Most Carpet Cleaning Products No Better Than Water

Dalton, GA, March 5, 2008--The top issue raised by customers who don’t buy carpet is that it is hard to clean, says Werner Braun, president of the Carpet and Rug Institute trade group. But those concerns are unfounded, he told the Rotary Club of Dalton, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen.

According to the newspaper, Braun said that the real problem is many of the products used to clean carpet aren't any more effective than water. He said CRI tested 24 products used to clean carpet and found only four were even as effective as water. That’s why, he says, the CRI started a program to certify proper carpet cleaning products and methods.

Keeping a carpet looking good, Braun said, “has nothing to do with the quality of the carpet and everything to do with the quality of maintenance.”

Braun said the program has been so successful that many manufacturers are now tying their warranties to having carpet cleaned and maintained with CRI-certified products. And he said the CRI is developing a similar certification for carpet installation.