Cleaning Products and Your Customers Concerns

There has never been as much concern (and confusion) about the best products to use to clean carpet as there is today. At one time, you simply chose a product that performed well at a fair price.

Then came restrictions for stain resistance, CRI approvals, and the various "green" certifications that exist. Now cleaners must attempt to balance performance, conflicting "certifications", and the consumer's ever increasing concerns about health and environmental issues.

How should you determine what to use?

The answer should be: What does my customer need?

If your customer has concerns about environmental issues, or as a part of that concern shows concerns about the contents of the product for their own health and safety, consider products that are considered "green" or "anti allergen" in nature. While most products that do not have these designations are equally safe, reassuring label content will put your customers' minds at ease.

If you have a business relationship with a carpet retailer, and that retailer would like the assurance that you're using product that has been tested and approved by the Carpet & Rug Institute, the association that most carpet manufacturers belong to. Such products are also useful if you've been referred to solve a cleaning related warranty claim by a carpet manufacturer.

In most cases, however, your customer wants their carpet to be as clean as possible, to feel soft to the touch, and to stay clean for a reasonable span of time before the next cleaning is necessary.

Your product choice then should be products that you have confidence in yourself, that have stood up to your own rigid standards, and that keep your customers happy and coming back to you for more service in the future.