May 10, 2006—The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) had added deep cleaning systems to its Seal of Approval testing and certification program. The certification, says CRI, means companies that offer complete carpet deep cleaning “systems” carrying the Seal of Approval can assure customers that their technique and products together really do work.
The new CRI Seal of Approval for Deep Cleaning Systems evaluates the effectiveness of the overall cleaning process and includes testing of equipment and cleaning solutions used in combination. This part of the program addresses those processes which incorporate a specific machine to be used with a specific cleaning agent following the manufacturer’s recommended procedure.
This latest component joins CRI’s successful Seal of Approval testing programs already in place for deep cleaning extractors and cleaning solutions, says the Institute.
The first companies to win certification for their deep cleaning systems are: Mohawk FloorCare Essentials, Sears Carpet & Upholstery Care, Steamin Demon, ZeroRez and Harris Research, Inc., which manufactures products under the name Chem-Dry.
The testing is done by Professional Testing Laboratory, Inc., Dalton, Georgia, and follows a stringent protocol to designate certification. The Seal of Approval Deep Cleaning Systems tests for eight performance criteria: soil removal, re-soiling, appearance retention, amount of moisture left in the carpet, surface appearance change, colorfastness, pH level, and optical brighteners.
For more on CRI, visit the Web site.
