Carpet Cleaning For Health, Not Just Appearance (re-revisited)
In previous articles I have written how I feel the ANSI/IICRC S100 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Cleaning of Textile Floor Coverings has helped the entire carpet industry, from the carpet manufacturer to the end user. It has helped the formulator of cleaning detergents and manufacturers of cleaning equipment, to the person cleaning the carpet, and most importantly the consuming public. It has made all their jobs easier and has created healthier environments for all of us to work and live in. This article speaks about the importance carpet cleaning can have on your health, the health of your family, and the health and wellbeing of the people who occupy the buildings you may be responsible for. In the Carpet Cleaning Technician classes I teach, I look at students and tell them that they are environmentalists. No, not “those” environmentalists, but ones who make a daily impact on the indoor, built environment. Who knows the things we will continue to learn from the recent world health crisis and even this year’s ‘quademic’ season? (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/asnYChafE7o)
I first published an article about this topic in February 2016. Some has changed but much has stayed the same in the years since. This I do know and feel very good about, the cleaning and restoration industry has been on the cutting edge of chemistry, disinfection, equipment, and education every single time.
There have been huge advances in the chemistry of disinfection and the equipment used. Same holds true for the carpet cleaning industry. The advances in chemistry over the years have been phenomenal by making the products safer for the cleaner, the homeowner, and environment. The biggest advancement has been in products leaving less residue by incorporating encapsulation technology in them, and I love, love, love that formulators are gelling gum removers, rust removers and dry solvents. I mean seriously, where is the gum or rust – on the tips of the fibers. Where is the paint, tar, grease or tape residues – on the face of the carpet. There have also been advancements in equipment such as rotary jet extraction and equipment with counter rotating brushes. These advances in chemistry and most especially user-friendly equipment have allowed many older carpet cleaners to stay in the game longer. These “seasoned” carpet cleaners can now enjoy their favorite adult beverage at “Miller Time” for its taste, not to anesthetize the pain.
The IICRC leads the way when it comes to educating cleaners and restorers to properly clean buildings and floorings while maintaining safety. Some of the Standards that are published regarding cleaning, restoration and remediation are:
ANSI/IICRC S100 – Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Cleaning of Textile Floorcoverings
ANSI/IICRC S220 (1st Edition, 2021) – Standard for Professional Inspection of Hard Surface Floor Coverings
ANSI/IICRC S300 – Standard for Professional Upholstery Cleaning
ANSI/IICRC S400 (1st Edition, 2025) – Standard for Professional Cleaning, Maintenance, and Restoration of the Commercial Built Environment
ANSI/IICRC S500 – Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration
ANSI/IICRC S520 – Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation
ANSI/IICRC S540 – Standard for Trauma and Crime Scene Cleanup
ANSI/IICRC S590 (1st Edition, 2023) – Standard for Assessing HVAC Systems Following a Water, Fire, or Mold Damaged Event
ANSI/IICRC S700 (1st Edition, 2025) – Standard for Professional Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration
ANSI/IICRC S800 (2nd Edition, 2023) – Standard for Professional Inspection of Textile Floor Coverings
Back in the early days of The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Upholstery Certification (IICUC, now IICRC), a gentleman and friend of the industry by the name of Dr. Michael Berry (retired US Environmental Protection Agency, senior manager and scientist, Deputy Director of National Center for Environmental Assessment) coined the phrase “clean for health, not just appearance.” Much of what Berry was passionate about was written in his book Protecting the Built Environment: Cleaning for Health. That information found its way into the very first publication of the S001-(1991) Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Carpet Cleaning, now ANSI/IICRC S100-2015, with the latest edition under revision.
In the standard it defines the word cleaning as:
Cleaning: the purposeful activity of removing soil and undesired substances from an environment or surface to reduce damage or harm to human health or valuable materials. Cleaning is the process of locating, identifying, containing, removing, and properly disposing of unwanted substances from an environment or material.
That information pops up in other IICRC Standards as well, such as the S400, S500, S520, S540, S700, S800. It can also be found in publications related to the cleaning of carpet such as The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) handbook called: Carpet Maintenance Guidelines, For Commercial Applications. (for a free PDF copy, click on this email Mark@Mark4floors.com and I will send one to you) In this handbook an excerpt from Berry’s book reads: “A clean environment is sanitary. When a sanitary condition exists, an adverse health effect is unlikely. Manufacturers’ recommendations for cleaning provide adequate guidelines, calling for frequent vacuuming and periodic professional restorative cleaning that emphasizes removal of foreign substances and minimizing residue. In the long run, these measures protect the carpet and promote environmental health.”
Some more history…In the late 80’s I had a client who at the time was Northeast Ohio’s largest commercial and multi-family housing property management company. My company did carpet cleaning in their corporate offices, commercial office buildings, shopping malls, and apartment buildings. I remember a conversation I had with the facilities manager in their corporate offices where he told me how he had his housekeeping staff use a disinfectant cleaner to wipe off light switches, doorknobs, and phone handsets one time per week. He said his staff started performing that task in November and ended in April. He said the human resources department was able to document a dramatic decrease in sickness and absenteeism among the staff all because he understood how cold germs were transferred by touch. Doing just this one inexpensive thing increased the company’s productivity. Cleaning for health, not just appearance. Does that advice sound familiar? I have seen this meme that says “Jesus and germs are everywhere, wash your hands!” WASH your hands and disinfect high touch surfaces. Nothing has changed.
My previous articles on this topic (Cleaning for health, not just appearance and Carpet Cleaning for health, not just appearance [revisited]) went into cleaning methods, this time I want to talk about some data behind cleaning the built environment and how that affects the health of building occupants. The global contract cleaning market is projected to reach $145.9 billion by 2028, partly due to rising awareness of indoor health. Businesses that invest in regular carpet maintenance can extend flooring lifespan and reduce long-term replacement costs. A study by ISSA found that preventive maintenance, including routine carpet cleaning, can lower overall facility cleaning expenses by 20-30%, making it crucial for high-traffic spaces like hotels, hospitals, and offices.
Many carpet manufacturers require professional cleaning every 12-18 months to maintain warranties, but truth be told, if everyone did this, there aren’t enough cleaners out there. Facilities with structured carpet maintenance programs report lower employee absenteeism and increased productivity, especially in office buildings, schools, and healthcare settings, where air quality directly affects well-being. A Cleanfax case study found that quarterly professional cleaning in a commercial office led to a 30% reduction in employee sick days, highlighting the link between carpet cleanliness and workplace health. Cleaning for health, not just appearance.
Professional carpet cleaning also significantly improves indoor environments. A study by the EPA and the Research Triangle Institute found that hot water extraction carpet cleaning reduced total bacteria and bio-pollutants by 40%. Additionally, Cleanfax research shows this method removes up to 98% of allergens, making it essential for homes and businesses, particularly for individuals with asthma or respiratory conditions, as carpets can trap pet dander, mold spores, and dust mites that aggravate symptoms. Cleaning for health, not just appearance.
So, what does sanitizing door knobs, light switches, and phone handsets have to do with carpet cleaning standards? More than meets the eye (pun intended). We now know the simple act of using a disinfectant cleaner to wipe off those “high touch” surfaces kills unseen germs and causes a dramatic decrease in sickness, absenteeism, and improve productivity in an office environment, let alone your home. Cleaning for health, not just appearance. What does vacuuming, pile brushing, and carpet cleaning a dark colored carpet have to do with carpet cleaning standards? Cleaning for health, not just appearance. Like most commercial carpets in northeast Ohio they are a dark color, you may not see the soil, but it’s there. The amount of soil we could vacuum and pile brush out, and the brown/black soil that transferred to the bonnets and was in the cleaning water proved it, which is cleaning for health, not just appearance. You could not see the germs on those surfaces, but they were there. You may not see the soil in dark colored carpet, but it is there.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Cleaning for health is not difficult when the principles of cleaning anything, not just carpet are followed. The S100 Carpet Cleaning Standard set easy to follow benchmarks so all of us can experience a cleaner, healthier environment to work and live in. To my consuming friends and clients, use Credentialed IICRC Carpet Cleaning Technicians in your local area. To my Carpet Cleaning friends, turn to the S100 Carpet Cleaning Standard to be the true professional your clients expect, and impress upon them the importance of cleaning for health, not just appearance. Cleaning for health, rather than solely for appearance, is essential in fostering cleaner, healthier indoor environments. Who knows what new cleaning chemistry and equipment will be developed in the next five or ten years!