Test For Mold In The Home By Using A DIY Home Test Kit
A DIY home test kit can be used to test-for-mold in your home and provide you with the peace of mind in knowing that there is no toxic black mold to cause serious health problems. However, mould removal should be your priority job if there are already visible signs of mold in the home.
Since all kinds of mold can cause allergic reactions in certain people, such as bronchitis, asthma and hay fever, mold and mildew removal is always advisable no matter what type of fungi is present. To test for mold in the home these DIY kits can let you check if there are mold spores in the air and the various surfaces, such as walls, ceilings, floors, sidings, roofs and others.
In a number of cases, you do not even have to test for mold to know that you have mold colonies in the home because there are obvious signs, such as an unpleasant musty odor, dark stains and unexplained discoloration in some parts of the house. Nevertheless, testing can allow you to know the kind of mold that is present, although this is not accurate because different types of mold have different growth rates. For example, Aspergillus grows faster than the popular toxic black mold Stachybotrys, and if both are present, Aspergillus can grab most of the available nutrients until Stachybotrys is killed in the sample. This can lead to the false result that only Aspergillus has been found.
It is therefore understandable why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines recommend the elimination of all kinds of mold. The advice does not make any distinctions on the kinds of mold that are present. The CDC simply recommends mold and mildew removal whenever they are found. Perhaps the DIY test kit can be helpful when checking for mold in the air by taking a sample of the air being emitted by the HVAC system. This can tell you if the air you are breathing contains mold spores. This could indicate that hidden mold colonies are present.
And if you find that there are indeed mold colonies in your property, you may then conduct mould removal activities. Just make sure that you are properly protected from getting the spores on your skin or into your lungs. Proper clothing, a face mask, gloves and safety goggles can prevent these from happening. Do not forget turn off any blowers, fans and air conditioners before cleaning the molds to prevent the spores from scattering to various areas of your home.
You can apply a commercial mold and mildew remover or common household products, such as hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, bleach, lemon or baking soda. And because there are likely to be water leaks and/or defects in the walls, roofs and other parts of the home that provide more moisture for mold growth, a plumber and/or a contractor should be contacted to make the necessary repairs. These are the activities to perform after you test for mold using a DIY test kit.
