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Protect Your Investment in Wool Carpet, Rugs and Upholstery by Hiring Certified Firms

14th February 2012

BOISE, Idaho—Thursday, February 09, 2012—If you’ve purchased wool carpets, rugs, or upholstery, you’ve made a wise—and significant—investment in the beauty and longevity of your home décor. The soft natural fibers of wool are durable and resilient, resisting matting, crushing and soil-adherence; plus, wool ages gracefully, retaining its original appearance for years longer than synthetic fibers.

However, proper care is essential to its longevity. Use of the wrong cleaning methods or products can cause unsightly damage and shorten its useful life. In order to maximize your investment and ensure that your wool flooring or upholstery remains serviceable and attractive for decades, hire certified professionals with specialized training in the care of wool.

THE CLEAN TRUST (formerly The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification or IICRC), an ANSI-accredited non-profit certifying body for the cleaning and restoration industry, recognizes the WoolSafe Fabric Care Specialist online training course to provide Clean Trust registrants with education and specialized training in the care of wool.

Homeowners can find THE CLEAN TRUST-Certified and WoolSafe-Approved Service Providers listed in The Housekeeping Channel’s Home & Cleaning Services Finder.  THE CLEAN TRUST partners with The Housekeeping Channel  to educate consumers about the importance of proper cleaning and hiring certified cleaning companies.

“HousekeepingChannel.com lists THE CLEAN TRUST-Certified and WoolSafe-Approved firms to help consumers find companies qualified to expertly care for their wool items,” says Allen Rathey, president and founder of The Housekeeping Channel. “We want them to know about the expertise of THE CLEAN TRUST technicians, especially those who have taken courses through WoolSafe.”

The WoolSafe program has been available in Great Britain and a handful of other countries as an in-person classroom training course. The new online training program makes it readily accessible in North America and around the world.

The 35 module course offers instruction in proper cleaning methods specific to wool or wool-rich carpets, rugs, and upholstery. The topics participants learn include:

  • Wool fiber structure and cleanability, as well as its limitations
  • Potentially damaging chemicals and cleaning methods
  • Pets and wool
  • Spot removal and other cleaning challenges, along with solution.

Upon successful completion of the course, the participant earns the WoolSafe Fabric Care Specialist designation. His or her company is eligible to apply to become a WoolSafe Approved Service Provider. Only WoolSafe-Approved Service Providers may use the WoolSafe logo in advertising and promotional materials. 

To ensure that you are hiring cleaning companies employing technicians with specialized knowledge to preserve the beauty and longevity of your high-value wool, look for THE CLEAN TRUST Certification, the WoolSafe Service Provider logo, or search the listing of qualified service providers at www.housekeepingchannel.com, www.The Clean Trust.org, or www.woolsafe.org/usa.

About The Housekeeping Channel

The Housekeeping Channel (www.housekeepingchannel.com) (HC) strives to be the Web’s most comprehensive storehouse of factual information for consumers and media on achieving a cleaner, more organized and healthier indoor environment. The site provides how-to tutorials, news and reviews regarding the latest innovations in the cleaning industry, time-saving systems and motivation for keeping a better house. HC is a respected source of information relevant to cleaner, healthier homes, and has been cited or quoted by national media including US News and World Report, Newsweek, Real Simple and major news outlets. HC’s world-class Advisory Board helps ensure the technical accuracy of its content (See: http://www.housekeepingchannel.com/aboutus.php ).

About WoolSafe North America

The WoolSafe Organisation (www.woolsafe.org) is an independent testing and certifying body, which began in 1991 as a testing and certification program for carpet maintenance chemicals. By 1998, it had grown to encompass professional carpet cleaning and inspection represented in countries on four continents. WoolSafe was the first organization to perform independent testing and accreditation of cleaning products, and train cleaning companies in best practices regarding the use of approved products. WoolSafe serves as a consumer referral source for WoolSafe-Approved Service Providers. For more information, see its North American site, www.woolsafe.org/usa.

Find WoolSafe-Approved  Service Providers Online at HousekeepingChannel.com.