How Often Should You Clean Your Area Rugs?
You vacuum regularly. You wipe up spills. But when it comes to your area rugs—how often should they really be cleaned?
At Rudy’s, this is one of the most common questions we hear, and the answer depends on a few key factors: your rug’s location, materials, household lifestyle, and how much you want to extend its life.
Let’s walk through the guidelines we recommend for keeping your rugs looking, feeling, and smelling their best—year after year.
🗓️ The Rule of Thumb: Once a Year
As a general guideline, we recommend having your rugs professionally cleaned once every 12–18 months. This frequency keeps dirt, allergens, and odors from building up and helps protect the fibers and dyes from long-term damage.
But some rugs may need more frequent care—especially in busy homes.
🐾 5 Factors That Affect How Often to Clean
Here’s how to know if your rug might need a deeper clean more often:
Pets in the home: Pet hair, dander, and accidents can quickly break down rug fibers and cause lingering odors. If you have pets, aim for a professional clean every 6–12 months.
Shoes indoors: If your family or guests wear shoes inside, your rugs are collecting outdoor dirt and bacteria. Consider a biannual wash for entryway or hallway rugs.
Kids and spills: Spilled snacks, juice, markers, and mystery stains—if you’ve got little ones, cleaning every 6–9 months helps keep things fresh and safe.
Allergies or asthma: Rugs trap allergens like pollen, dust mites, and pet dander. If anyone in your home has sensitivities, cleanings every 6–9 months can help relieve symptoms.
Location & foot traffic: High-traffic areas like hallways, living rooms, and dining rooms need more frequent cleaning than rugs under beds or in guest rooms.
📆 Not Sure? Try This DIY Test
Here’s a simple test you can do right now:
Take a white cotton cloth, dampen it slightly with water, and rub it firmly over your rug in a small area. If the cloth comes away dark or dirty, it’s probably time for a professional cleaning.
🧽 What About Vacuuming?
Vacuuming is great for regular upkeep, and we recommend it once a week (or more in high-use areas). But vacuuming can’t remove:
Deep-set dust and dirt
Pet accidents and bacteria
Odors and allergens
Dyes that have become dull from residue
Only a full wash—like what we do at Rudy’s—can fully remove what’s embedded in the rug fibers.
🖨️ Download Your Rug Cleaning Schedule
To make things easy, we’ve created a free Rug Cleaning Schedule you can download and print at home. Use it to keep track of cleanings, vacuuming, and any problem spots you want to monitor.
Schedule with Confidence
At Rudy’s Rug Cleaning in Charlottesville, we specialize in washing wool, synthetic, and Persian/Oriental rugs with gentle, plant-based products and deep-clean techniques that protect and preserve your rug.
Not sure if it’s time? Let us take a look—we’re happy to inspect your rug and give you a free, no-pressure quote.
Call us at 434-296-7166
Email us at hello@rudysrugcleaning.com
