The Benefits of the Carpet and Rug Institute Seal of Approval

Do you often see the labels above, but aren't entirely sure what they mean? They actually a really important labels to have on your products because they mean you are striving towards implementing chemicals, carpeting, vacuums and extractors that meet a higher standard in performance - which just happens to be better for the environment and indoor air quality. For many professionals, the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Seal of Approval has been a requirement when looking to purchase new commercial vacuums or deep cleaning extractors.

The Carpet and Rug Institute has created a Green Label and Green Label Plus program to evaluate a wide range of products to see if they meet high standards in performance and improving the indoor environment. CRI uses scientific testing to support their findings thus meeting the cleaning industry's goal of making reliable, fact-based information available for evaluating cleaning equipment and products.

There are 7 performance attributes Seal of Approval (SOA) products are evaluated on: 

1. Soil Removal Efficacy: How effective is the product at removing soil?
2. Re-soiling: Does the cleaned sample attract soil at an accelerated rate or not? 
3. Residual Moisture: Does your extractor remove most of the moisture that results from a wet cleaning process?
4. Surface Appearance Change: Does the product leave the carpet minimally changed after multiple cleanings?
5.  Colorfastness: Does the product cause a color change in the carpet fiber? 
6. pH Level: Is the pH level between 4 and 10 on the pH scale? 
7. Optical Brighteners: If the product contains optical brighteners, then they are not allowed to be SOA certified.  

*Attributes provided by the Carpet and Rug Institute.

Products that hold the CRI Seal mean improved cleaning results and efficiency. They promote healthier indoor environments, extend the life of carpets and support environmentally sustainable procedures. Talk about more than enough reasons to use CRI Seal of Approval Products as much as possible! Do the chemicals, carpeting, vacuums and extractors you use meet the standards?