In response to this situation, Consumer Confidence Rated Businesses has isolated what a number of major carpet and carpet-fiber manufacturers have to say on the subject of carpet cleaning methods and their products. Although there are some exceptions, a number of well known manufacturers make a point of telling their customers which methods they strongly recommend, and/or recommend against and/or simply view as "acceptable" or "adequate".

Listen to the people who created your carpet before you listen to anyone else...

Even if you don't know who made your carpet, reading this document will certainly give you a sense of which method or methods are likely to be best for your carpet.

We start with a detailed overview of what U.S. Axminster, Monsanto, Shaw Industries, DuPont and Lee's say about different professional carpet cleaning methods. The remaining segment provides you with shorter summaries of what other manufacturers have to say on the subject.

Although U.S. Axminster will not endorse any one method, they are very clear about which methods they do not recommend.

"There are many methods which can be used on location to clean carpet... The basic Periodic Cleaning Methods for carpet are:

1. Hot Water Extraction...
2. Dry Foam with Extraction...
3. Dry Extraction...
4. Rotary Shampoo
5. Bonnet/Absorbent Pad ("Spin Bonnet")

Methods 4 and 5 are not recommended on Axminster Carpet.

"It is critical when cleaning Axminster cut-pile carpet not to use spin bonnets, rotary brushes or rotary extractors. The rotary action of this equipment can severely distort the pile yarn. In addition, the spin bonnet method can leave chemical residue which builds up on the carpet."¹

Monsanto, manufacturer of WEAR-DATED® CARPET, essentially places all major cleaning methods into two categories: "Deep Cleaning" and "Light Cleaning".

Deep Cleaning refers exclusively to the hot water extraction method. Light Cleaning refers to just three methods: (1) Dry Compound Cleaning, (2) Bonnet Cleaning "utilizing a carbonated solution", and (3) Foam Cleaning.

Monsanto distinguishes Deep Cleaning from Light Cleaning by stating that "light cleaning" methods are:

"adequate for light surface Soil".²

Hot Water Extraction is the only method Monsanto recommends for deep cleaning their carpets. Why are other methods excluded from Monsanto's deep cleaning category?

"it should be understood that with the dry compound, bonnet and foam methods, traces of the cleaning agent remain in the carpet. It should also be understood that after employing these methods a few times, a switch should be made to the hot water or steam extraction method."³

In other words, the Hot Water Extraction method (when properly employed) is viewed by Monsanto as the least prone to leaving accumulating residues and the most likely to remove residues normally left by other methods.

Shaw Industries is the largest U.S. carpet manufacturer, with many well known divisions including Evans Black, Philadelphia, Market Street and Cabin Crafts. TrustMark is also the marketing division of Shaw Industries.

Every Shaw division states that the "Bonnet System" is unacceptable because it

"has only a limited ability to remove soil and leaves much of the detergent in the pile".⁴

Every Shaw division also essentially makes the same recommendation: "A cleaning system should clean the carpet without leaving detergent residue. TrustMark recommends the hot water extraction system, also called 'steam cleaning"⁵

DuPont is very direct when recommending professional carpet cleaning methods, and what method their warranty requires:

"...hot water extraction (steam cleaning) or other wet or dry methods utilizing the MASTERSERIES® Carpet Care System"

"Texture refreshing using hot water extraction is required at least every 1- 1/2 to 2 years to maintain the Stainmaster Xtra Life Texture Retention Warranty"⁷

Lee's Carpet (Burlington Industries) describes the different methods with commentary that indicates:

• The rotary brush "wet method" may damage or distort a significant number of residential carpeting types, while producing "satisfactory results"⁷ on a limited number of other carpet types.
• The dry foam technique "... is somewhat limited in its ability to clean heavily soiled carpets,"⁸
• The "dry or powdered cleaning method" does not distort carpet texture, is good for removal of greasy soil, does not cause color to bleed, requires little drying time, and "can be performed by relatively unskilled persons".⁹
• Hot water extraction ("steam cleaning") "lends itself to cleaning of various textures without creating any adverse distortion of pile." When properly implemented, "this method effectively removes soil from the carpet."¹⁰

What Other Manufacturers Have To Say

BASF from"With Zeftron Nylon, The Memories Linger" Pamphlet ... Recommends hot water extraction, the dry cleaning method and other methods that are capable of '.maximum residue removal".

The International Wool Council, from "Maintenance Techniques for Wool Contract Carpets" . Identifies the "spray extraction method" as "preferred for wool berber- style carpet.

World Carpets, from "Care and Cleaning Guide". Indicates that van mounted hot water extraction are recommended for their residential carpets because, "these cleaners are usually much more efficient, deliver a higher degree of soil removal and reduce drying time".