Understanding the Pitfalls of Uncleaned Carpets

No matter the facility type, clean carpets matter in commercial spaces. Carpet cleanliness impacts health, appearance, safety, and how people perceive the overall facility. 

Carpets can be aptly described as reservoirs that can trap dust, allergens, and pollutants. Regular cleaning removes these contaminants, improving indoor air quality (IAQ) and reducing respiratory issues and allergies. Dirty carpets also can harbor harmful bacteria and germs, posing health risks. Professional cleaning methods eliminate these pathogens.  

Clean carpets also create a welcoming and professional environment, making a positive first impression on clients and visitors. Regular cleaning prevents dirt and debris buildup, extending the carpet's lifespan and saving on replacement costs.  

Here, distributors can play an essential role. Distributors can bundle carpet care products and equipment to help customers keep carpets clean for health, appearance, safety, and business reputation. 

They also can help customers clean their carpets more sustainably, adds Charles Moody, president and founder of Solutex Inc., Sterling, Virginia. 

His belief is that distributors should advocate for green and sustainable carpet care programs to reduce Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the air and minimize the use of potentially harmful chemicals. Utilizing eco-friendly methods to maintain carpets benefits the well-being of custodians and occupants, broadens a facility's green cleaning strategy, and improves the company’s reputation overall.  

“Distributors should help end-users identify these advantages and train them on how to apply them successfully,” Moody says. 

However, transitioning customers to more sustainable carpet cleaning involves more than getting them to buy "green" chemicals. To truly achieve sustainability, a comprehensive approach is necessary, and must account for factors such as water usage, energy efficiency, and waste management, says Keith Schneringer, senior director of marketing-jan/san and sustainability for BradyPLUS, headquartered in Las Vegas. 

“There are certified products, and distributors should pay attention to recommending them,” he says. “However, another area of focus is not just whether the products get the carpets clean, but will they help the carpets stay cleaner longer? Leaving carpets in a state where they will be prone to rapid re-soiling again and again is not sustainable.”   

Another area of focus for distributors should be education on preventive care. Taking steps to promote entryway matting, which prevents dirt from being tracked onto the carpet, is a good example. Another is highlighting vacuum cleaners that pick up dirt without redistributing it into the air. 

“An end user’s preventive procedures, their daily procedures, their interim care and their restorative care all fit together as a system to keep carpets clean,” adds Schneringer. “Distributors must match these factors with how the facility is used, such as foot traffic and activities that may dirty the carpet.” 

Choose Certified Chemicals 

When recommending green carpet cleaning chemicals, distributors should prioritize products that minimize health risks for cleaning staff and building occupants while considering their environmental impact, according to Moody. 

“We can rely on certifications from Green Seal, ECOLOGO, or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment (DfE),” he says.  

Schneringer also advises pointing customers towards neutral pH products, noting many carpet cleaning products are alkaline based. These products clean well, he says, but if carpets are not rinsed thoroughly, they attract dirt. 

“Products that are hydrogen peroxide based or encapsulated carpet care products are closer to neutral PH and do not leave behind residue,” he says. “Too often we see carpets ugly out because they’ve been cleaned over and over again with high alkaline products.”  

Moody also advises distributors consider surfactants in their private-labeled products. In 2014, Solutex became part of the EPA’s Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI), which recognizes environmental leaders who voluntarily committed to using safer surfactants.  

“We were the first U.S. distributor to become a SDSI champion,” he says. “Being a SDSI champion means you’ve eliminated selling any cleaning product that contains NPS (nanoparticle surfactants) or APS (artificial reconstituted pulmonarysurfactants), which are surfactants that do not biodegrade very well,” he says. 

Despite being both legally permitted and commonly used in carpet cleaning products, Moody reveals that these surfactants degrade slowly, pollute the environment, and endanger aquatic, animal, and human life.  

Safer products use plant-based surfactants with faster biodegradation rates. Distributors should focus on these surfactants when selecting chemicals for their private-label lines. 

The cost of switching to safer surfactants isn’t that great, Moody adds. Solutex paid an extra 60 cents to produce a traffic line product with a safer surfactant.  

“With our neutral carpet cleaner, which had a very high fragrance to it, our cost only went up by 9 cents,” he says. “In the end, the cost was nominal, and the products were safer.” 

Moving customers to plant-based surfactants, such as linear alcohol ethoxylates (LAES), also puts distributors ahead of the game, adds Moody, who points out states like California have already banned most APS or NPS use.  

“Sadly, many distributors are not versed in the surfactants used in their extraction detergents,” he says. “But they should be. It will soon be the law of the land. Europe went that direction nine years ago.” 

Switching customers to chemicals using plant-based surfactants also demonstrates the distributor's dedication to sustainability. 

“A distributor who can say, ‘My products have already eliminated these things,’ is ahead of the curve,” says Moody. “It has been a great selling point for us not just with our carpet care products, but for the products we sell to clean air conditioning systems and BBQ grills and ovens. Property managers love when we can say, even in these strong chemical categories, we’ve been able to eliminate APS and NPS.”  

He suggests showcasing the potency of these chemicals to persuade customers that being environmentally friendly doesn't mean sacrificing effectiveness. To get buy-in from customers, Moody will occasionally surprise extractor/machine purchasers with a couple gallons of free carpet extraction detergents or carpet stain remover that feature plant-based surfactants. 

“We know they are going to love them if they use them,” he says. “In the end, it’s a big reward for us because we know if they love the products, they will reorder them later in the year. And those chemical sales will be more profitable than the profit we made selling the machine.”  

Opt for Certified Equipment 

Experts across the board advise distributors to promote the purchase and use of equipment with Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) certification. Looking for CRI certification helps consumers make informed product decisions for cleaner, healthier, and longer-lasting carpets. 

The CRI Seal of Approval (SOA) is the only scientific program in the carpet industry that tests cleaning products and equipment. Rigorous laboratory testing is required for products to meet the program’s high standards for certification. CRI certifies extractors, vacuums, deep cleaning systems and interim cleaning systems.  

Schneringer recommends starting by promoting vacuums that have CRI approval, noting many upright vacuums and backpack vacuums have already achieved this certification, then moving to other CRI-certified equipment.  

“The CRI judges vacuum cleaners on three criteria,” he says. “No 1, their ability to effectively pick up dirt from the carpet. No. 2, their ability to trap and retain dirt reducing emissions from the vacuum. And No. 3, leaving the carpet in decent shape, not matted down.” 

Equipment that meets certification criteria ensures cleaning teams get what they need from their vacuums. The equipment has appropriate filters that remove dirt from the carpet, trap it inside the equipment, and leave the carpet looking nice." 

CRI certification also helps facility managers avoid vacuums that appear to operate well but blow dust into the air from their old-school cloth vacuum bags. 

“A vacuum that uses old-school technology works in direct opposition of indoor air quality,” Moody says. “You are vacuuming up dirt from the carpet, but filters aren’t capturing it, so you end up spewing contaminants back into the air.”  

The best way to get customers to invest in the right equipment comes down to education and training. Not only are these end user customers cleaning for health, but maintaining carpet cleanliness can control costs in other areas. With less debris circulating in the air, vents, air conditioning coils and HVAC filters will remain cleaner, reducing maintenance costs. Proper maintenance also prolongs the life of carpeting. 

Moody’s pitch to customers is: “Wow, this is a $100 million apartment building, and it has more than $1 million in carpeting. Did you know that if you use the right equipment and chemicals, you can keep this carpet looking good for 10 to 15 years? The money you spend on equipment is a fraction of the cost of replacing that carpet.’” 

It’s also important to share with customers that using subpar equipment can leave residual sand and dirt inside the carpet, which will often get tracked into other parts of the building. Distributors should promote the rewards and savings of investing in good equipment, using the right products, and employing the right carpet care methods.