Maintenance, from this observer’s standpoint seldom seems to have entered the mainstream of the carpet maker’s psyche. Yes the Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) launched the Seal of Approval program about a decade ago with the idea of making sure that solutions, machines and systems used to clean and maintain carpet actually produced as promised. And that program has been a major success, making much of the carpet all across America—when subjected to approved products—cleaner and end users happier.
It seems that carpet for some reason, perhaps because dirt and grime is not always as visible as it is on hard surface flooring, has become the industry’s Rodney Dangerfield in terms of getting no respect. I’m told that if something spills on hard surface it’s cleaned post-haste but a spill on carpet is often left to languish perhaps because it’s often hidden and not as obvious. Carpet fibers, after all, are designed to disguise soils and stains.