CRI Green Labels, Vacuums & Air Quality

Vacuuming your carpets can negatively impact your home's air quality, when dust particles are removed from deep within the carpet, only to be expelled via filters or leaks, back to the air you breathe.

Changing HEPA filters, vacuum bags and pre-filters regularly, is a step in the right direction, but how do we know if our vacuum's performance is working for or against us?

In 2000, the Carpet and Rug Institute expanded their Green Label Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Program to include the testing of vacuum products, with the objective of identifying and certifying vacuums that met stringent soil removal, dust containment, and carpet appearance retention standards.

Since then, the Institute has certified more than a hundred vacuum cleaners, while raising awareness that low-emitting vacuum products help to maintain good indoor air quality. If you're in the market for a new vacuum, watch for the Green Label - your carpet will thank you, and you'll breathe easier too.

To learn more about the Carpet and Rug Institute Green Label Program testing process or view the list of certified vacuums, follow the links to the right. Their website also provides great information on carpet installation, care and maintenance.