We have reviewed the best mold kit for home. If you are in a hurry, the table below gives a quick snapshot of the top 5
Contents
What is Mold?
Have you been finding an unpleasant rotten smell in your house during the humid season? You might just have mold!
Mold is a kind of fungus that can be found both indoors and outdoors. Whether it is cold and damp during winters and monsoons, or hot and humid during summers, mold can survive in either. They can travel by air or reach your home by sticking onto someone’s feet. You can recognize them as a rough and fuzzy appearance that feels slippery while touching.
There are several mold kits for home use that can help you detect their presence. But before we do anything, do molds actually create a health hazard?
How Are Molds Harmful?
Many of us presume that molds are just a mess that can be cleaned, and they don’t really cause any damage. That is not the case. They are also bad for your health.
As mentioned earlier, molds can enter your home through air. Even when settled under the sink or behind your favorite showpiece, they can still be lingering in the air creating multiple health hazards for you and your family.
Molds can increase the volume of air particles that, when entering the human body, can block and irritate the lungs and nose. They can be toxic to sensitive people, especially those who have asthma. Serious breathing problems may occur due to molds.
Not only that, but people may also have to face various allergies and other inflammatory diseases that may prove to be fatal for those with weak immune systems.
You may also like Best Covers and Protectors for Chairs, Recliner, and Sofas
Can You Get Rid Of Mold?
Thankfully, there are methods to eradicate mold. The first step, however, is to identify that your house has it. In order to locate the mold and eventually get rid of it, we have created this list of best mold kits for home.
What Should You Look For Before Buying a Mold Test Kit for the Home?
Many online and offline stores possess a range of mold detection kits. It can be pretty confusing to select the right one for you, because of such a wide range. We have created below a buyer’s guide that helps to make your decision easier.
Method of Testing
Molds can be present in the air without you even noticing it. Hence the mold detection kit must be competent enough to catch even the tiniest trace of mold spores. There are three testing methods for the same.
- Instant checking– This is a simple procedure wherein the chemical strip is used. The strip is placed in the corner of your home susceptible to the fungus and then mixed in a neutral liquid. Some color changes happen due to the presence of molds. You may have to connect with a laboratory later to determine the kind of mold and ways to eradicate them.
- Test the air– Mold can be present in the air too. In that case, test stripes may not be able to help with testing. Hence, air testing kits will be used. These are test cassettes that collect spores from the air and are then sent to the laboratory to determine the presence of molds. The air test is one of the most expensive kinds of mold test kits available and believed to be the most accurate and delivers instant results.
- Petri dishes– This is also another kind of mold testing method that collects samples from the air. It is left outside for a few hours, and mold gets trapped in the sticky surface. Later the user incubates the strip. If the mold grows within a week, it is sent to the lab for expert analysis and methods to get rid of it.
You may also like Best Commercial Dehumidifiers for Home Use
Kinds of Mold Tests
All these testing methods can come in various types. Some may have tape strips, swabs, or chemical strips. Each has a distinctive way of functioning. However, they work according to the condition of your home.
- Tape strips– They are best suited to dry surfaces. There is one sticky side that is gently pressed onto the surface that needs to be checked. If there is mold, it gets stuck to the tape, which is then stored in a bag and sent to the lab.
- Swabs– These are used when the mold is visible. It is rubbed onto the surface and then sent to the lab for further analysis.
- Chemical strips-When you use strips, the results are instant; however, they sometimes lack accuracy. You should follow-up with something reliable after using them.
Ease of Use
Now that you can determine the test method and type to use, it is also crucial to inspect its process. The mold kit should be easy to use. It must be carried out within a few steps and shouldn’t confuse the user.
Accuracy
Apart from ease of usage, the test must be accurate. There are many kinds of molds present in our homes. The test kit must be accurate enough to capture all of these.
Accreditation
An efficient mold test kit is accredited to recognized organizations. They are quick, accurate and can track maximum species of molds. Inspect the efficiency of the mold kit before investing in one.
Customer Support
Better customer care is an added benefit of the best mold kit for home. Sometimes it may not be easy to understand the instructions, or users may also freak out about what to do after collecting the mold. In all these cases having reliable customer support from the company can help the user. You can connect with them whenever there are hurdles and get rid of molds efficiently.
By now, you might be having a clear idea of what to purchase to trace the mold in your home. Here are the best five test kits that we have selected through extensive research.
You may also like Best Portable Air Conditioners For Large Rooms
#1 First Alert MT1 Mold Detection Kit
The First Alert MT1 Mold Detection Kit arrives in a well-sealed pack that contains test materials, an instruction manual, and an envelope that is preprinted to return for lab tests. Test materials comprise 6 test tapes, test cards, and three poly bags for you to pack the card and return to the lab.
The test kit can identify multiple kinds of molds, and it can also test up to nine different locations in your home or outside. It is a trusted device due to its NIOSH certification. Also, the laboratory results take no more than 5 to 7 days. Hence, you can take apt measures to remove mold once the type is determined.
The product also comes with a 5-year warranty that helps customers in many ways. A minimum amount of $15 will allow the customers to get test card checked extensively for the kind of mold.
Pros
- Comes with complete materials, manual and a preprinted return envelope
- Can test many kinds of molds
- Test results are available within 5 to 7 days
- Affordable
- 5-year warranty by the company
Cons
- The manual is difficult to understand for all
- Customer support is also not the best
You may also like Best Giant Bean Bag Chairs
#2 Mold Armor FG500
This is an excellent mold test kit to determine spores in the air. You can use it to test the air quality both indoors and outdoors. After using the mold test kit, the results are visible in a short span of 48 hours.
The mold armor FG500 mold test kit is the best option if you only doubt there is a fungus but couldn’t find any since it can capture unseen spores from the air. In this kit, you will find a swab, mold growth medium, and Petri dish of the best quality.
In case you have pets and kids in the house, it is vital to make them stay away from the kit, but if unfortunately, they come in contact, do not fret as it is safe to use. After sending the sample to the laboratory, the accurate results will be delivered within three weeks.
Pros
- Tests for unseen molds
- Checks air quality both indoors and outdoors
- Results in 48 hours
- Safe to use around kids and pets
- Checks for both airborne and surface molds
Cons
- The lab tests are very costly
- There is a lag in response from the customer care team
You may also like Best Radon Test Kits
#3 Healthful Home 5-Minute Mold Test
The mold test kit works on the lateral flow assay technology that is tested to be the best in mold determination. It is patented by the US PHS, has EPA license, and boasts of an AIHA accreditation. This much should be enough to trust in the mold kit for home.
It detects not only mold but also the allergy-causing microbes in your home. Also, the entire process takes up only 5 minutes out of your precious time. The 3 step process is certified to test even the most sensitive mold and allergen. Not only that, but you will also get expert consultation at each step to make the process easier.
The kit contains a test pen, rapid test, and collection swab. Enclosed are an instruction manual and also directions to find video instructions on the website. The product also carries a sixty-day warranty.
The video below shows how to use Healthful Home 5-Minute Mold Test.
Pros
- Detects minute molds and allergens
- AIHA accredited mold kit
- Works on the advanced lateral flow assay technology
- Easy to use and accurate three-step process
- Sixty-day warranty
Cons
- The instruction manual has vague directions
- The lab test costs very high when compared to others.
You may also like Best Recliner Chairs for Seniors
#4 DIY Mold Test
The best point about this DIY Mold test for home use is that it is effortless to use and safe around pets and kids. The quick start guide included with the kit provides instructions that are very easy to follow. One can quickly set it up to rest the molds at home.
It tests for molds and mycotoxins at your home and can trace even the minutest of them. A full booklet with the usage direction can guide you with all the doubts. There is three tape lift for surface tests that highly effective to track down the molds.
When you purchase the product, you already pay for the lab test. The only thing needed will be the shipping cost. Also, the experts at the lab are more than happy to help people with the usage of the kit and also will answer all your queries during the testing session.
Pros
- An extremely easy to use a DIY kit
- Tests for molds and mycotoxins
- Exceptional customer service
- Easy to follow quick start guide and instruction booklet
- Lab fees included when buying the kit
Cons
- Doesn’t test for airborne spores
- There is no return envelope
You may also like Best Whole-Home Humidifiers
#5 My Mold Detective MMD103
My mold detective MMD103 tests for the air quality of your home. It can detect even the sensitive spores that cause problems to human health. The test is accurate and works within 5 minutes of switching it on.
The kit contains four air sample cassettes, one air sampling pump, out of which one is used for outdoor sampling, and others are for the indoor molds. There is also a surface sampling, one mailing envelope, and an instruction booklet with detailed guidance to the process.
The kit not just detects airborne molds but also depicts their concentration levels. Also, it arrived with a 30-day warranty against any defects. The laboratory is AIHA accredited and proved precise color-coded results for easy understanding.
Pros
Pros
- A quick process that provides result in 5 minutes
- Easy to understand instruction manual
- The lab results take three business days
- AIHA accredited
- Tracks airborne
Cons
Cons
- The lab test costs extremely high
- The mold kit in itself is expensive
Conclusion
Tracking molds is a crucial step at keeping yourself and your family safe from breathing issues and allergies. You must conduct these at regular intervals, especially before buying a home or renting the place.
In our opinion, the “Healthful Home 5-Minute Mold Test” is the best choice among the various options that we have considered, because of its trustable licenses and the ability to track down not only molds but also allergens at home. Also, the lateral flow assay technology that they use is a trusted one and used in most of the best labs.
If you are looking for a value for money option, you can also consider the “Mold Armor FG500”, which offers great value at a reasonable price point.
