Carpets are reservoirs of health hazard particulates including mold spores, dust mites, and animal hair. These particulates are allergenic to some people when inhaled. Mold spores are very tiny and easily become airborne when the carpet is disturbed as people walk in the house or when the carpet is being cleaned.
Cleaning the carpet with a good vacuum cleaner on regular basis significantly reduces the number of settled mold spores and other particulates. In fact there is no need to test carpets for mold if they are well maintained.
Carpets can be tested for:
- Settled mold spores
- Mold growth.
To test a carpet for settled spores a dust sample is required. Dust can be collected from an area of 1 square meter. It’s important to ensure that enough dust is collected to enable the laboratory perform both culture analysis and direct microscopic examination of the dust.
When is it necessary to test a carpet for mold growth? You can test a carpet for mold growth following water damage if the carpet was not completely dried within 48 hours. This test may involve cutting a piece of carpet from the affected area and sending it to the laboratory for testing.