ISO/TS 21868:2023

ISO/DTSTS 21868:2022(E)
Date: 2022-1012
ISO TC 219/WG 1
Secretariat: NBN

Textile floor coverings — State of the art on maintenance and cleaning



publication stage



© ISO 2022 – All rights reserved 1

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ISO/DTS TS 21868:2022(E)
© ISO 2022
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part
of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior written
permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body
in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Fax: +41 22 749 09 47
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2022 – All rights reserved

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ISO/DTS TS 21868:2022(E)
Contents
Foreword . iv
Introduction. v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions. 1
4 Maintenance . 2
4.1 General . 2
4.2 Maintenance plan . 2
5 Cleaning . 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 The principle of cleaning . 3
5.3 Personnel training . 3
5.4 Cleaning Steps . 3
5.4.1 Identification. 3
5.4.2 Formulating cleaning program . 7
5.4.3 Inspection of equipment . 7
5.4.4 Protection of surrounding, environment and human being . 8
5.5 Inspection of cleaning results and relevant standards. 8
5.5.1 Evaluation of external quality of cleaning . 8
5.5.2 Evaluation of internal quality of cleaning . 8
Annex A (informative) Method of maintain and cleaning . 9
A.1 Dry vacuuming . 9
A.2 Interim cleaning methods . 9
A.2.1 General . 9
A.2.2 Dry compound cleaning method . 10
A.2.3 Bonnet (Absorbent) pad cleaning method . 10
A.2.4 Dry foam cleaning method . 11
A.2.5 Shampoo cleaning method . 11
A.2.6 Encapsulation cleaning method . 12
A.3 Restorative cleaning methods . 13
A.3.1 General . 13
A.3.2 Hot water extraction cleaning method . 13
A.3.3 Soaking cleaning method . 14
A.4 Spot cleaning . 14
A.5 Drying . 15
A.6 Grooming . 15
Bibliography . 17
Foreword . v
Introduction. vi
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ISO/DTS TS 21868:2022(E)
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions. 1
4 Maintenance . 2
4.1 General . 2
4.2 Maintenance plan . 2
5 Cleaning . 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 The principle of cleaning . 3
5.3 Personnel training . 3
5.4 Cleaning Steps . 4
5.4.1 Identification. 4
5.4.2 Formulating a cleaning programme . 7
5.4.3 Inspection of equipment . 7
5.4.4 Protection of surroundings, the environment and human beings . 7
5.5 Inspection of cleaning results and relevant standards. 8
5.5.1 Evaluation of external quality of cleaning . 8
5.5.2 Evaluation of internal quality of cleaning . 8
Annex A (informative) Method of maintenance and cleaning . 9
Bibliography . 16

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ISO/DTS TS 21868:2022(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO
collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of any
patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or on
the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World
Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 219, Floor coverings.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO/TS 21868:2021), which has been
technically revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— clarifications to the terms and definitions were added;
— clarifications to the requirements were added;
— table Table 1 “Fibre identification burn test” was deleted.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
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ISO/DTS TS 21868:2022(E)
Introduction
This document is designed for global governments, relativelegislators, related enterprise associations,
textile floor coverings manufacturers，, and textile floor covering maintenance and cleaning enterprises
to develop their own specific textile floor covering maintenance or/and cleaning standards or procedures
in accordance with the local conditions. Due to diversity of different regions in climates, customs and
developing levels in the world, it is extremely difficult to create a specific textile floor covering
maintenance and cleaning standard as a template which is globally workable. In addition, the factors
which impact the result of cleaning are so abundant and the combinations of these factors so tremendous
that particular programmes are necessary to acquire the best result of textile floor covering cleaning.
This guidance standard manages to list all the factors which affect the final results of cleaning, against
which global governmentslegislators, relative enterprises associations and textile floor covering
maintenance and cleaning enterprises are able to establish the above-mentioned particular programmes
(procedures or criteria) in their standards accordingly. Therefore, this standard is not intended to be
used by end-users to perform any specific maintenance and cleaning jobs.
This comprehensive guidance standard is intended to pave the way for global governmentslegislators
and relativerelated enterprise associations to establish specific standards for:
— regulating the development of the textile floor covering cleaning industry,
— promoting the development of the textile floor covering cleaning detergent and equipment industry,
— improving textile floor covering cleaning techniques, and
— improving sales of textile floor coverings,
since specific textile floor covering maintenance and cleaning standards are still absent in most nations.
NOTE The term "textile floor coverings" applies to wall -to -wall carpets, broadloom carpets, rugs, mat and tile
carpets.
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARDTECHNICAL ISO/DTSTS 21868:2022(E)
SPECIFICATION

Textile floor coverings — State of the art on maintenance and
cleaning
1 Scope

This document gives guidelines for the development of specific textile floor covering maintenance and
cleaning standards, procedures and criteria to reflect local specific conditions. This document specifies
the factors which will impact the final results of textile floor covering cleaning, defining maintenance and
cleaning terms to highlight differences. It establishes textile floor covering maintenance and cleaning as
achieving a low-cost, non-residue and environmentally friendly cleaning under the premise of
maximizing the use value of textile floor covering.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
soil
any matter that is foreign to the construction of the textile floor covering
Note 1 to entry: Soil includes spill, spot, stain, and residue.
3.2
spill
wet, dry, oily or combination states of matter that are accidentally deposited on the textile floor covering
Note 1to1 to entry: Depending on the composition of the spill, quick response time and cleaning procedures can
assist in minimizing the probability of a spill becoming a spot or a stain.
3.3
spot
foreign material on the surface of a fibre, usually changing the texture of the fibre
EXAMPLE: Sticky, oily, greasy, stiff.
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ISO/TS 21868:20212022(E)
Note 1to1 to entry: Spots can usually be removed. However, some spots, if left untreated for too long, can
become stains.
3.4
stain
indication of the addition of colour, frequently in liquid or pigment form that has been strongly attracted
to the textile floor covering fibre
Note 1 to entry: This added dye or pigment can bind to a dye site and actually alter the structure of the fibre. Not
all stains respond positively to removal efforts.
3.5
residue
the foreign materials left in the cleaned textile floor coverings, which is originated from the detergents
3.6
interim cleaning
removal of topical appearance soil from textile flooring and return of the textile floor covering to a dry
and usable state within a short period of time
3.7
restorative cleaning
thorough removal of soil both on the textile floor covering surface and embedded within the textile floor
covering construction
4 Maintenance
4.1 General
Maintenance is the protection of textile floor coverings, vacuuming and timely removal of spills and dust
which can be operated by non-professionals. Textile floor covering maintenance requires a user to
develop a maintenance programme, which can be provided with the help of the textile floor covering
manufacturer or provided or assisted by a contracted textile floor covering cleaner.
The significance of textile floor covering maintenance is that it is the first key step in extending the service
life of the textile floor covering, and the simplest and most economical and effective means of preventing
the textile floor covering from being soiled.
4.2 Maintenance plan
The maintenance plan shall include:
— Laying of door mats, which are for scraping soil and absorbing moisture. Pay attention to the length
of door mats to prevent people from stepping over them. If necessary, a reminder for scraping shoes
is recommended in case the door mat is too small.
— Timely removal of spills.
— Division of the textile floor coverings regions based on varying traffic frequency and varying
functions to formulate a vacuum cycle accordingly.
— Protection of the textile floor coverings during the laying and maintenance of other flooring materials
and furniture nearby.
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ISO/TS 21868:2022(E)
— Provision of temporary or permanent convenient bins and ashtrays in special function areas.
— Controlling the dehumidification equipment to maintain the necessary dryness to prevent the room
from developing mildew.
The maintenance plan is a program for end-users to follow in order to keep the textile floor coverings in
good conditions and pave the way for necessary cleaning. For residential use textile floor coverings, it
shall be provided by manufacturers. For commercial use textile floor coverings, it shall be discussed and,
when customizing the textile floor coverings with the assistance of the textile floor coverings
manufacturer or professional textile floor coverings cleaner, made to match the overall interior space
designing.
5 Cleaning
5.1 General
Cleaning is the process of locating, identifying, containing, removing and properly disposing of soil,
performed by professionals with professional equipment and under standard programmes.
Cleaning requires professional personnel and equipment to be implemented in accordance with
professional programmes. Either interim cleaning or restorative cleaning, professional personnel,
professional equipment and conformant procedures are necessary. Cleaning is mostly likely to be
conducted by an independent service provider, either a professional cleaning service companies or the
manufacturers, other than the users, unless the user keeps a professional team with professional
equipment, cleaning agents and professional programs.
5.2 The principle of cleaning
The principles of cleaning are:
— Restoring the use value of textile floor coverings.
— Green environmental protection before and after cleaning.
— Having practices which are harmless to practitioners and users.
— Maintaining or restoring special properties attached to textile floor coverings: including but not
limited to fire proof post-treatment and anti-static post-treatment.
At the same time, it shall be clear that cleaning a textile floor covering is not to transform the textile floor
covering into a new one, but to remove the soil on the textile floor covering as completely as possible, and
if necessary, repairs may be performed. Even after professional cleaning, it is possible that it will not be
possible to reverse all damage due to permanent changes to colour or fibre.
5.3 Personnel training
Qualified and professional personnel are prerequisites for ensuring cleaning quality, cleaning personnel
safety and environmental protection. Cleaning personnel shall be professionally trained by a professional
company or organization before going on duty. The training shall cover not only cleaning, but also textile
floor covering quality, laying and repairing.
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ISO/TS 21868:20212022(E)
5.4 Cleaning Steps
5.4.1 Identification
5.4.1.1 General
Identification is the most important step in a textile floor covering cleaning process and a complete
identification of the factors which affect the cleaning result is required for the development of cleaning
standards or individual cleaning programmes.
5.4.1.2 Identification of textile floor covering appearance and defects
Observe the overall state of the textile floor covering appearance and search for defects. Locate the spills,
spots and stains. Ask the textile floor covering user about the textile floor covering laying time, the time
and manner of the previous cleanings, and ask the textile floor covering user for a textile floor coverings
maintenance programme and its relative execution record if the user has this, in order to determine
roughly how to clean it.
5.4.1.3 Identification of textile floor covering laying quality
The laying quality defects mentioned below will directly lead to defects in cleaning results:
a) If the textile floor covering is not stretched tightly and results in surface wrinkles, during the cleaning
process, the textile floor covering surface can show watermark and shadow after cleaning and even
damage to part of the textile floor covering pile.
b) If the edge of the textile floor covering is unevenly trimmed, leading to burrs, during the cleaning
process, the pile can be pulled out, seriously damaging the textile floor covering.
c) If the textile floor covering is not fixed firmly, during the cleaning process, the textile floor covering
can shrink and cause crevices.
d) If the textile floor covering is not spliced strongly, the textile floor covering seam(s) will crack after
drying.
5.4.1.4 Identification of the textile floor covering surroundings
Identify adjacent furniture, equipment, floor coverings and the building itself to avoid any damage, harm
or electric shock when on-site cleaning is conducted.
5.4.1.5 Identification of climate and season
Identifying local climate and seasons is necessary to restore the qualified water content of the textile floor
covering after cleaning in time.
5.4.1.6 Identification of special textile floor covering function
Determine whether the textile floor covering has special functions in a functional area. Post-treatment of
fire-proof and anti-static functions shall be maintained or restored after cleaning. Special attention shall
be drawn to these special locations, such as laboratories, hospitals, workshops for electronic devices and
elevators, as well as certain special functional areas of a hotel. For example, static electricity can damage
elevators; being fire-proof can be a requirement for an area in a hotel where smoking is permitted
permanently or temporarily.
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ISO/TS 21868:2022(E)
5.4.1.7 Identification of product quality
a) Ask textile floor covering users for product label(s) and cleaning instruction(s) from textile floor
covering(s) manufacturer(s).
b) Determine the material(s) of the textile floor covering pile, the type(s) of pile, the length of pile, the
pile weight.
c) Determine the structure of the textile floor covering formation: hand-knotted, hand-tufted, semi-
handmade, machine made, etc.
d) Determine whether the formation of textile floor coverings and the adhesive (if any) adapts to
washing, and the times of washing.
e) Determine the physical and chemical properties of the base materials.
f) Determine if there are post-treatments, such as fireproof post-treatment and/or anti-static post-
treatment, to ensure that cleaning does not compromise the special properties, or completely restore
these properties by reprocessing the post treatments.
5.4.1.8 Identification of the cleaning objectives
a) Appearance identification method: identify the material by observing the appearance of the soil, for
example: various food juices, paint stains, etc.
b) Colour identification method: Identify the material by unique colour of the soil, such as ink, dye, paint,
blood stains, etc.
c) Sensory identification method: Identify the material by hand feeling and observation, such as sugar
stains and glue. This can rely on the accumulation of long-term experience and knowledge.
d) Location identification method: Identify soil based on its location.
e) Odour identification method: Identify soil based on the unique smell of soil, such as perfume, wine,
chewing gum, etc.
f) Chemical testing: For particularly expensive textile floor coverings, laboratory chemical methods
may be used for identification if necessary.
g) Ask for the customs of using textile floor covering; in case of close touch with human being, especially
with bare skin, inactivation is necessary.
h） ) Ask the user about the history of cleaning and identify whether it is necessary to remove the
residue from previous cleanings.
It is necessary to identify the states of soil according to the classification of the three types defined above,
i.e., spill, spot and stain. Spill, spot and stain removal chemicals shall be of a type that do not harm textile
floor coverings when used in accordance with the chemical manufacturer’s recommendations.
See Table 1 for the types of soil and the applicable detergent categories of disposal.

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ISO/TS 21868:20212022(E)
Table 1 — Soil guide
Acid Neutral Alkaline Citrus Enzyme Rust Dry
 Oxidizer
Detergent Detergent Detergent Detergent Detergent Remover Vacuum
Blood  ①   ②  ③
Browning
①    ②
(cellulosic)
Chewing gum    ①
Coffee ② ①  ⑤ ④ ③
Cola ①     ②
Copler toner     ④   ①②③
Grease &and oil    ①
Ice melt build up ②       ①
Ink (waterbased)   ① ② ③
Marker    ① ②
Milk      ①
Mustard ② ①   ④ ③
Nail polish ②   ① ③
Paint (oil-based)    ① ②
Paint (latex)  ②  ①
Rust   ②    ①
Urine ①    ③ ②
Vomit   ①  ③ ②
① Step One ② Step Two (if necessary) ③ Step Three (if necessary) ④ Step Four (if necessary) ⑤ Step Five (if necessary)
CAUTION: Textile floor covering cleaning and maintenance enterprises shall fix specific formula and concentration after
identifying product quality and cleaning objectives to ensure no harm to the textile floor covering, cleaning practitioners
and environment. If detergents are purchased from detergent suppliers, textile floor covering cleaning and maintenance
enterprises shall follow the instructions for that detergent. If necessary, a test on a small part of the textile floor covering
shall be performed prior to the cleaning operation to ensure the safety and applicability of the detergent.
5.4.1.9 Identification of allergy patient and weak human beings
Allergy patients or vulnerable human being in hospital, kindergarten, baby nursing homes and senior
nursing centres. Less chemical detergent usage for least residue, no residue, and inactivation shall have
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ISO/TS 21868:2022(E)
to be considered. For allergy patients, the relative allerg
...

TECHNICAL ISO/TS
SPECIFICATION 21868
Second edition
Textile floor coverings — State of the
art on maintenance and cleaning
Revêtements de sol textiles — Etat de l'art relatives à l'entretien et au
nettoyage
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
Reference number
ISO/TS 21868:2022(E)
© ISO 2022

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ISO/TS 21868:2022(E)
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT
© ISO 2022
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
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ISO/TS 21868:2022(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Maintenance . 2
4.1 General . 2
4.2 Maintenance plan . 2
5 Cleaning . 3
5.1 General . 3
5.2 The principle of cleaning . 3
5.3 Personnel training . 3
5.4 Cleaning Steps . 3
5.4.1 Identification . 3
5.4.2 Formulating a cleaning programme . 6
5.4.3 Inspection of equipment . 6
5.4.4 Protection of surroundings, the environment and human beings. 6
5.5 Inspection of cleaning results and relevant standards . 7
5.5.1 Evaluation of external quality of cleaning . 7
5.5.2 Evaluation of internal quality of cleaning . 7
Annex A (informative) Method of maintenance and cleaning . 8
Bibliography .15
iii
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ISO/TS 21868:2022(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 219, Floor coverings.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO/TS 21868:2021), which has been
technically revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— clarifications to the terms and definitions were added;
— clarifications to the requirements were added;
— Table 1 “Fibre identification burn test” was deleted.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
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ISO/TS 21868:2022(E)
Introduction
This document is designed for legislators, related enterprise associations, textile floor coverings
manufacturers, and textile floor covering maintenance and cleaning enterprises to develop their own
specific textile floor covering maintenance or/and cleaning standards or procedures in accordance
with the local conditions. Due to diversity of different regions in climates, customs and developing
levels in the world, it is extremely difficult to create a specific textile floor covering maintenance and
cleaning standard as a template which is globally workable. In addition, the factors which impact the
result of cleaning are so abundant and the combinations of these factors so tremendous that particular
programmes are necessary to acquire the best result of textile floor covering cleaning.
This guidance standard manages to list all the factors which affect the final results of cleaning, against
which legislators, relative enterprises associations and textile floor covering maintenance and cleaning
enterprises are able to establish the above-mentioned particular programmes (procedures or criteria)
in their standards accordingly. Therefore, this standard is not intended to be used by end-users to
perform any specific maintenance and cleaning jobs.
This comprehensive guidance standard is intended to pave the way for legislators and related enterprise
associations to establish specific standards for:
— regulating the development of the textile floor covering cleaning industry,
— promoting the development of the textile floor covering cleaning detergent and equipment industry,
— improving textile floor covering cleaning techniques, and
— improving sales of textile floor coverings,
since specific textile floor covering maintenance and cleaning standards are still absent in most nations.
NOTE The term "textile floor coverings" applies to wall-to-wall carpets, broadloom carpets, rugs, mat and
tile carpets.
v
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION ISO/TS 21868:2022(E)
Textile floor coverings — State of the art on maintenance
and cleaning
1 Scope
This document gives guidelines for the development of specific textile floor covering maintenance and
cleaning standards, procedures and criteria to reflect local specific conditions. This document specifies
the factors which will impact the final results of textile floor covering cleaning, defining maintenance
and cleaning terms to highlight differences. It establishes textile floor covering maintenance and
cleaning as achieving a low-cost, non-residue and environmentally friendly cleaning under the premise
of maximizing the use value of textile floor covering.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
soil
any matter that is foreign to the construction of the textile floor covering
Note 1 to entry: Soil includes spill, spot, stain, and residue.
3.2
spill
wet, dry, oily or combination states of matter that are accidentally deposited on the textile floor covering
Note 1 to entry: Depending on the composition of the spill, quick response time and cleaning procedures can
assist in minimizing the probability of a spill becoming a spot or a stain.
3.3
spot
foreign material on the surface of a fibre, usually changing the texture of the fibre
EXAMPLE Sticky, oily, greasy, stiff.
Note 1 to entry: Spots can usually be removed. However, some spots, if left untreated for too long, can become
stains.
3.4
stain
indication of the addition of colour, frequently in liquid or pigment form that has been strongly attracted
to the textile floor covering fibre
Note 1 to entry: This added dye or pigment can bind to a dye site and actually alter the structure of the fibre. Not
all stains respond positively to removal efforts.
1
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ISO/TS 21868:2022(E)
3.5
residue
the foreign materials left in the cleaned textile floor coverings, which is originated from the detergents
3.6
interim cleaning
removal of topical appearance soil from textile flooring and return of the textile floor covering to a dry
and usable state within a short period of time
3.7
restorative cleaning
thorough removal of soil both on the textile floor covering surface and embedded within the textile
floor covering construction
4 Maintenance
4.1 General
Maintenance is the protection of textile floor coverings, vacuuming and timely removal of spills and
dust which can be operated by non-professionals. Textile floor covering maintenance requires a user to
develop a maintenance programme, which can be provided with the help of the textile floor covering
manufacturer or provided or assisted by a contracted textile floor covering cleaner.
The significance of textile floor covering maintenance is that it is the first key step in extending the
service life of the textile floor covering, and the simplest and most economical and effective means of
preventing the textile floor covering from being soiled.
4.2 Maintenance plan
The maintenance plan shall include:
— Laying of door mats, which are for scraping soil and absorbing moisture. Pay attention to the length
of door mats to prevent people from stepping over them. If necessary, a reminder for scraping shoes
is recommended in case the door mat is too small.
— Timely removal of spills.
— Division of the textile floor coverings regions based on varying traffic frequency and varying
functions to formulate a vacuum cycle accordingly.
— Protection of the textile floor coverings during the laying and maintenance of other flooring
materials and furniture nearby.
— Provision of temporary or permanent convenient bins and ashtrays in special function areas.
— Controlling the dehumidification equipment to maintain the necessary dryness to prevent the room
from developing mildew.
The maintenance plan is a program for end-users to follow in order to keep the textile floor coverings
in good conditions and pave the way for necessary cleaning. For residential use textile floor coverings,
it shall be provided by manufacturers. For commercial use textile floor coverings, it shall be discussed
and, when customizing the textile floor coverings with the assistance of the textile floor coverings
manufacturer or professional textile floor coverings cleaner, made to match the overall interior space
designing.
2
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ISO/TS 21868:2022(E)
5 Cleaning
5.1 General
Cleaning is the process of locating, identifying, containing, removing and properly disposing of soil,
performed by professionals with professional equipment and under standard programmes.
Cleaning requires professional personnel and equipment to be implemented in accordance with
professional programmes. Either interim cleaning or restorative cleaning, professional personnel,
professional equipment and conformant procedures are necessary. Cleaning is mostly likely to be
conducted by an independent service provider, either a professional cleaning service companies or
the manufacturers, other than the users, unless the user keeps a professional team with professional
equipment, cleaning agents and professional programs.
5.2 The principle of cleaning
The principles of cleaning are:
— Restoring the use value of textile floor coverings.
— Green environmental protection before and after cleaning.
— Having practices which are harmless to practitioners and users.
— Maintaining or restoring special properties attached to textile floor coverings: including but not
limited to fire proof post-treatment and anti-static post-treatment.
At the same time, it shall be clear that cleaning a textile floor covering is not to transform the textile
floor covering into a new one, but to remove the soil on the textile floor covering as completely as
possible, and if necessary, repairs may be performed. Even after professional cleaning, it is possible that
it will not be possible to reverse all damage due to permanent changes to colour or fibre.
5.3 Personnel training
Qualified and professional personnel are prerequisites for ensuring cleaning quality, cleaning
personnel safety and environmental protection. Cleaning personnel shall be professionally trained by a
professional company or organization before going on duty. The training shall cover not only cleaning,
but also textile floor covering quality, laying and repairing.
5.4 Cleaning Steps
5.4.1 Identification
5.4.1.1 General
Identification is the most important step in a textile floor covering cleaning process and a complete
identification of the factors which affect the cleaning result is required for the development of cleaning
standards or individual cleaning programmes.
5.4.1.2 Identification of textile floor covering appearance and defects
Observe the overall state of the textile floor covering appearance and search for defects. Locate the
spills, spots and stains. Ask the textile floor covering user about the textile floor covering laying time,
the time and manner of the previous cleanings, and ask the textile floor covering user for a textile floor
coverings maintenance programme and its relative execution record if the user has this, in order to
determine roughly how to clean it.
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5.4.1.3 Identification of textile floor covering laying quality
The laying quality defects mentioned below will directly lead to defects in cleaning results:
a) If the textile floor covering is not stretched tightly and results in surface wrinkles, during the
cleaning process, the textile floor covering surface can show watermark and shadow after cleaning
and even damage to part of the textile floor covering pile.
b) If the edge of the textile floor covering is unevenly trimmed, leading to burrs, during the cleaning
process, the pile can be pulled out, seriously damaging the textile floor covering.
c) If the textile floor covering is not fixed firmly, during the cleaning process, the textile floor covering
can shrink and cause crevices.
d) If the textile floor covering is not spliced strongly, the textile floor covering seam(s) will crack after
drying.
5.4.1.4 Identification of the textile floor covering surroundings
Identify adjacent furniture, equipment, floor coverings and the building itself to avoid any damage,
harm or electric shock when on-site cleaning is conducted.
5.4.1.5 Identification of climate and season
Identifying local climate and seasons is necessary to restore the qualified water content of the textile
floor covering after cleaning in time.
5.4.1.6 Identification of special textile floor covering function
Determine whether the textile floor covering has special functions in a functional area. Post-treatment
of fire-proof and anti-static functions shall be maintained or restored after cleaning. Special attention
shall be drawn to these special locations, such as laboratories, hospitals, workshops for electronic
devices and elevators, as well as certain special functional areas of a hotel. For example, static electricity
can damage elevators; being fire-proof can be a requirement for an area in a hotel where smoking is
permitted permanently or temporarily.
5.4.1.7 Identification of product quality
a) Ask textile floor covering users for product label(s) and cleaning instruction(s) from textile floor
covering(s) manufacturer(s).
b) Determine the material(s) of the textile floor covering pile, the type(s) of pile, the length of pile, the
pile weight.
c) Determine the structure of the textile floor covering formation: hand-knotted, hand-tufted, semi-
handmade, machine made, etc.
d) Determine whether the formation of textile floor coverings and the adhesive (if any) adapts to
washing, and the times of washing.
e) Determine the physical and chemical properties of the base materials.
f) Determine if there are post-treatments, such as fireproof post-treatment and/or anti-static post-
treatment, to ensure that cleaning does not compromise the special properties, or completely
restore these properties by reprocessing the post treatments.
5.4.1.8 Identification of the cleaning objectives
a) Appearance identification method: identify the material by observing the appearance of the soil,
for example: various food juices, paint stains, etc.
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b) Colour identification method: Identify the material by unique colour of the soil, such as ink, dye,
paint, blood stains, etc.
c) Sensory identification method: Identify the material by hand feeling and observation, such as sugar
stains and glue. This can rely on the accumulation of long-term experience and knowledge.
d) Location identification method: Identify soil based on its location.
e) Odour identification method: Identify soil based on the unique smell of soil, such as perfume, wine,
chewing gum, etc.
f) Chemical testing: For particularly expensive textile floor coverings, laboratory chemical methods
may be used for identification if necessary.
g) Ask for the customs of using textile floor covering; in case of close touch with human being,
especially with bare skin, inactivation is necessary.
h) Ask the user about the history of cleaning and identify whether it is necessary to remove the residue
from previous cleanings.
It is necessary to identify the states of soil according to the classification of the three types defined
above, i.e., spill, spot and stain. Spill, spot and stain removal chemicals shall be of a type that do not harm
textile floor coverings when used in accordance with the chemical manufacturer’s recommendations.
See Table 1 for the types of soil and the applicable detergent categories of disposal.
Table 1 — Soil guide
Acid Neutral Alkaline Citrus Enzyme Rust Dry
Oxidizer
Detergent Detergent Detergent Detergent Detergent Remover Vacuum
Blood ①    ②    ③
Browning
①  ②
(cellulosic)
Chewing gum  ①
Coffee ② ① ⑤ ④ ③
Cola ①  ②
Copler toner  ④ ①②③
Grease and oil  ①
Ice melt build up ②   ①
Ink (waterbased) ① ② ③
Marker  ① ②
Milk   ①
Mustard ② ① ④ ③
Nail polish ② ① ③
Paint (oil-based)  ① ②
Paint (latex) ② ①
Rust ②  ①
Urine ①  ③ ②
Vomit ① ③ ②
① Step One ② Step Two (if necessary) ③ Step Three (if necessary) ④ Step Four (if necessary) ⑤ Step Five (if necessary)
CAUTION: Textile floor covering cleaning and maintenance enterprises shall fix specific formula and concentration
after identifying product quality and cleaning objectives to ensure no harm to the textile floor covering, cleaning
practitioners and environment. If detergents are purchased from detergent suppliers, textile floor covering
cleaning and maintenance enterprises shall follow the instructions for that detergent. If necessary, a test on a
small part of the textile floor covering shall be performed prior to the cleaning operation to ensure the safety and
applicability of the detergent.
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5.4.1.9 Identification of allergy patient and weak human beings
Allergy patients or vulnerable human being in hospital, kindergarten, baby nursing homes and senior
nursing centres. Less chemical detergent usage for least residue, no residue, and inactivation shall have
to be considered. For allergy patients, the relative allergens shall be clarified before cleaning to avoid
exposure to any allergenic chemical detergent and/or thorough inactivation of the allergenic living
organism shall be carried out, to protect users' health and safety. No residue can be carried out by no
use of detergents but water.
5.4.1.10 Note and confirmation
The above identifications should be recorded. In particular, the results of laying quality defects and
other textile floor covering defect identifications as well as the results of soil identification shall be
confirmed by the textile floor covering user.
5.4.2 Formulating a cleaning programme
The programme for cleaning equipment, detergent, techniques and processes will be made based on the
aforementioned identification of textile floor covering appearance, laying quality, laying environments,
climates and seasons, textile floor coverings special functions, textile floor coverings qualities, type
of soil and allergy patients and vulnerable human beings. This document introduces existing cleaning
methods in the market for reference in Annex A.
Attention shall be drawn that not all cleaning methods mentioned in Annex A are suitable for all textile
floor coverings. Concerning the application of a specific cleaning process, follow the steps stipulated in
5.4.1.6 to avoid damage to the textile floor coverings.
However, this document does not constitute any endorsement of these methods. The maximum recovery
of textile floor coverings using good-value, low-cost, non-residue, green environmental cleaning
methods and processes is the future development direction identified by this document.
Textile floor covering fibres are chemically sensitive and are easily damaged by chemicals or excessive
agitation. Regardless of the cleaning of spots and stains, attention should be paid to the cleaning
method and chemical selection. Before starting the operation, select inconspicuous areas and conduct
small-scale trial tests on all materials and colours of textile floor covering pile to determine whether
the selected method and chemical substance is applicable.
Before cleaning operation, cleaning enterprises practitioners shall review the above-mentioned notes
to form a cleaning program including a checklist of key points to make sure no issue is forgotten,
especially the post-treatment (s) if it exists or they exist.
5.4.3 Inspection of equipment
Qualified and well-functioning equipment is necessary to ensure the safety of the cleaning process,
environmental protection and personnel safety as well as the cleaning results. Equipment testing
procedures shall follow the testing and usage procedures provided by the equipment manufacturer.
5.4.4 Protection of surroundings, the environment and human beings
Cleaning shall be in accordance with the following requirements:
— It shall not damage the quality of furniture, equipment, buildings or air quality in the textile floor
coverings furnishings space.
— Recycling and treatment of sewage shall not harm the environment.
— The detergent, waste water and waste gases produced in the cleaning process shall not be harmful
to the operators, nearby personnel and the following users.
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5.5 Inspection of cleaning results and relevant standards
5.5.1 Evaluation of external quality of cleaning
a) Appearance recovery: including colour recovery, pile direction recovery and original elastic
recovery, disappearance or significant reduction of soil.
b) Textile floor coverings integrity: no deformation, no shrinkage, no wrinkle, no cracks, no
watermark, no discoloration, no decolourization, no degumming, no odour, no pile shedding, no
hardening, no sticky feeling, no greasy feeling, no mildew and no pile direction mess.
5.5.2 Evaluation of internal quality of cleaning
a) The humidity shall be restored to 25 % at the latest 12 h after textile floor coverings cleaning to
prevent odour and mildew in indoor environments with humidity control.
b) The humidity of the environment shall also be restored to the level before the textile floor coverings
are cleaned for places where strict environmental humidity is required.
c) When detergents are applied in cleaning only a low amount of residue shall remain after cleaning,
meaning that the residue cannot be seen, felt, smelt, and is not obviously released when stepped on.
d) pH value varies from 4,0 to 7,5.
e) The post-treatment(s) of fireproof and/or antistatic shall be restored by new treatment(s) after
water cleaning. The practitioner of cleaning shall review the checklist to assure this job has been
done after cleaning.
f) Inactivation: The practitioner of cleaning shall review the checklist to assure this job will be done
before cleaning. Do not recommend a lab test in case the program of inactivation in the process of
cleaning is strictly followed and noted.
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Annex A
(informative)

Method of maintenance and cleaning
A.1 Dry vacuuming
Effective, routine vacuuming is required for good commercial textile floor covering performance, so
a proper vacuuming programme is essential in a well-designed maintenance programme. The most
important aspect of a vacuuming maintenance programme is identifying high, medium and low
traffic areas by continually monitoring textile floor covering performance and making any necessary
adjustments to the schedule.
To protect the indoor air quality, keep all indoor surfaces as clean as possible by vacuum cleaning
without putting dust back into the air. In selecting
...