When it comes to green cleaning, many companies talk a good game, but this is not to say many companies, especially those within the flooring industry, haven’t made great strides by making their products environmentally friendly, safe and effective.

In addition to the companies who make cleaning products for carpet, wood, ceramic tile, resilient and laminate flooring, adhesive manufacturers have taken the lead in this arena as well, in making products that are non-toxic and easy to clean up. No longer must you clean an overspray or spill within seconds before it causes damage to the flooring’s surface or worry about the fumes it is emitting into the room.

However, there are a number of companies who are similar to some used car dealers— all they generate in the end is a good amount of hot air. Are they or their products truly as green as they purport? Do they have genuine research and solid data to back up what they say or the initiatives they set forth?

The answer that comes to mind immediately is, not so much. This is where local associations, watchdog groups and national organizations such as the Carpet & Rug Institute (CRI) come in.

CRI is an organization dedicated to protecting the environment. It has taken many steps in its charge to look out for the industry’s best interests, including partnering with nationally recognized green certifiers such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment program in order to certify that cleaning products in its Seal of Approval (SOA) program do not damage the environment.

In order to become a Seal of Approval green product, the manufacturer must provide CRI with documentation from one of the green partner organizations proving its product meets the certifier’s environmental requirements.

Another major course of action CRI’s SOA program has undertaken to keep the industry safe from harmful, environmentally unfriendly situations is through education. For example, the association places heavy emphasis on the importance of how high performance vacuum cleaners have a significant impact on improved indoor air quality (IAQ). The organization notes, vacuums that effectively remove and contain soil while keeping the carpet looking good will help broadloom last longer.

Use of CRI’s SOA program ensures proper and easy carpet maintenance. This testing program has raised the performance bar for all vacuum cleaners on the market, resulting in cleaner, longer-lasting carpet and improved IAQ.

It is apparent the actions by those in the industry will impact the quality of life for future generations. Today’s consumer is genuinely committed to doing the right thing. It is essential that consumers and commercial end users are adequately informed about the chemicals they use and understand how these chemicals affect their health and wellbeing.

Only then will they be adequately equipped to separate the wheat from the chaff and demand changes to keep the public healthy.