Healthful Home 5-Minute Mold Test. Aspergillus/Penicillium and Stachybotrys. Works Even If You Can't See The Mold. No More Waiting for Labs. Includes Expert Consultation.

Choosing the correct mold testing kit for the level of screening that one needs to address possible mold issues in the home is really an important step to begin to address the problem. This Healthful Home test kit with it's 5 minute, rapid results screening for Aspergillus/Penicillium species and Stachybotrys species (black mold) was quite easy to use and quickly determines whether the next steps of more definitive and detailed mold testing will be needed. I will use additional 5 minute tests to screen potential house rentals and vehicles for purchase to see if they have mold issues, which will be very helpful. Three additional swabs are included in this kit and you can process these samples through Healthful Home Labs for $29 per sample for more definitive diagnosis and reports about the species of molds present that will be necessary when remediating. Test instructions included in the kit and available online, together with a postage paid envelope to mail samples for the additional testing. I did not use the free Professional Consultation that is included with the 5 minute testing results at this time, but will call when I am ready to take the next steps for remediation.

Easy to use.

Very easy to use (just read the instructions and you should be fine) and no need to send it off to verify what "type" of "bad mold" you may or may not have. One thing the instructions don't say which was a bit shocking is the whole white test area turns pinkish as the liquid flows over the test, but eventually turns back white with only the control line visible (if you are lucky and have no bad mold, of course!). Just was surprised to see it happen as it was not in the instructions but it makes sense now in hindsight and I understand why it did that. All worked great. Called the free consultation line and they were very helpful with the question I had. Was good to have the piece of mind to do the test at home and see it is negative in our new house. However, the price seemed very high for what it is.... $43 for two small test strips and a solution/swab combo. Would have felt better at around $20 but, unlike other tests where you "have" to mail it to a lab to find out what type of mold you have, this saves you that time and money by just charging it to you upfront. Knocked off one star because of the price. They are very confident in the accuracy of their test, however, I still am sitting here hoping I put enough "sample" on the tip for the solution to register. It says if you see "visible" dirt/mold on the swab then you are all set, and I clearly saw some on there, but I can't help but thinking I should have put more dust/dirt on there.... so now I'm on the fence if I need to spend another $43 to use a really dirty swab for a second test!

I immediately tested a severe bathroom leak area today, hoping to get confirmation on black mold(stach). Even though the mold is insane and obvious to the eye, it claims, no mold. I can't even believe it. Upset I wasted so much money on this. Followed the instructions to the dot. Might just have to contact a mold professional. Ugh.

I am pretty disappointed in this product. We recently found a large amount of mold in our master bathroom and I decided to test it. While researching mold, I got even more paranoid because I have two little kids and they spend a lot of time in my bedroom which is attached to the bathroom so if any mold spores got out, which I'm sure they did, then it would get to my kids. One is a baby so I worry a lot about him. Anyway, long story short, I was in a hurry to test the mold to get it taken care of properly if it was in fact the bad kind of mold. I went with this kit becuase it was the only one with the 5 minute test that would give me results right away. I knew before buying that it was an additional cost to then send it out to the lab if I wanted more specifics and confirmation of what the rapid test said. The lab fees I only saw in other reviews to be around $20 but the paperwork inside says $30 for the lab testing. That was a bit of a disappointment but not the end of the world. My main complaint is that the test swab that you use to gather the mold comes in a tube attached to a bulb on top which contains the liquid that eventually mixes with the swab to get the sample you will then use drops of to put on the two test kits that come in the package. The bulb with the liquid does not have anywhere near the amount of liquid you need. I ended up partially completing the tests, not knowing if the results were accurate at all. I called the company to complain because that was just a total waste of my time and money and the person on the phone said he would send me another test. I told him I didn't want another test but a refund because I wasn't going to risk waiting again after waiting to get a new test in the mail, etc. So now I have another test from them on the way that will likely go in the trash because I have zero use for it. I am out of the cost of the original test that did nothing for us. And we had no choice but to go buy a different test all together that I can just send out to the lab right away and wait for the results that way instead of repeating the faulty test and having to go send samples to a lab and wait anyway. I do not trust this company, they have poor customer service and I would not recommend them.

(2015) I purchased this kit after finding mold on some of my stored clothing. I dry cleaned the clothing and wore them but developed an increasingly bad cough and severe sinus congestion plus asthmatic attacks when in my apartment. I had no fever. On finding that dry-cleaning does not kill mold (just removes the appearance) I wondered if I had inhaled some of the mold spores from the clothing. So I bought this test, and I tested the walls of the closet in which the moldy clothes had been stored. It showed positive for only the Aspergillus mold. After that I got a blood test for Aspergillus IgG, IgM, and IgE... these showed that I had an active infection of aspergillus mold in my body. I have now been battling the internal aspergillus infection for almost 2 years. I had to move out of my apartment and get rid of most of my belongings. I have taken high dose Lugol's iodine to kill the mold (200-300 mg per day) and it took over 3 months to clear the mold out of my sinuses (so clogged I could not breath through my nose or hear out of one ear) and get rid of the asthma attacks. Additional breathing in of nascent iodine in a nebulizer, taking grapefruit seed extract, and staying off of sugars, high dose vitamin C, etc has helped me cough up many mucus plugs of grayish rubbery plugs until my lungs now feel clear and I can lie down to sleep again at night. If it were not for this test, I might still be wondering what happened and be breathing in (mold-increasing) nebulizers, instead of getting rid of the root problem causing the asthma and severe congestion. UPDATE 2018: After 2 years of high dose iodine, and putting iodine (Lugols) into my nebulizer and neti pot, my blood IgG for Aspergillus had dropped from over 180 to the high 50s. I dropped my daily dose of Iodoral from 300 mg (not mcg) to 200 mg for another year (checking my thyroid from time to time to make sure it was reasonably OK). After my Asperigillus IgG went into the normal range I got another CT scan which showed that the polyps in my lungs were gone. I know that I probably will never be totally mold-free but I thank God that after a year of no high dose iodine (I only take it now if I get a cold or infection of any kind) and taking much more Vitamin C, my blood markers remain in the normal range, my lungs are clear, my sinuses are clear, and my ears are clear. The severity of my aspergillosis was brought home to me when I found that the electrician visiting our house had a wife who died of invasive aspergillosis in her lungs. I am thankful for every clear breath!

At first I was a bit confused on how to use this product, I was hoping is had two separate test strips that I can try on different days, but once I bent the bulb to let liquid out, pretty much all of it came out, so I had to use both test strips at the same time. I just opened up one of the longer Q-tips and got more samples and mixed it in the leftover liquid as best as I could without spilling it. I did Spill lot of it, but my second sample came out positive even with less liquid sample. The first one was negative. I think the first one was negative because I took samples from multiple different surfaces, and the second one I took from my shower window where I saw very fresh black powder/dots that would wipe off with my finger very easily. So, I assume it was positive because it was more fresh.? But, my son and I have moved into this place not even three weeks ago, and we have been getting more and more sick. We have gone to the ER (one week ago) And my son saw his pediatrician yesterday. And Because we have no fevers, they all basically said we have allergy symptoms. And I had mentioned to the landlord/manager about different parts of the restroom that would make me feel that it was just a set up for mold to flourish. I have asked for a mold inspector several times, but they basically just send everyone else (A/C guy, plumber….. that fixed the shower knob leaks, but not the gaps between the knobs and the tub wall, and now they’re sending in their guy that remodeled the place….to fix those shower gaps). It has been terrible feeling so sick, unable to breathe, coughing the entire night, so this has given me comfort that I am not going crazy. I will be hiring my own mold inspector this week, since my landlord has not offered to do it. I cannot continue sleeping here, and risking my son’s health. So, thank you to this test kit that has given me more proof of why I worry about this restroom and the smell that the small house gives.

Note, If you send in 1-3 swabs to be tested at the lab (they only send you one at home 5 minute test) don't pay the test company $25 per swab for 24 hour results. As the brochure accurately states, they will turn it around in one day unless they are swamped that day (maybe on a friday) in which it will take one extra day. You will be mailing it to Kentucky so that is the time delay. Go to their website and at the bottom is a video on how to take the swab. It is similar to an at home COVID test. I am very happy with the company. I would have loved 3 or 4 at home 5 minute test kits, but one was better than none. Now I just have to wait for the lab results in a week or so for the 3 swabs