Has EPA issued specific recommendations on how frequently carpet should be cleaned?

10/14/2016 (Permalink)

No. EPA recommends that consumers and others follow manufacturer recommendations and industry standards for keeping carpet clean to protect indoor air quality wherever carpet is installed.  A number of carpet cleaning companies have been under the incorrect impression that EPA issued official carpet cleaning recommendations  in a 1989 letter from the then-Deputy Director of EPA’s Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.  That official provided a response based on his own expertise and investigation.  However, the table at the end of the letter identifying specific carpet cleaning frequencies for different indoor environments was not intended to and does not convey an official EPA position, and therefore should not be construed or represented as EPA carpet cleaning recommendations.