How Often Should You Vacuum with Pets?

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vacuuming with pets

It’s easy to push aside essential household chores, like vacuuming, in favor of more entertaining endeavors.

However, vacuuming on a regular basis is extremely important, especially with pets. As a pet owner, you already know that shedding hair and fur can rapidly turn an otherwise clean house into a pigsty.

Here’s exactly how often you should vacuum with pets to keep a clean home.

Key Takeaways:

You should ideally vacuum carpets about once a week, with or without a pet. If your pet sheds a lot, you may have to vacuum more frequently – consider their breed, and increase your cleaning to twice or thrice a week. You may need to deep clean with a steam cleaner, too, for persistent staining and messes. Consider investing in a heavy-duty vacuum.

At Least Once a Week, Minimum

The commonly held rule of thumb is that every house requires vacuuming at least once a week, pets or no pets.

Weekly vacuuming cleans up normal dust as well as the normal dirt and debris tracked in by children, adults, and pets alike.

If your dog or cat doesn’t shed very much, vacuuming once a week might just do it for you.

Consider Your Pet’s Breed and Habits

pet’s breed and habits

Many pet owners vacuum much more frequently than just once a week.

It’s important to think about your pet’s breed and their habits. Do they only stay inside? Or do they venture outdoors?

Pets that go outside typically track in much more dirt and debris than other pets. This is especially true of dogs.

Certain breeds also shed more often than others. For example, a hypoallergenic breed like a poodle doesn’t shed at all while Golden Retrievers shed like crazy.

If your pets shed a lot, you should consider vacuuming two or three times a week, if not every single day. Using a vacuum cleaner designed for pets will make it easier to clean up the mess, and the pet hair.

Deep Clean on Occasion

Vacuuming certainly does a lot to keep a home with pets clean and tidy, but it must sometimes be paired with deeper carpet cleaning.

You should consider deep cleaning with a carpet steam cleaner on occasion. Most pet owners can get away with this two or three times a year while normal pet-less home owners should still deep clean at least once a year.

A portable steam cleaner simply digs deeper into the carpet to remove hard-to-reach dirt and grime from your home.

Always Keep Your Vacuum Handy

As a pet owner, you never know when your beloved animal will track in dirt or go on a shedding frenzy.

That’s why it’s important to always keep your vacuum handy. Clean and maintain your vacuum so that you can quickly and easily give it a few runs across the carpet whenever it’s needed.

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AUTHOR

Nora has more than 5 years experience in the floor covering industry, acquiring vast knowledge about installation and material selection. She now enjoys working as a writer and an interior decorator. Her work has been featured in The Spruce, Homes & Gardens, Southern Living and Real Homes. See full biography here.

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