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During the 1960’s and 1970’s much of our nation’s focus was on
the pollution of our outdoor environment ,but recently our focus
has shifted to pollution of our indoor environment.
Concern for fuel economy in the early 1970’s led to changes in
construction techniques and building design to prevent the loss
of temperature-controlled air from buildings. Airtight
structures keep air inside, but they also prevent the flow of
fresh air from outside. Research by the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has determined that our indoor environment has two
to five times more pollutants than outside air.
The
quality of our indoor air has become more important to us in
recent years in that the average American spends over 20 hours a
day inside a closed structure. We spend 90 percent of our lives
indoors.
Heightened consumer health awareness has placed an emphasis on
improving the quality of our indoor environment.
Carpet plays a vital, positive role in indoor air quality. It
acts as an environmental filter, trapping and holding impurities
from the air we breathe. The EPA and carpet industry findings
indicate that with proper ventilation of new carpet, carpet
itself does not contribute negatively to indoor air quality, but
the buildup of soil in carpet does. Upholstery fabric also
harbors soil and contaminants.
According to Michael A. Berry, Ph.d., former Deputy Director for
the EPA Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office, the single
leading cause of poor indoor air quality in built environments
today is poor maintenance. Carpet and upholstery must be cleaned
to remove trapped contaminants before they overflow and are
released back into the indoor air.
For
a healthier indoor environment, the Institute of Inspection,
Cleaning and Restoration Certification
(IICRC)
recommends:
Vacuum frequently
A vacuum
cleaner with a high efficiency filtration bag removes soils
and
bio-contaminants from carpet and upholstery and reduces the
release of respirable particles into the air. These bags are now
available for most models of vacuum cleaners at retail stores
that carry vacuum cleaners and accessories.
Periodically have carpet and upholstery professionally cleaned.
Thorough cleaning
removes soil and pollutants to improve indoor air quality.
Contact your local IICRC Certified cleaner at 1-800-532-5110, or
call the IICRC Referral System toll free line, 1-800-835-4624,
to locate an IICRC Certified professional trained in the proper
use of cleaning agents and equipment.
Control the sources.
Entrance
mats halt tracked-in soil and contaminants. Tobacco smoke,
which is trapped in carpet and upholstery fabric, is a major
source of indoor pollution.
Increase fresh air flow.
Our
ancestors knew what they were doing when they opened
windows to air out buildings.
Clean for health.
Carpet
and upholstery fabric hide soil. Don’t just clean for appearance
when the accumulation of soil becomes visible
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