[John Geurkink]

http://www.icsmag.com/articles/91691-atp-testing-determining-conditions-and-verifying-cleanliness?v=preview

However, why it is only about water damage contamination clarifications. Proving that you have sanitized or removed the organic material be it bacteria and/or fungal growth or testing the environment to see if supports potential for additional growth.

But why not for carpet cleaning?
BEM and NASA has already set the protocols and sampling standards.
Bio-revealŪ testing system can provide quality assurance to the cleaning of carpeting or restoration process as well as post restoration verification testing for carpet decontamination or cleaning.
This carpet testing guideline was developed by BEM Corp. with the cooperation of and field tested use by NASA at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Ohio.
Bio-reveal is a registered trademark of Building Environmental Management Corporation, Tel: 866-989-5567, Fax: 651-286-2665 www.bio-reveal.com Interpretation of Bio-reveal Sampling Results
BIO-REVEAL INTERPRETATION
FOR CARPET TESTING
Guideline for Surface Sampling of Carpet Building Materials
Includes Initial Assessments, Cleaning & Post Restoration Verification Testing
of Carpet Building Materials
(Surface samples are collected using the Bio-reveal Ultrasnap swab from indoor environmental carpet building materials)

Sampled Surface Condition
(Biological Contamination) Bio-reveal Surface
Sampling Result
(RLU)* Interpretation
Result
Relatively Clean or
Uncompromised Carpet Materials < 100 PASS
(ACCEPTABLE)
Moderately Soiled or
Potentially Contaminated Carpet Materials > 101 and < 300 CAUTION
(PASSING BUT DIRTY)
Heavily Soiled or
Likely Compromised Carpet Materials > 300 FAIL
(NOT ACCEPTABLE)   

We have completed 13 tests so far, using different types of pads, products and even cleaning with just plain water, the tests are very consistent and give us hope for how to rate the extent of "clean" a company is providing.
I will tell you this, when doing the testing and videoing of it, the people we very interested and impressed. "IF" this works out to be as accurate as it appears to be at this point, this could be huge on securing large commercial contracts.

[John Kelly]

John we already sell a lot of ATP meters. Some guys have been using this on commercial contracts for a while now.

[John Geurkink]

For carpet cleaning?

[John Kelly]

Yes

[Paul Moss]

These meters can only measure protiens. They cant measure levels of bacteria.

[John Geurkink]

The Bio-reveal system can provide  the IEP investigator the ability to determine the contamination hygiene level of surfaces or building materials for viable (living) biological matter (bacteria and mold), biofilms and related organic materials.

[Paul Moss]

John to do this you have to take samples and then build cultures, this takes several hours , no machine can take a sample and tell you what its instantly.

[John Geurkink]

ATP is a molecule found in and around living cells, and as such it gives a direct measure of biological concentration and health. ATP is quantified by measuring the light produced through its reaction with the naturally occurring firefly enzyme luciferase using a luminometer. The amount of light produced is directly proportional to the amount of living organisms present in the sample.

ATP tests can be used to:

Control biological treatment reactors
Guide biocide dosing programs
Determine drinking water cleanliness
Manage fermentation processes
Assess soil activity
Determine corrosion / deposit process type
Measure equipment or product sanitation

[John Kelly]

adenosine triphosphate as you say is a molecule found in living cells. However it does not have to be a living cell. ATP can also be found in constituents of many things which have come from living things such as sugars.
All the test tells you is the level of ATP on the surface and whether that surface has contamination which can support microbial growth. Basically if it has been cleaned properly.

[Paul Moss]

Bacteria  and virus are present every where around us (air borne).
Once a carpet has been cleaned it is moist and if the ph is right then bacteria are again free to multiply.

You cannot get rid of all germs it is impossible, so in my eyes these machines are a waste of money.

At the end of the day customers want a clean carpet and visibaly clean... Once somebody walks on them off the street then they are contaminated straight way.
We clean something that is layed on the floor and walked on.

[John Kelly]

Paul, its called arse watching. Some establishments require everything documented and certificated. You do the test immediately after the clean and give a clearance reading. If the carpets contaminated again in 10 minutes nobody gives a hoot.