How Do I Test My Carpet for Bacteria? Carpet is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. It’s dark, it’s warm, it’s dense, and all those little fibers serve as a food source for microbes.

And if you have kids in diapers, the situation is undoubtedly worse: they always seem to be crawling around on the floor licking their hands and other people’s faces because they’re too small to understand that most surfaces aren’t edible.

Ways you can test your carpet for bacteria.

1. Smell Your Carpet to See if It Has a Musty Odor

If the odor is foul, it means mold growth. Mold is often a sign that bacteria may also be present, so you must get rid of all contaminated spots immediately to prevent major problems. The best course of action is always to contact a professional carpet cleaning service to do the job for you. In the meantime, there are steps you can take to reduce contamination in your carpet.

You can also rub a cotton ball into the carpet and look at it under high magnification; you should be able to see bacteria in this way. Alternatively, you could use a black light or UV light (like one used for checking faucets) and see if it illuminates any spots on your carpet. If any are visible, you can then follow up with a professional cleaning.

2. Put a Toothpick in Your Carpet to See If It Comes Out Sticky

Testing for bacterial contamination is a bit like fishing for gold nuggets. You might have to use several different types of equipment—both biological and mechanical—to find the bacteria that are present in your carpet and remedy them to prevent the spread of infection.

One piece of equipment that works well for this purpose is called a KOH (potassium hydroxide) test. This test is also used in other types of testing and can be purchased at health food stores, hardware stores, and even grocery stores.

KOH is a strong alkaline that you add to water, which then neutralizes the acid (bacteria) in the water. You can then use this solution to test for bacteria by putting it on an item (such as a toothpick) and seeing if it comes out when you tap it on your carpet. If it does, it means there are bacteria present in the carpet. You can then follow up with a professional cleaning.

3. Smell Your Carpet to See if It Has a Musty Odor

If the odor is foul, it means mold growth. Mold is often a sign that bacteria may also be present, so you must get rid of all contaminated spots immediately to prevent major problems. The best course of action is always to contact a professional cleaning service to do the job for you. In the meantime, there are steps you can take to reduce contamination in your carpet.

You can also rub a cotton ball into the carpet and look at it under high magnification; you should be able to see bacteria in this way. Alternatively, you could use a black light or UV light (like one used for checking faucets) and see if it illuminates any spots on your carpet. If any are visible, you can then follow up with a professional cleaning.

4. Test Carpet for Bacteria with the Fold Test

The fold test is a simple way to check for contamination in fabric.

To perform this test:

• Look at your carpet from an up-close distance and look for spots that have crinkled over time. They’ll usually be near the edges of the carpet where it’s likely to get stepped on or otherwise have a lot of traffic. These crinkled spots are an indication that there are bacteria present in your carpet.

• Place a folded piece of paper below the spot, and then bend down to look at it from an up-close distance. If the paper turns pink (a common indicator of bacterial contamination), this means there are bacteria present in your carpet.

• Repeat the above 2 steps for other spots until you’re certain that all of them have been checked.

• You may also want to do a test for mold as well. If you’re not sure, contact a professional carpet cleaning service to do the test for you. If there’s mold present, you need to follow up with an immediate professional cleaning.

5. Test Your Carpet for Mold with a Hydrogen Peroxide Test

To perform this test:

• Mix one part hydrogen peroxide (also known as 3% hydrogen peroxide or 3%) with nine parts water, and then apply it to your carpet.

• Use a solution of 1 part hydrogen peroxide and 9 parts water. Pour it over your carpet. Use a clean white cloth to dab the solution, and then observe what happens. If the carpet looks brighter, then it’s likely that there’s mold present in your carpet. If this is the case, you need to follow up with an immediate professional cleaning.

You may also be able to do this test with a black light or UV light (like the one used for checking faucets).

6. Look On Your Carpet for Any Black, Green, or White Growth

The appearance of black, green, or white growth on your carpet is an indication that there are bacteria (and possibly mold) present in the carpet. If this is the case, you should follow up with a professional cleaning right away.

If you can scrape off the growth with a fingernail, then it’s likely that it’s just mold growth and not an indication of bacterial contamination. In this case, as long as you dry all surfaces thoroughly and clean your carpet regularly going forward, it shouldn’t be an issue again.

7. Look Underneath Your Carpet for Mold Growth

Mold growth is generally easier to see underneath your carpet than on top of it because there’s less light. Mold can grow anywhere in your home, but it’s a good idea to check in the corners and along the edges of any carpeting you have.

If the mold is bright or dark green or white, then it’s likely an indication that there are bacteria present in your carpet (and possibly elsewhere). In this case, you should follow up with a professional cleaning right away.

There are a few ways to check for mold in your carpet. If you can smell any bad odor coming from your carpet, then there may be mold present. If there’s mold present, you need to follow up with an immediate professional cleaning.