Carpets serve as a reservoir for settled mold and bacteria spores, dust, lead, dust mite allergens and other chemical and biological contaminants. These contaminants, a major cause of respiratory problems, become airborne when the carpet is disturbed, for example during vacuum cleaning with an ordinary vacuum cleaning machine. The particle size of these contaminants is small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs.
The best way to test for mold and bacteria in carpets is to collect dust and send it to a lab for culturing. Swabs could also be used but they may not work very well on some types of carpets.
For more information on how to test for mold and bacteria from carpets and other surfaces, please contact Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories by phone at (905) 290-9101.