ABOUT US
The Carpet Buyers Handbook is a hobby site. We do not sell carpet! We no longer work in the carpet industry! This is a non-profit site and we do not receive commissions or charge fees for the sale of any carpet that may be purchased from our 
carpet wholesaler site partners. The Carpet Buyers Handbook is the # 1 Ranked Carpet Site on the WWW in both daily visitors and page views. We offer a no charge carpet answer forum by email to all site visitors, who are in need of carpet assistance.
This site has been designed and created by Michael Hilton, Rocky Face, GA. Michael spent 20 years in the carpet industry as a Manufacturer's Representation, Technical Manager for the Carpet and Rug Institute, and Technical Manager for a commercial carpet manufacturer.
Our Mailing Address:
The Carpet Buyers Handbook Online, LLC.
P.O. Box 1231
214 West Lake Drive
Rocky Face, GA 30740
Phone 706-463-2168
Fax 706-217-2743
The information contained within this site is the result of applied scientific research during Michael's tenure as Technical Manager. The Carpet Buyers Handbook has been designed to be used as a carpet resource site and an unbiased source of unbiased, science-based carpet information.
Much of the information contained herein could not be published while employed within the carpet industry because the negatives, as well as the positives, of carpet are presented with equal enthusiasm. While we believe that carpet remains the best all-around flooring value.
Michael T. Hilton served in the Cleaning and Maintenance Division of the Technical Services Department of the Carpet and Rug Institute from May 1993 - 1999.
The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) is the national trade association for the carpet and rug industry. Headquartered in 
Dalton, Georgia, the manufacturers representing 95% of all carpet produced in the United States, and suppliers to the industry such as fiber producers, machinery manufacturers, spinning mills, and dye and finishing operations. The wide range of assembled information and expertise provides a voice for the industry and a focal point for issue discussion.
During this period, Michael assisted members and consumers with information pertaining to carpet maintenance, indoor air quality, spot removal, carpet selection, fibers, and other consumer issues. He managed all Carpet Industry indoor environmental testing for carpet in schools.
Michael directed the CRI Cleaning and Maintenance Committee, the CRI School Maintenance Committee, the IAQ Technical Steering committee, the Vacuum Cleaner Testing Committee, and the CRI Claims Committee. He was responsible for all industry IAQ field testing in schools.
Mr. Hilton authored CRI’s “Floor Covering Maintenance for School Facilities”, the CRI “Carpet and Rug Care Guide”, and the CRI “Carpet and Rug Spot Removal Guide” that can be obtained through CRI’s Publication Department or through CRI’s web site (carpet-rug.com). He authors, on a continuous basis, newspaper and magazine articles and one page technical mailers which include: Kawasaki Syndrome Facts, Flood Damaged Carpet, Dust Mite Facts, Floorcoverings and Concrete Balcony Deterioration, Selecting a Carpet Cleaning Professional, Carpet Cushion, Filtration Soiling, Consumer Resource Listing of Independent Labs for Carpet Testing, and many others.
Mr. Hilton was affiliated with the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration (IICRC) and served as an IICRC Certification Board Member, Certified Senior inspector, Carpet Cleaning Technician, and Commercial Carpet Cleaning Technician. He was a contributor to the IICRC “Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration S500-94”. Mr. Hilton is affiliated with the School Plant Managers Association (FSPMA) and was a past member of the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) Vacuum Cleaner committee.
Prior to his affiliation with CRI, Mr. Hilton taught Marketing and Advertising at Dalton High School located in Dalton, Georgia. Mr. Hilton joined SalemCarpets, then Shaw Industries as a Sales Representative. He held the position of District Manager and Territory Manager for seven (7) years prior to joining the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Technical Services Department as Technical Manager and Cleaning and Maintenance Coordinator.
During his tenure at CRI, he addressed the following critical carpet industry issues;
Ø IAQ in schools – Nationwide look at the state of our schools in regard to IAQ
Ø IAQ symptoms and possible causes – Biologicals, Particulates and VOC’s
Ø IAQ and humidity – The catalyst for biological growth
Ø Searching for biologicals and where you find them
Ø When should fungal levels in a school become a concern
Ø Moisture and biological growth
Ø Flooring and allergic reactions – A Swedish study
Ø Flooring and Asthma – a Norwegian study
Ø Is carpet maintenance effective in removing biological growth?
Ø Fungi in carpet and airborne fungi
Ø Allergen in carpet dust vs. airborne allergen – Should you be concerned?
Ø Airborne particulates – A flooring comparison
Ø VOC’s – Comparing chemical emissions and various flooring options
Ø CRI IAQ Program vs. Washington state recommendations
Ø CRI IAQ Testing Program for Vacuum Cleaners
Mr. Hilton received a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing with minors in education and biology from the University of Georgia.
After leaving The Carpet & Rug Institute, Michael became Technical Manager for C&A Floorcoverings with oversight of product care and field claims relating to care and product performance. During this tenure with C&A Floorcoverings;
