When it comes to maintaining a carpet pad, it’s important to consider everything including what’s under it.
A lot of people will only look at the surface of the carpet pad and call it a day.
This is the wrong way to go about things because a lot of the issues can happen underneath. This is why figuring out what is the black stuff under the carpet pad becomes important.
The black stuff under a carpet pad can be mold or small rubber pieces from previous carpet padding. To fix the issue, turn over the pad, scrape the black stuff off, and discard it. If there’s a leak, find the source and remove it to get rid of the mold.
Moisture build-up is rare and it should not be the first thing you consider. However, it is something to keep in mind.
In most cases, it is going to be old carpet padding that has been stripped away once the new one was installed.
Just get rid of the black stuff under the carpet pad to take care of the problem.
Here is more on what to do when there is black stuff under a carpet pad and how to make sure it’s removed safely.
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How To Remove Black Stuff Under Carpet Pad
1. Turn Over The Carpet Pad
Dirt under a carpet pad or even rubber is common.
You have to look at what the black stuff is before deciding on what to do next. This can only be done when you flip over the carpet pad to see what’s going on.
It’s common for a lot of people to not even look at the carpet pad.
Take your time, flip over the carpet pad, and see how much of the black stuff is there. You can often tell how bad a situation is by doing this.

2. Check for Moisture Or A Leak
Once you have flipped over a carpet pad, it’s time to look at what’s going on.
This includes searching for mold under a carpet pad.
If it is mold, you will realize it’s going to have a more moist texture to it. This is far different from a more rough, rubbery texture of leftover carpet padding.
It is also important to consider a potential leak that is causing moisture to come under the carpet pad.
You can even touch the floor to see if that is the case. In other situations, the leak might be visible from afar.
If it’s a leak, you have to fix that issue first.
If it’s not a leak, you can move on to the next stuff as it is likely leftover carpet padding.
3. Scrape Away The Black Stuff
If there is black foam under an old carpet, it is likely due to the carpet padding leaving black stuff behind.
This is common when you switch out carpet pads.
Your goal here is going to be simple.
Just flip over the carpet pad and begin scraping off the black stuff. Nothing should be sticking to the bottom of the carpet pad once you are done.
You can use anything sharp to get rid of the black stuff under a carpet pad. This should not take a long time but you have to be diligent throughout the cleaning process.

4. Remove Black Debris
When you are done scraping the black rubber from under a carpet pad, just get rid of it using a vacuum cleaner.
You can also sweep it away if that is the way you want to go.
The black stuff is harmless if it is old, rubber pieces. In this case, just tossing away the rubber pieces will get the job done and take care of the issue immediately.
Final Thoughts
This is how you fix the black stuff under a carpet pad.
If there is black stuff under a carpet pad, it is likely leftover rubber pieces from old carpet padding. In rare cases, it can be mold that is caused due to a leak under the carpet pad. To fix the issue, check for moisture underneath. If there’s no moisture, scrape the black stuff away and remove it.
This is all you need to do to get rid of the problem.
Please note that if there is water damage, you will have to fix the leak as soon as possible. You can wash the carpet pad later.
This will take care of the problem and ensure the carpet padding is safe.
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