Vacuums
Cleaner carpets and cleaner air
There is one simple step to improving the cleanliness of your carpet and the indoor air quality in your home: regular vacuuming with a CRI-certified machine.
Carpet fibers serve as a trap for allergens and other particles, reducing their continued circulation in the air. Removing them with a CRI-certified vacuum effectively sucks up the dust from the carpet, locks it in the machine and keeps it out of the air. At the same time, vacuums that effectively remove and contain soil will help carpets last longer and keep them looking great.
Tough standards for soil removal and indoor air quality
CRI combines the indoor air quality protection of its Green Label vacuum program with enhanced cleaning standards of its Seal of Approval programs to identify even better performing vacuum cleaners than the previous program. Under the Seal of Approval vacuum program, manufacturers must meet higher performance standards and are rewarded with Gold, Silver or Bronze ratings. CRI employs an independent testing laboratory to measure:
- Soil removal — A machine's performance in soil removal is measured precisely through NASA-enhanced X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology. The entry level of Bronze requires a 10 percent improvement of soil removal over the Green Label program and the standards are even higher for Silver and Gold levels.
- Dust containment — A residential vacuum must not release more than 100 micrograms of dust particles per cubic meter of air. You want all that dirt, dust and pet dander locked tight in the vacuum, not escaping back into the air where it can be inhaled. Additionally, Gold level vacuums must meet ambient air quality standards.
- Carpet fiber protection — The vacuum must not affect the appearance of the carpet more than a one-step change (shop speak for "not very much") based on one year of normal vacuum use.
Before being considered for the Bronze, Silver or Gold Seal of Approval ratings, a vacuum cleaner must comply with the carpet fiber protection standard as well as meet both the corresponding soil removal standard and dust containment The CRI Seal of Approval program makes vacuum cleaner selection easier for you. So look for the Seal of Approval logo or label on packaging, displays and on the machine itself.
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