Standards Spiff Up the Place during Spring Cleaning

Shifting winter clothes into storage and bringing out spring and summer apparel is a common part of spring cleaning for many people. While well-organized individuals make sure to clean and dry their seasonal clothes before packing them away, some people will find that they need to launder their spring outfits and footwear before they can be worn. A standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) sets down test methods for evaluating the washability of shoes in a standard home washing machine, providing insight for what to expect when washing your footwear at home. ISO 19954:2003, Footwear -- Test methods for whole shoe -- Washability in a domestic washing machine, was developed by ISO TC 216, Footwear; ASTM International currently serves as the ANSI-accredited U.S. TAG administrator for ISO TC 216.

For many Americans, spring cleaning isn't complete until their lawn is as tidy as their home. If that describes you, an American National Standard (ANS) developed by ANSI-accredited standards developer and organizational member the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute has you covered: ANSI B71.1-2012, Consumer Turf Care Equipment - Pedestrian-Controlled Mowers and Ride-On Mowers - Safety Specifications, provides safety specifications for a variety of grass-cutting devices, including ride-on mowers, garden tractors with mower attachments, and pedestrian-controlled lawn mowers. The standard is aimed at domestic use by consumers and is intended to help operators maintain uniform operator environments.

Thanks to standards, carrying out your annual spring cleaning can be safe, easy, and effective, giving you more time to enjoy the warm weather and excitement of spring.