A clothes treating apparatus, comprising: a drum rotatably installed inside a main body of the clothes treating apparatus; a heat pump provided at an air circulation passage connected to the drum and having a heat exchanger comprising an evaporator and a condenser that exchange heat with air circulating in the air circulation passage; and a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant that is circulated through the heat exchanger and exchanges heat with air circulating in the air circulation passage; characterized in that the clothes treating apparatus further comprises an input unit for receiving a control input by a user for performing a sterilization mode for sterilizing the evaporator; and a control apparatus configured to control an operation of the compressor, so that an operation according to the sterilization mode is performed in response to the control input; wherein the control apparatus is further configured to, when the control input selecting the sterilization mode to control a surface temperature of the evaporator is input, drive the compressor, then stop the compressor when a temperature change of the evaporator or an operating frequency of the compressor, or both, meets a predetermined reference condition, so that the surface temperature of the evaporator is at or above a predetermined reference temperature, wherein the control apparatus is further configured to sequentially repeat re-driving, stopping and maintaining stoppage of the compressor according to the predetermined reference condition. a drum rotatably installed inside a main body of the clothes treating apparatus; a heat pump provided at an air circulation passage connected to the drum and having a heat exchanger comprising an evaporator and a condenser that exchange heat with air circulating in the air circulation passage; and a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant that is circulated through the heat exchanger and exchanges heat with air circulating in the air circulation passage; characterized in that the clothes treating apparatus further comprises an input unit for receiving a control input by a user for performing a sterilization mode for sterilizing the evaporator; and a control apparatus configured to control an operation of the compressor, so that an operation according to the sterilization mode is performed in response to the control input; wherein the control apparatus is further configured to, when the control input selecting the sterilization mode to control a surface temperature of the evaporator is input, drive the compressor, then stop the compressor when a temperature change of the evaporator or an operating frequency of the compressor, or both, meets a predetermined reference condition, so that the surface temperature of the evaporator is at or above a predetermined reference temperature, wherein the control apparatus is further configured to sequentially repeat re-driving, stopping and maintaining stoppage of the compressor according to the predetermined reference condition. an input unit for receiving a control input by a user for performing a sterilization mode for sterilizing the evaporator; and a control apparatus configured to control an operation of the compressor, so that an operation according to the sterilization mode is performed in response to the control input; wherein the control apparatus is further configured to, when the control input selecting the sterilization mode to control a surface temperature of the evaporator is input, drive the compressor, then stop the compressor when a temperature change of the evaporator or an operating frequency of the compressor, or both, meets a predetermined reference condition, so that the surface temperature of the evaporator is at or above a predetermined reference temperature, wherein the control apparatus is further configured to sequentially repeat re-driving, stopping and maintaining stoppage of the compressor according to the predetermined reference condition.