irritate paws and pets can then ingest the salt when they lick their feet after a walk. Then either take off the booties or wipe off the wax when you get home!

Use area rugs or runners to protect high traffic areas of carpet

Another tip to keep your carpet protected is to use area rugs or runners, especially in hallways and other high traffic areas. Area rugs can reduce wear and tear on those spots in your carpet that get the most use – like the hallway between the kitchen and bathroom or the carpet in front of the stairs or couch. Another good thing about area rugs is that they are easy to move to vacuum around and easy to clean more often.

Keep Pet Cleaning Supplies Handy For Those Unexpected Accidents

It’s also a good thing to keep pet cleaning products in the house in case your pet has an accident. Our Urine Eliminator Pre-Treat and Spot Cleaner spray can also be used to clean up pet messes in-between carpet cleaning to help keep your carpet stain and odor-free.
 
Now that you know how often you need to clean your carpet with pets and have some tips and tricks for keeping it clean, go and enjoy life with your furry friend.  We think having pets as part of your family is one of the best things in life. They are absolutely worth cleaning up those dust bunnies of pet hair that float around your home and picking up the occasional hair ball. After all, those are just gifts they are giving you, right?

*NOTE: Before using the machine on carpet, always test the cleaning solution and spot cleaner in an inconspicuous spot or hidden area and allow to dry before proceeding. If color is affected, do not use the spot cleaner.