The right cleaning equipment can help keep the carpet in your facility or home looking its best. High-performance vacuum cleaners have a significant impact on improved indoor air quality (IAQ). Vacuums that effectively remove and contain soil while keeping the carpet looking good will help carpet last longer and ensure a healthier indoor environment. To identify superior performing cleaning equipment, CRI has developed the Seal of Approval (SOA) program for vacuums. The SOA program was launched in 2004 to test cleaning solutions and other carpet cleaning equipment. CRI uses scientifically developed cleaning methods to identify which vacuums work best.
The SOA program tests the following types of vacuums:
- Backpack
- Canister
- Rider
- Upright
- Wide Area
The SOA program tests vacuums for the following applications:
- Commercial Carpet Use
- Residential Carpet Use
SOA Innovative Soil Removal Testing
CRI worked with an independent laboratory to develop a testing method that uses NASA-enhanced x-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology to measure the precise amount of soil removed from the carpet. To test for soil removal performance, the method uses five compounds that have properties similar to soil found in carpet across the United States. X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) is used to detect elements of each compound used to soil a control carpet, then to determine their concentrations after cleaning.
Test Criteria
To earn the Seal of Approval certification, vacuums are tested on the following criteria:
- Cleaning Effectiveness – ensures that the equipment meets SOA criteria for removing soil
- Surface Appearance Change – ensures that the equipment meets SOA criteria for surface appearance verifying that carpet is not damaged from the use of the vacuums
- Dust Containment – ensures that the vacuum meets SOA criteria for minimizing dust particles released into the air