Carpet cleaning standards help industry professionals maintain an excellent level of service for their customers. The Institution of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, or IICRC, produces the guidelines that most certified technicians follow. Many of the IICRC’s regulations are approved by the American National Standards Institute, or ANSI. This organization attempts to maintain service quality by encouraging strong regulations in many industries. The IICRC is a leading institute in the creation of ANSI-approved regulations in the fields of cleaning, restoration and the installation of carpet.

The guidelines for carpet cleaning and maintenance are published in the IICRC’s BSR-IICRC 100, a collection of carpet cleaning standards and advice for consumers. The consumer guidelines include tips on finding a reputable professional, how to maintain textiles and why professionals should regularly maintain carpets with a thorough cleaning.  The industry regulations address the five principles of textile cleaning. These include dry soil removal, grooming, soil suspension, extraction and drying.

The IICRC’s guidelines can be found online and purchased by certified technicians, firms or anyone that might have an interest or need for them. The IICRC offers many certification courses, ranging from mold remediation to odor control, textile repair and inspection, and many others. Each certification course typically takes a few days to complete and each is taught by approved schools of the IICRC. The institute doesn’t teach the classes directly and instead elects to have experienced and professional instructors in the field pass on the latest industry knowledge. These professional classes are spread throughout the county, so a technician can usually find a class nearby. While taking the certification class, the technician will be introduced to the institute’s guidelines for providing excellent service for their clientele.