Carpet cleanliness can affect indoor air quality. Indoor air quality, a growing government and customer concern, is forcing contract cleaners to focus on health as well as appearance. When properly maintained, carpet can improve indoor air quality, acting as a filter to hold soil, debris and other contaminants, and preventing them from becoming airborne. Routine carpet maintenance includes controlling the spread of dirt with entry mats, vacuuming with proper filtration and micro filter bags, and immediate spot removal. Regular vacuuming helps keep indoor air cleaner and extends carpet life. Vacuums have improved via stronger and better suction and use of filters that trap dirt down to 0.3 micron (a micron is one-millionth of a meter). It is equally important to regularly clean or replace vacuum filters to ensure efficiency. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also recognizes the effect of regular carpet cleaning on indoor air. Cleaning includes regularly scheduled wet cleaning or extraction for total soil removal. Extraction cleaning is the most effective way to remove soil. The accompanying chart lists EPA recommendations on carpet cleaning frequency based on environmental conditions. 

* Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(From "Focus on Contracting," Tom Bach, Cleaning & Maintenance Management, June 1997.) 

[Click here to view the Recommended Cleaning Frequency Guideline]
[Read Tom Martino's "Getting the Dirt on Carpet Cleaners," RMN May 15, 1997]