CM/Spotlight: Carpet Care after use, have become much more popular as well due to both their effectiveness and their minimal environmental impact. The green carpet cleaning movement received another important boost when parameters and certification criteria were developed by such organizations as TerraChoice Environmental Marketing’s EcoLogo Program, Green Seal Inc. and the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). Although proven-green carpet cleaning chemicals contain none of the ingredients we now know to be harmful, these products must still be used properly per the manu-facturer’s instructions in order to protect human health and the environment. The way chemicals are now applied to carpets, at least with the extraction method, also can make the process more environ-mentally responsible. For many years, technicians mixed clean-ing agents and water in the extractor’s tank. Dilution was not always scientifically pre-formed and, more often than not, more chemical — potentially having a greater impact on the environment — was used than necessary. However, most technicians now pre-spray carpets with cleaning agents, work-ing in one manageable area at a time. This allows the chemicals to “dwell” on the carpet, helping to dissolve and loosen soils. This method is also greener because it typically requires less chemical, reducing the environmental impact. tive by comparison. If the past is any indication of the future, we can look forward to even more improve-ments in the years to come. Shampoo And Bonnet Carpet Cleaning Explained Shampoo carpet cleaning involves the use of a floor buffer machine and chemi-cals that contain foaming agents. As the foaming agents dry, they become attached to carpet soils, making those soils easier to remove via vacuuming. Bonnet cleaning involves the use of damp pads soaked in a cleaning solution that are attached to a floor machine simi-lar to a shampooer. Surface-level soils are absorbed into these pads as the carpet is cleaned. CM A Bright Future As many individuals in the cleaning industry now know, green cleaning is a journey: We are constantly developing new cleaning methods, products, chemicals and equip-ment that make cleaning healthier for users, building occupants and the environment. Carpet cleaning is no exception — the green carpet cleaning chemicals now avail-able make yesterday’s products look primi-Circle Product Information no. 251 on page 32 22 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • August 2010
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