NewslineVolume VII, Issue 11 - May 12, 2006The Carpet and Rug Institute news for industry executives
In This Issue: New Cleaning Solution Joins CRI Seal of Approval Family
Enviro-Solutions 71-C Super H2O2 Citrus Concentrate Cleaner & Degreaser is Enviro- Solutions' second certified product in SOA program. Enviro-Solutions is headquartered in Peterborough, Ontario. The tests for spot removers, pre-sprays and in-tank solutions include protocols for efficacy (removing stains), resoiling (whether the product attracts soil at an accelerated rate), pH (excessively acid or alkaline products can affect dyes and fibers), optical brighteners (can adversely affect color, appearance and performance) and colorfastness to light (residues on pile yarn can accelerate color change). Contact Joan Seelaus at 706.428-2123. View a list of SOA certified cleaning products Nilfisk-Advance Gets Two Units CertifiedNilfisk-Advance upped its total of Seal of Approval-certified extractors to three with the addition of two more of the manufacturer’s self-contained units earning SOA designation. The SOA certification distinguishes the extractors as having passed a series of stringent tests measuring three performance criteria: amount of soil removed from the carpet, amount of residual water left in the carpet and impact of the machine on the fibers and appearance. Certified extractors are rated gold, silver or bronze based on the amount of soil they remove. The Nilfisk-Advance AquaRide SE and the AquaRide AXP each passed the necessary tests to earn bronze certification. Extractors that exceed average soil removal standards receive a bronze rating. Those achieving higher soil removal receive a silver rating, and those receiving the highest level of measurable soil removal are awarded a gold level SOA. Contact Joan Seelaus at 706.428-2123. View a list of SOA-certified extractors CRI West Meeting Well-AttendedCRI’s Annual West Coast meeting was held recently in Irvine, Calif., and close to 50 members were on hand as CRI President Werner Braun and Vice President Frank Hurd gave the attendees an update on CRI’s activities. The group heard presentations from each on the state of CRI as well as some of the items they could expect CRI to deal with in the near future. The meeting was productive and allowed for good interaction between CRI members who reside on the West Coast and are not as easily accessible for CRI staff. Contact Frank Hurd at 706.428-2136. Braun Gives Blue Ridge PresentationCRI President Werner Braun recently gave a presentation to the Blue Ridge Carpet sales force to update the group on the information readily available through CRI. In addition, Braun gave an overview of the current issues CRI is working on and detailed the strategy and tactics being incorporated to handle them through the various Issue Management Teams and committees. Meetings such as this are a primary instrument CRI uses to engage member companies into employing the “multiplier” effect to better utilize the resources available through CRI. Anyone interested in having Braun speak to their group can schedule him by contacting James Beach. Contact James Beach at 706.428-2116. CEU Training Sessions To Be ScheduledThe CRI Continuing Education (CEU) Workgroup, which has developed various one-hour CEU courses, some of which are certified by the Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC), is planning to conduct training sessions for CEU administrators and instructors. The CEU administrators are CRI member company representatives responsible for designating appropriate certified instructors within their companies who can teach the CRI courses in the marketplace. Training sessions for administrators and instructors are tentatively scheduled for June. Those interested in participating in the CEU program and the training sessions, please contact Joan Seelaus at 706.428-2123. The following CRI-approved courses have been certified by the IDCEC:
Contact Joan Seelaus at 706.428-2123. FTC Approves Request for Temporary Fiber DesignationThe Federal Trade Commission has granted Mohawk Industries, Inc., E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, and PTT Poly Canada a temporary alphanumeric designation for a new fiber product they have created. The temporary designation is in response to their petition to establish a permanent generic fiber subclassification under the Rules and Regulations Under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act, commonly known as the Textile Rules. The subclassification is for fibers made from poly(trimethylene terephthalate), or PTT. The petitioners will use the temporary designation, PTT001, while the Commission completes its review of the petition. If the Commission concludes that the petition warrants further consideration, the Commission will publish a Federal Register notice seeking comment on whether to amend the Textile Rules to establish a generic fiber subclassification by adding a new generic name and definition to the existing definition of polyester set out in 16 C.F.R. 303.7. The vote approving the temporary designation was 5-0. (FTC File No. P948404; the staff contact is Janice Podoll Frankle, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-3022.) Contact Joan Seelaus at 706.428-2123. EU Cancels Planned Tariffs on U.S. ImportsAccording to an article in the Washington Post, The European Commission said Friday plans for punitive tariffs on U.S. imports would be dropped after U.S. lawmakers voted to repeal legislation that grants tax breaks to leading exporters. The news came quickly after the U.S. Senate voted on Thursday to scrap proposed tax breaks for U.S. exporters which had been ruled illegal by the World Trade Organization. Contact Frank Hurd at 706.428-2136. German Study Declares Carpet the Healthy Flooring OptionAn independent study undertaken by the Germany Asthma and Allergy Foundation (DAAB) and the German Society for Environment and Indoor Analysis was recently completed and the findings of the study proved conclusively that the indoor air in a carpeted room was of much better quality than that in rooms with smooth floors. The study looked at the content of fine dust particles in the air over smooth floors in 186 rooms and over carpet in 104 rooms. The findings showed that the indoor air in a carpeted room contained less than half the amount of fine particulate dust than in rooms with smooth floors. Indeed, the dust level over a smooth floor at 62.9 micrograms per cubic metre was found to be higher than the recommended European Standard. The findings come on the back of other recent independent research which has supported the carpet industry’s claims that carpet is the healthy flooring option. There are several studies in the open literature that would support that conclusion and many of them can be found on CRI's website carpet-health.org. The study was widely publicized in Europe by the European Carpet Foundation and more information on the study can be attained by contacting David Whitefoot, technical director for the Foundation . Contact James Beach at 706.428-2116. Dr. Berry to Conduct Web Seminar
Dr. Berry is uniquely qualified to speak on this subject. He spent 27 years with the EPA and is author of the book Protecting the Built Environment – Cleaning for Health. He recently joined the Cleaning Industry Research Institute as Chairman of its Scientific Advisory Council. The goal of CIRI is to increase awareness of the importance of cleaning through scientific research. Berry will provide a framework that demonstrates the link between science and cleaning. Contact James Beach at 706.428-2116. CRI Meetings* Market Issues Committee Meeting, May 15, 12:00 - 2:00 pm CRI Participation in Upcoming Events* ISSA/Interclean, 2006, October 4-7, Chicago, IL If you are aware of other events that present significant opportunities to deliver our messages to our critical audiences, please contact Joan Seelaus at 706.428.2123. Check our website calendar for other industry related events |
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