Science Isn't Just for Geeks!
CRI #3

SO, NOW THE MYTHS ARE BEING BUSTED, WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?

Lots of good can come out of the Carpet and Rug Institute's (CRI) new testing program for its Seal of Approval. Then again, lots of shaking up can come out of it, too.

For years, some carpet manufacturers have been doing unscientific testing on detergents, spot removers and equipment with astonishing results. Testing detergents, they found that water removed more soil than some products and that some caused resoiling at a horribly rapid rate. Testing equipment, they found that most cleaning wands perform just fine, but some jet-streaked the carpet and others removed little to no visible soil.

Just like in the TV shows, those kinds of answers just ended up producing more questions. "How does it look" testing was done for years and years, then they started taking pictures for lab technicians to use for visual comparison.  Known as spectrophotography, it was very subjective, relying on the "eyes of the beholder."

Then they figured they could weigh the carpet, add a specific amount of soil, then clean and dry it.  Weighing the carpet again would let them know how much soil was removed. This is called gravimetric testing. I have to wonder, how does one weigh a gram or half a gram of soil? Did I loose a tuft of carpet during the cleaning?

The new CRI Seal of Approval testing being done now is truly rocket science, using a device developed for NASA called an x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer that detects specific chemical elements. A designer soil is spread uniformly over short cut pile nylon carpet then scanned by the analyzer to establish a base line. The carpet is cleaned following exact procedures, then put back through the analyzer.

The best part of this for the carpet cleaner is it's been discovered there is a vast difference in the percentage of soil removed when comparing a truck mount carpet cleaning machine to a rental or DIY machine.

It's also good for cleaners when they can choose detergents that don't resoil quickly. You won't have as many callbacks. Customers will be happier with their carpet and won't decide to switch to laminate, wood or ceramic.

More than 40% of the cleaning products submitted for testing failed. The test results were given to the formulator, and many made changes and resubmitted their product. Amazingly, 60% of the resubmitted products failed. It will be good for cleaners when we know what we're doing is based on science, not myth.

This might be the time that we as an industry pull together to improve our status in the eyes of carpet manufacturers and the consumer. As certified cleaners, we can say "I have to clean your carpet following an industry standard. The manufacturer of your carpet requires that I use certain specific detergents and equipment. I have to charge more and the value you'll receive will be worth it.

Maybe in a few years we will look back and say remember when...