CRI's Jeff Carrier: Upbeat After Surfaces

Carpet and Rug Institute's Jeff Carrier Brings Upbeat Message Home From Surfaces Show

Last week I had the opportunity to participate in one of the world’s premier flooring events- Surfaces in Las Vegas, Nevada. Having been around Dalton and the carpet industry for most of my life, I had wanted to see this spectacle for some time and I can tell you that it did not disappoint. It’s no secret that the flooring industry has been hurt as badly as any other by this prolonged financial crisis, but I detected a noticeable presence of optimism that I haven’t seen in the two years since I returned to the carpet industry.

As I walked the Surfaces trade floor and spoke with industry people, I saw orders being placed and deals being made. In fact, it was busy. Attendance was up 15% over 2009 and the increases were evident to those who’ve struggled through a couple of down years. The general sense I gathered was, “We made it. Let’s get back to work”. I was not alone in this interpretation. Many of the manufacturer members that I spoke with shared the opinion. The travails of the past two years have led to open doors for many of our industry members. Said one member, “There are a lot of open doors now. Areas that used to be locked up are now wide open”.

The optimism I detected at Surfaces was shared by the good people I spoke with from the concrete industry (who were attending “World of Concrete” in Las Vegas). The woes faced by the concrete industry have been very similar to those faced in the carpet industry. When I asked many of them if they were optimistic, most were surprised to admit that they were indeed feeling optimistic. It wasn’t something they had expected to feel or had even hoped to feel. Yet, there it was. That element of surprise was repeated many times during the Surfaces show as well. People came to the show hoping that things were improving but confidence had been so battered by the past two years that believing what they were seeing was difficult. It had been so long since expectations had been exceeded that few wanted to take the leap of faith and say that things really were looking up.

In the end, Surfaces provided so many tangible and valuable benefits. Perhaps none of these are more important than the evidence and reassurance that the long-awaited recovery is finally underway. Having so much of the carpet industry together provided a great view of the state of the industry. The remarkable leadership of our carpet industry members has enabled us to emerge from this dark time ready to resume growth and prosperity. Yes, I dared to say it. Prosperity. It’s not so far away as it once sounded.

Finally, we can get back to the work our growing our businesses and industry.

~ Jeff

Jeff Carrier
CRI Sustainability and IAQ Program Manager

Sears Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners: SOA Participant

Sears Carpet and Upholstery Care Group Joins Seal of Approval Program

The Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval testing and certification program for carpet cleaning products, equipment, and service professionals received some good news recently - a participation agreement from the Sears Carpet and Upholstery franchise group that clears the way for all 145 Sears franchised companies to become Seal of Approval Service Providers.

Carpet cleaning professionals who use Seal of Approval solutions in conjunction with Seal of Approval equipment are eligible to be recognized as Seal of Approval service providers. At CRI, we work hard to raise consumers’ awareness of the benefits of using a Seal of Approval Service Provider, for example, by publishing a complete list of the nearly one thousand “SPs” as we call them on the CRI website – listed by zip code, so individuals and businesses looking for a carpet cleaning professional can find someone quickly and easily.

Hiring Seal of Approval Service Providers is the best way to ensure that carpet is being cleaned with quality products. Not all carpet cleaning products clean equally well and some may even damage carpet fibers. Using Seal of Approval service providers is also the best way to make sure residential or commercial carpet warranties are being met since many major carpet manufacturers are now tying their warranties to the use of Seal of Approval products.

Wes Dvorak, Director of Research and Development for Sears Franchise Businesses, explained to me that Sears has always supported the CRI Seal of Approval Program as “a good idea to help support the industry and support quality carpet cleaning.” As for Sears’ decision to enroll their service professionals in the program, Dvorak said that, at Sears, “We do things the right way and we’re not afraid to tell people.” (For a related blog post on one consumer’s experience with a Sears Cleaning Professional, click here.)

Here’s an interesting detail - according to Seal of Approval Manager Pat Jennings, Sears was the first company to submit their deep cleaning system for SOA testing back in 2006. They were subsequently awarded Gold Level Certification.

“CRI is gratified to have Sears cleaning professionals join the ranks of Seal of Approval Service Providers,” said CRI President Werner Braun. “The Seal of Approval program raises the bar for the carpet cleaning industry, and CRI will continue to do all it can to increase market share for our Seal of Approval participants.”

I’m excited! Congratulations to Pat Jennings and the Seal of Approval Service Providers program.

~Bethany

CRI Seal of Approval on ISSA TV

CRI's Bethany Richmond Talks Seal of Approval on ISSA TV

One of the things I do as Communications Manager for the Carpet and Rug Institute is travel to trade shows to talk about CRI programs and research about carpet. Last October, I attended the ISSA InterClean trade show in Chicago. ISSA is the worldwide cleaning industry association and InterClean, the premier meeting for the commercial cleaning industry.

While I was there, I had an opportunity to participate in an ISSA TV video explaining the benefits of the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval Program.

The 3-minute video is introduced with this paragraph:

“A thoughtfully designed and implemented maintenance program performed by properly equipped and trained personnel is essential for optimal long-term performance of a facility’s carpet. The Carpet and Rug Institute’s Seal of Approval Program identifies effective carpet cleaning solutions, equipment, and professionals that clean carpet right the first time and protect a facility’s carpet investment. Not all products clean well enough to earn the Seal of Approval, so look for the blue and green CRI Seal of Approval as proof that you are using quality products.”

The video is posted on the ISSA website under the ISSA TV link for “product demos”. It’s also posted on the CRI’s YouTube channel, carpetchannel1.



I would be happy to provide a download link to any CRI Seal of Approval participant who would like to use it. Just email me at brichmond(at)carpet-rug.org or post a comment to this blog at the link below.

~Bethany

CARE’s Jeremy Stroop in Carpet Pie Fight

Getting His Just Desserts? CARE’s Jeremy Stroop Takes a Pie in the Face for Carpet Recycling

Jeremy Stroop is a favorite around the Carpet and Rug Institute building. Although he officially works for the Carpet America Recovery Effort as its operations manager, his office is only two doors down from mine, and when he is not on the road traveling on behalf of CARE, he is always at work and always busy. He is known for his red hair, infectious cheerfulness, and offbeat sense of humor. So I wasn’t surprised when he told me he had signed up to participate in the world’s biggest pie fight at Shaw’s Dallas Market show - of course he had – the Jeremy I know is always up for a challenge. He is also very community oriented and he liked the fact that, as part of the Guinness Record-setting pie fight celebration, Shaw was making a donation to the hunger relief agency Feeding America – enough to provide 70,000 meals.

Jeremy was in Dallas at the Shaw show because CARE has been offering a special membership opportunity to selected commercial and residential carpet retailers around the U.S. (see the blog post about StarNet dealers joining CARE). As part of the membership promotion, Jeremy has traveled to several manufacturers’ market events, including Shaw’s Dallas market, which is where the pie fight was held on Jan 7, 2010.

Jeremy after the pie fight.

“It was fun,” Jeremy said of the experience. “I got chocolate in my ears and cherries in my hair, but in spite of the mess, it was just good, clean fun.

My five year-old likes the pictures of me covered with pie – except now he wants to have a pie thrown-down of our own at home!”

Thanks for all you do, Jeremy – we appreciate you!

~Bethany

The carpet after the pie fight...

Watch the video of the entire pie fight on YouTube.

CRI Co-Sponsors Georgia Legislative Reception

Carpet and Rug Institute Co-Sponsors Annual Georgia Legislative Appreciation Reception

The Carpet and Rug Institute [CRI] and Dalton Whitfield Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Dalton/Whitfield Legislative Appreciation Reception on Monday, January 11, 2010 at The Freight Room in downtown Atlanta. This was the tenth year of the popular event that is always held on the first day of the Georgia legislative session. Three hundred and twenty people attended, including Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, State School Superintendent Kathy Cox, Insurance Commissioner and Gubernatorial hopeful John Oxendine, U.S. Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal, and newly-elected Georgia House Speaker David Ralston. Local representatives Tom Dickson, Don Thomas, and Roger Williams also attended the reception, as well as various state and local dignitaries.

Per tradition, guests were presented with commemorative rugs depicting classic Georgia scenes and symbols that were designed and manufactured in Dalton. This year’s rug design featured a Georgia Live Oak, the Georgia State Tree. Past years’ included a Cherokee Rose, the Georgia Capitol dome, and the state seal.

During the reception, CRI President Werner Braun said he took the opportunity to voice his support to delegates for several issues, including funding for a northern connector between Interstates 75 and 85 and continued funding for the Traditional Industries’ Program.

“The legislative reception helps us reinforce the message that Northwest Georgia is a powerful economic engine for Georgia,” said CRI Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Frank Hurd. “CRI and the Dalton/Whitfield Chamber are strong partners – we want our elected officials to be reminded that, even in hard economic times, effective economic development is essential.”

~Bethany


Photo credit:
Representatives Dickson, Thomas, and Williams hold the 2010 legislative commemorative rug as shown in the January 2010 issue of Chamber Link.

Carpet Cleaning Standards Part 2: CRI SOA Story

CRI Seal of Approval Formulas for Success

High Test Standards Improve Carpet Cleaning Product Performance: Part 2

[Link to Part 1 of this conversation]

This is the second of two conversations I had with Professional Testing Laboratories’ President Gary Asbury talking about his experience with how Seal of Approval testing helps manufacturers of failed cleaning solutions improve their product formulas so that they pass the second time through. It is a frequent claim here at the Carpet and Rug Institute that the Seal of Approval (SOA) testing and certification program for carpet cleaning solutions and equipment was developed primarily to increase customer satisfaction with carpet by raising the bar on cleaning performance – and there is no one more able to assert the truth of that than Gary Asbury and the rest of his team at Professional Testing Laboratories.

The most significant testimony to the success of any testing program lies in its power to shape product performance, right? What good is a standard if everyone can pass it? CRI’s claim that “Only the Best Pass the Test”, is a statement we stand behind.

Last time, Gary talked about a manufacturer who didn’t use his product’s SOA failure as a teachable moment for product improvement, but today he relates some more positive examples.

“A large commercial cleaning solution manufacturer presented its product to PTL for Seal of Approval testing. The company had been doing its own performance testing on their product – which is commendable of them, but the problem was, they had only been comparing their product against their number one competitor, and the competition’s product had a horrible problem with accelerated resoiling. Accelerated resoiling happens when a carpet cleaning solution leaves a sticky residue behind that acts like a dirt magnet. The first manufacturer’s product performed better than its competition in terms of resoiling, but it was a far cry from being at a level that would meet the Seal of Approval requirements.

After receiving their failure notice, the first manufacturer was astounded. But, after looking at the test results and seeing the problem, they went back to the drawing board, and within three months, they had reformulated and passed the testing.

Another time, a huge carpet cleaning retail supplier had a product that failed the colorfastness testing. We’d tested their product on over two dozen fiber types, colors, and constructions of carpet, and the testing definitely showed their product caused a significant color change in the carpet after it was exposed to light. This was a major concern – a big manufacturer with a lot on the line. Within a week of the failure notice, the company sent a private jet to Dalton with five of their top executives on board. In two months the problem was solved.

One more example - several years ago, a fairly high-level executive from a major retail chain visited PTL to look at our testing methods and tour the facility. He was impressed with the lab, and particularly impressed with the Seal of Approval program itself. The day after he left, he contacted every one of his suppliers and told them to submit their products for Seal of Approval testing. It was a powerful testimony to the value of the program.”

Located in Dalton, Georgia, Professional Testing Labs is an ISO 14025 and NVLAP-certified lab that has provided federally-certified test results for all types of flooring manufacturers since 1988. In 2009, PTL performed more than 3000 batteries of tests, at an average of five tests per battery.

Thanks, Gary!

~Bethany

Photo caption:
Professional Testing Laboratories’ President Gary Asbury receives the Joseph J. Smrekar Memorial Award during CRI’s 2009 Annual Membership Meeting.

Carpet Cleaning Standards: CRI SOA Success Story

CRI Seal of Approval Formulas for Carpet Cleaning Success

High Test Standards Improve Carpet Cleaning Product Performance

It is a frequent claim here at the Carpet and Rug Institute that the Seal of Approval (SOA) testing and certification program for carpet cleaning solutions and equipment was developed primarily to increase customer satisfaction with carpet by raising the bar on cleaning performance. The rationale behind the SOA program is captured in CRI President Werner Braun’s trademark statement, “If you can measure it, you can improve it.”

The most significant testimony to the success of any testing program lies in its power to shape product performance. What good is a standard if everyone can pass it? CRI’s claim that “Only the Best Pass the Test”, is a statement we stand behind, and CRI touts the benefits of using SOA products and Service Providers in multiple marketing efforts, including the CRI blog. We celebrate every product that passes SOA testing; no more so than when a once-failing product tries again and gets it right.

One of the key players behind the scenes of the Seal of Approval testing program is Professional Testing Laboratories President Gary Asbury. Located in Dalton, Georgia, Professional Testing Labs is an ISO 14025 and NVLAP-certified lab that has provided federally-certified test results for all types of flooring manufacturers since 1988. In 2009, PTL performed more than 3000 batteries of tests, at an average of five tests per battery. According to Gary, PTL prides itself on helping carpet maintenance equipment and chemical manufacturers make better products that result in improved satisfaction for flooring consumers.

Gary says he’s seen “dozens of cases” where manufacturers of carpet cleaning products that initially failed CRI’s Seal of Approval testing used what they learned from the test results to improve their products’ performance to the point where they received a passing grade the next time through.

“For the most part, if a conscientious manufacturer fails the first time, they’ll go back to the drawing board,” he says. “Many times, the testing will reveal a problem they didn’t realize they had, but once they see the problem, they can fix it.”

I asked Gary to share a few of his more interesting testing stories with CRI blog readers. Sadly, not every solutions manufacturer is willing to learn from his mistakes, as you shall see in Gary first story about a colorful carpet cleaning fat cat who wouldn’t change (or remove) his spots.


“Several years ago, PTL was doing some compliance testing for a “big-box” retailer on a carpet spot remover they were considering for inclusion in their product mix. The product failed miserably and we informed the manufacturer. Next day, the president of the manufacturing company shows up at the lab unannounced and wants to see our testing. We understood this contract meant a lot of money to him, and luckily, we still had his tested carpet samples, so we took him through the process. He wanted to try his product on our test materials for himself, so we re-stained some carpet samples and let him have a go.

Normally, we let a staining agent dwell for 24 hours on a piece of carpet before we start the product testing, but there was no chance for that with this guy. He took his product and set to work on the stains himself. It was Kool-Aid – a toughie. He rubbed and blotted on that stain until he’d just about worn the pile to a nub, but - nothing – the stain stayed put. He didn’t understand it – said the product worked great when he demonstrated it on his infomercials.

He decided the problem must be with our carpet samples, so he goes and gets some of his own samples out of the trunk of his car. We could see right away what was going on – his samples were made of polypropylene – a powerfully hydrophobic fiber that shrugs off just about any wet stain. He pours Kool-Aid on one of his polypropylene samples, and shows off how his product removes the stain – obviously pleased with himself. I couldn’t believe it, but here was a guy who represented himself as an expert on carpet stain removal and he didn’t know the difference between nylon and polypropylene in terms of their stain resistance!

I’ll never forget what happened next. PTL lab chief Lee Phillips picks up another of the guy’s samples, douses it with Kool-Aid, and, without saying a word, takes it over to the sink and turns on the faucet. Of course, the running water takes the stain right out.

Needless to say, the guy lost his contract with the big box retailer. Last I heard, he was still selling his product on infomercials where his polypropylene carpet samples clean up just like magic”!


In the next blog post, Gary talks about three SOA testing cases with very different outcomes…

Thanks, Gary!

~Bethany


Photo Caption:
Professional Testing Laboratories’ President Gary Asbury receives the Joseph J. Smrekar Memorial Award during CRI’s 2009 Annual Membership Meeting.

Carpet Cleaning Tips For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Learn About The Best Carpet Cleaning Tips

At the Carpet and Rug Institute, we believe strongly in educating people on how best to keep carpet clean. That's why we love the Carpet Cleaning Tips For Dummies booklet which I wrote about in June 2009 in a post titled Carpet Cleaning Tips For Dummies - Get Yours Now! It's a terrific resource for carpet cleaning tips.

Since then, we've updated and reprinted the booklet and we're very excited about it. Here to tell you more is Kristin Smith who has been involved in this project with us since its beginning.

You may remember Kristin from Clean Carpet Begins at Home - CRI SOA Success Story. Kristin Smith is a Vice President in the Creative Studio at Ogilvy Public Relations. She has been working with CRI for the past six years on our marketing, communications and advertising programs.

An Easy 2010 Resolution to Keep: Simplify Your Chores With Carpet Cleaning Tips For Dummies®

As we start a new decade, here’s a resolution that will make your life easier and will be simple to keep: clean your carpet regularly. Does the thought of carpet cleaning make you want to run for cover? Hold on! The newest edition of the Carpet Cleaning Tips for Dummies guide gives you the most up-to-date information on how to make carpet cleaning easy and effective. And it shows you how the proper cleaning can help improve your indoor air quality and protect your carpet investment.

Sponsored by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) and HousekeepingChannel.com, Carpet Cleaning Tips For Dummies® , published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., has just been updated with even more easy-to-use information about best practices for keeping carpets looking beautiful for years to come.

Household management expert Elizabeth Goldsmith, the book’s author, provides simple solutions for fighting dirt, removing nasty spots and stains, using the right products and calling in professional cleaners. She has tips for pet owners and advice on how to clean precious Oriental rugs. Consumers can request a free copy at the CRI website for a small shipping and handling fee of $2.00.

The booklet advises that not all carpet cleaning products are effective and some can even damage your carpet. “Regular and proper vacuuming is the single most effective means of keeping carpet clean,” says Werner Braun, CRI president. “And using cleaning products, equipment and professional cleaners certified under the CRI Seal of Approval program helps get the job done right, the first time.” Carpet care is easy with a little preventative maintenance and know-how. This booklet also shows you how to prevent carpet from getting soiled in the first place, plus dozens of ways to get maximum results in minimum time.

More than 70,000 Carpet Cleaning Tips for Dummies booklets have been distributed, and this updated edition is packed with even more information, including the newest enhancements to the CRI Seal of Approval program. And just think, carpet cleaning is just like exercise – only better. If you get into a routine and keep it up, you will see great results. But unlike exercise, carpet cleaning can be effortless – and you don’t have to sweat.

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Thank you, Kristin!

Do you have a copy of the new updated edition? What do you think? We'd love to hear your reactions.

~ James