Once again this year, I will be teaching the House Cleaning Technicians course to kick off the Association of Residential Cleaning Services International (ARCSI) convention in Las Vegas.  This certification is provided by the Institute for Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), the largest certifying body in the cleaning industry.  This will be one of the larger classes with students coming from all over the country, representing both large and small companies.  Even though this course was only first offered to the public beginning in early 2012, already we have served over 200 registrants.  The strong and growing response shows that cleaning professionals are increasingly eager to get technical education to adequately care for the many new surfaces and finishes that are coming onto the market.

When we started cleaning over 20 years ago, cleaning was simpler.  We had carpet, tile, laminate countertops, vinyl flooring and polyurethane-finished wood floors to deal with.  Even then, there were a few unusual surfaces you could mess up, but today’s newer surfaces have become much less ‘bullet proof’.  Even the polyurethane type finishes in use today are more delicate than their precursors.  IICRC Certification allows customers to know that their cleaners have taken the time and effort to stay up on the changing landscape of surfaces and their finishes.  IICRC certified firms have made a commitment to continuing education.  Look for the IICRC logo, you’ll be seeing it more and more.