New Standard for Stone cleaning and Professional Upholstery Cleanign Standard to be revised

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Being part of an international training organisation allows our team to keep up to date with current trends and training, this provides you with better cleaning techniques and a better service. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

IICRC Developing New S210 Standard on Dimensional Stone Maintenance and 

Restoration and Revising S300 Standard on Professional Upholstery Cleaning 

(VANCOUVER, Wash.) May 8, 2012 – The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration 

Certification (IICRC) announces the formation of consensus bodies for the development of a 

new BSR-IICRC S210 Standard and Reference Guide on Dimensional Stone Maintenance and 

Restoration and the revision of IICRC S300 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional 

Upholstery Cleaning. Applications are now being accepted for volunteers to serve on these 

consensus bodies. 

“As new materials and processes are introduced into our industry, we remain committed to 

ensuring the IICRC’s standards provide credible, up-to-date information,” said Mili Washington, 

IICRC standards director. “Through the development of the S210 standard, we are upholding 

our promise to the industry to establish an international standard of care and provide our 

registrants with a knowledgeable industry voice and resource.”  

The consensus bodies will meet approximately two times per year, with most of the work being 

completed online and via conference calls. The new BSR-IICRC S210 standard will encompass 

the initial, routine, periodic and restorative maintenance methodologies for dimensional stone 

flooring and fabrication and is set to be completed in approximately 36 months. The updated 

IICRC S300 standard for professional upholstery cleaning is set to be completed in 

approximately 24 months. 

Those interested in submitting an application to participate on the BSR-IICRC S210 or IICRC 

S300 consensus bodies, please contact Mili Washington, IICRC standards director, at 

mili@iicrc.org.  

About IICRC

The IICRC is an international, ANSI accredited standard development organization (SDO) that 

certifies individuals in 20+ categories within the inspection, cleaning and restoration industries. 

Representing more than 54,000 certified technicians in 22 countries, the IICRC, in partnership 

with regional and international trade associations, represents the entire industry. The IICRC 

does not own schools, employ instructors, produce training materials, or promote specific 

product brands, cleaning methods or systems. To know if a technician has received proper 

education and training, consumers should look for the cleantrust patch and logo, the service 

mark of the IICRC. For more information, visit www.iicrc.org.   

Clean carpets have positive impact on indoor air quality « Australasia's Cleaning Industry and Environmental Technology Magazine

Healthy carpets lead to Healthier people! If you sink was full of dishes would you leave it?

Clean carpets have positive impact on indoor air quality

• May 21, 2012 8:03 am
 
• Kim Taranto
 
• Carpet and Restoration, Email Newsletter

A survey of carpet cleaning technicians, cleaning professionals, and facility managers conducted in April  for US manufacturer U.S. Products, revealed that 43 percent believe ‘carpeting improves or can help protect indoor air quality (IAQ)’. Meanwhile, fewer than 30 percent disagreed, while the remainder were unsure.

More than half (55 percent) of the 69 respondents said that they have ‘researched information on how carpets may or may not impact IAQ’, while the rest indicated they had not done any research on the subject.

However, 59 percent indicated they already had ‘adequate information’ as to the impact, pro or con, carpets may have on IAQ.

According to Mark Baxter, an engineer with U.S. Products, ‘it is fairly well documented that carpets, because they act like a filter and absorb dust and other impurities, actually help protect IAQ.’ “But we also know they do this most effectively if they are properly maintained and kept clean, which usually requires the use of hot-water carpet extractors,” he says.

As stated in the press release, the survey also asked if the respondents were aware of the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label programme, which certifies carpets that have a reduced impact on IAQ, as well as the vacuum cleaners and extractors used to clean carpets. 62 percent said yes, “but a surprisingly high, 38 percent, said no,” says Baxter.

“I believe that the survey shows that more and more people realise the benefits of carpeting in helping not only to protect IAQ but human health overall.”

TAGS: CAPET CLEANING INDOOR AIR QUALITY

A Badly stained carpet in a perfect square Wool Safe

Google:
Wool Safe



Off -gassing from rugs is not an uncommon problem. Latex type adhesives are used in some hand
tufted rugs, (not to be confused with hand knotted rugs) to help bond tufts into the primary
backing. A secondary backing of cotton is usually held on with the same adhesive. Th is glue
slowly releases gasses (off -gassing) as it cures over time. Th is off -gassing can continue for several
months and under hot humid conditions may persist for a number of years.
It is unclear exactly what chemicals are released, but there is thought to be a signifi cant amount
of Ammonia. Ammonia dissolved in water makes an alkaline solution. In a high humidity
environment this can cause alkaline damage on wool. Sulphur is liberated from the protein
structure of the wool, and this leads to a yellow colouration of the fi bres.
Th is is normally considered impossible, if not very diffi cult to rectify. However in this case, the
consumer was prepared to pay extra for some specialist treatments and a satisfactory result was
obtained. All parties involved were happy. Th e unit owner and purchaser were pleased with the
final result and the WoolSafe operator was very pleased with the remuneration received from a
job well done.

Carpet reducing indoor particulates and allergens

As reported by inclean Magazine 

Peer-reviewed research confirms carpets’ health benefits

• February 17, 2012 10:28 am
 
• alan
 
• Carpet and Restoration

 

Image by Kriss Szkurlatowski, www.12frames.eu

A just debuted executive overview, backed by peer-reviewed research, highlights the health benefits of carpeting. It shows carpet serves as a filter to reduce allergens and improve indoor air quality.

Published at the recently held International Conferences on Indoor Air and Climate (ISIAQ), the full-colour overview delivered by Racine Industries showcases studies which reveal that carpeting maintained using Racine’s dry extraction system improves indoor air quality (IAQ) and reduces the number of airborne particulates and allergens.

“Consumers have long recognised the comfort and noise-reducing qualities of carpet, but rarely is carpet recognised for its health benefits,” said Fritz Rench, CEO, Racine Industries.

“Our executive overview details years of research showing that carpet, when effectively maintained, can actually improve the IAQ in a facility. This can have tremendous benefits to building occupants – from improving learning conditions in schools to making it easier for patients to breathe in hospitals.”

According to the company’s press statement, ‘the executive overview highlights several published and newly released field studies examining the use of carpet versus hard flooring material and the impact of an ongoing maintenance program on the reduction of allergens and dust mites.

‘The research convincingly shows that while normal vacuuming removes some of the mite allergens from the carpet, carpet that receives ongoing deep cleaning using a dry extraction system such as HOST’s system thoroughly removes dust mites and allergens from deep in the carpet.’

“All indoor spaces contain contaminates like dust and dirt,” noted Rench. “Research confirms that hard floors make it much easier for these particulates to redistribute into the indoor air where carpet acts like a filter, securing the particulates. Much like you would change the air filter in your car or furnace, you simply need to clean your carpet to remove the particulates.”

One study included in the executive overview and published at ISIAQ highlights research gathered throughout nine years in 166 homes and 16 schools. The research found that carpet cleaning removed about 75 to 99 percent of the dust mite, cat and mould allergens from the carpet.

In another study, conducted throughout 10 schools over a three-year period in six states, carpet cleaning with the dry extraction system reduced levels of carpet dust by more than 90 percent. In addition, in 13 of the classrooms tested, carpet cleaning reduced the spore load by 99 percent.