How to Test for Air Allergens & Mold

Sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose and coughing are all signs that you have an allergy. If you're wondering if the culprit could be mold and allergens in your home or your workplace, there are several ways you can go about testing, some of them better than others. You can use a professional in person (best) or a do-it-yourself kit ordered over the Internet (less reliable) to determine what's inhabiting your house and if it needs to be eradicated.

Instructions

• 1

  Determine which service you would like to use: a DIY kit purchased over the Internet or a local hardware store or a professional service that specializes in mold and allergens. A DIY kit usually consists of a simple petri dish that is left in the open to collect free-floating mold spores that are in the air and cannot provide you with the amount of mold present. The kit must be sent off to the company to be analyzed. DIY kits will cost you anywhere from a few bucks to hundreds of dollars and unlike a professional, will not measure both the level of spores or allergens both inside and outside of your house nor able to offer you counter measures for the contamination.

• 2

  Determine what treatment you can for your home if your test comes back with a particularly harmful breed of mold identified by researching the types of mold found. It may be extremely difficult to determine where the mold is growing in your home unless it can be seen with the naked eye. If you chose a professional, it is their job not only to test for what particular kinds of mold and allergens you have in your home, but to gauge those findings with both the surrounding environments and the regional norms. They will also handle treatment after analysis if your home is contaminated with a particularly high level of mold or allergens.

• 3

  Purchase an ultraviolet germicidal light to install in your duct work for combating allergens. These are available from a professional or online and should be installed where the light will not come in contact with human skin such as in an air duct. For best results, consult a professional.

• 4

  Purchase a professional grade filter for your home if you are not interested in a full inspection. Most professional mold and allergen specialists will either recommend a brand or sell you one directly. Your heating, ventilation and air conditioning can and will offer you products for your home as well and can install both ultraviolet germicidal lights and high-grade allergen filters.