SimpleLab Guide to Mold Testing: Choosing the Right Test for Your Situation
Mold testing is a common concern for homeowners, renters, and building managers. Mold is a type of fungus that can grow in water-damaged buildings, on damp materials, and other areas with high moisture and low ventilation — often long before it becomes visible. Because mold can be difficult to identify without laboratory analysis, certified testing is the most reliable way to understand what types of mold are present and where they may be growing.
SimpleLab offers a suite of mail-to-lab mold testing kits designed for different sample types, including water, dust, surfaces, and bulk materials. This kit guide explains the purpose of each kit, how sampling works, and how to choose the right option for your situation.
Table of Contents:
- Finding the Right Mold Test Kit
- How Do They Work?
- When to Test
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Why SimpleLab? (Contact Us)
Finding the Right Mold Test for the Job
Accurate mold (and general fungal) testing requires:
- Collecting the right kind of sample, and
- Sending it to a certified laboratory for species-level identification.
DIY methods such as “instant swabs,” “petri dishes,” or color-change tests cannot provide reliable identification. The EPA notes that sampling should be conducted only when necessary and that lab-based analysis is the standard method for understanding mold types present on surfaces or materials.[1]
These mail-to-lab kits help identify mold and fungal contamination across a range of indoor and environmental materials:
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Mold & Fungus Water Test — Analyzes water from taps, wells, appliances, or standing water. Useful for storage tanks, humidifiers, collected condensation, or other water sources where mold growth may occur.
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Mold & Fungus Surface Swab Test — Collects mold from smooth or irregular surfaces using a sterile swab. A swab is ideal for corners, grout lines, appliance interiors, window tracks, or any area that cannot be sampled with tape or a bulk sample. (See also: 4x Pack and Rush options)
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Mold & Fungus Surface Tape Test — Lifts mold spores and growth from visible patches using a clear adhesive tape sample. Tape lifts provide a clean, direct way to collect mold from walls, flooring, cabinets, or painted surfaces without disturbing the area. (See also: 4x pack)
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Mold Dust Surface Test — Analyzes dust collected from floors, shelves, HVAC registers, or other settled areas. Dust acts as a record of recent indoor air quality and can help identify hidden moisture issues. (See also: Rush options)
- Mold & Fungus Bulk Materials Test — Tests solid material pieces (e.g., drywall, insulation, wood, fabrics) for relative concentration of fungal spores. (See also: 4x Pack and Rush 4x options) Ideal for drywall, ceiling tile, wood framing, insulation, or other materials affected by water.
Key Kit Features:
- Clear sampling instructions
- All materials needed to collect the sample
- Prepaid 2-day return shipping
- Chain of custody documentation
- Accredited laboratory testing
- A secured, digital report with identified mold and fungal species
Laboratory testing provides accurate species identification, something DIY strips and instant tests cannot accomplish. By making sure everything you need is in one place, and in one dashboard, SimpleLab makes the laboratory testing process easy and accessible.
How Do the Tests Work?
Each SimpleLab kit guides you every step of the way so you can collect a small sample appropriately and send it securely to the lab:
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Water Tests: Collect water in the provided sterile vial from the fixture or water source of concern. The lab filters the sample and cultures it to determine fungal presence and type.
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Swab Tests: Use the sterile swab to sample an area of concern — ideal for grout, vents, windowsills, appliance interiors, or uneven surfaces. The lab cultures any collected fungi to determine fungal presence and type.
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Tape Tests: Apply the adhesive tape strip to an area with visible mold. This test is ideal when discoloration or growth is already present. The lab examines the tape under a microscope to identify spores and growth structures.
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Dust Surface Tests: Collect settled dust using the provided vacuum attachment. Dust sampling is especially useful when mold is suspected but not visible. The lab isolates fungal structures and identifies them microscopically. Requires a vacuum cleaner.
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Bulk Materials Tests: Place a small piece of suspect building material — like drywall, insulation, carpet, wood, or ceiling tile—in the sample container. The lab prepares and analyzes the sample microscopically to identify mold present on or within the material.
When Should I Test?
Testing is recommended whenever mold (or general fungal growth) is suspected, following water damage, or when unexplained odors, stains, or respiratory irritation occur. Situations where testing is commonly performed include:
- After leaks, flooding, or roof or plumbing failures
- During home purchases, inspections, or rental turnover
- Before and after remediation or cleaning
- In HVAC systems or areas with chronic humidity
- When mold is visible but species identification is needed
- When symptoms or odors suggest hidden mold growth
Who Are These Kits Right For?
SimpleLab mold and fungus kits are designed to be useful for:
- Homeowners or renters concerned about visible mold or moisture problems
- Property managers evaluating tenant concerns
- Real estate professionals involved with transactions requiring documentation of mold presence
- Remediation contractors, facility managers, and environmental consultants
- Schools, childcare centers, or offices investigating indoor quality issues
- Anyone who needs professional, laboratory-grade results
Each kit addresses a different matrix — water, surfaces, dust, or solid materials — making it easier to choose the correct option for your situation.
Mold and Fungus Water Test
$249.00
Good for: Testing water sources for fungal contamination
Mold and Fungus Surface Swab Test
$59.00
Mold and Fungus Surface Swab Test (4x)
$129.00
Good for: Hard-to-reach areas, grout, seams, HVAC areas
Mold and Fungus Surface Tape Test
$59.00
Mold and Fungus Surface Tape Test (4x)
$129.00
Good for: Visible mold on a wall or hard surface
Mold Dust Surface Test
$388.00
Good for: Testing dust accumulation or suspected hidden mold
Mold and Fungus Bulk Materials Test
$59.00
Mold and Fungus Bulk Materials Test (4x)
$129.00
Good for: Testing contaminated or damaged building materials
Explore all mold kits in one place here:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I always need to test for mold?
Not necessarily. EPA guidance states that if mold is visible, cleanup and moisture control are the priority.[1] Testing is most useful when you need documentation, species identification, or confirmation of hidden problems.
Can I rely on DIY mold kits from hardware stores?
No. Petri dishes and color-change tests cannot identify species, and they often detect airborne spores that are always present. Certified lab analysis is the only reliable method.
What if the mold is hidden?
Dust testing is often the best starting point for mold that is not immediately apparent. Analyzing settled dust can provide insight into molds circulating indoors even if growth is not visible.
How long does SimpleLab mold testing take?
Kits include prepaid 2-day return shipping. Laboratory analysis generally takes 5-10 business days, and results are delivered digitally. Rush options are available for applicable kits.
Can I test multiple areas?
Each kit tests one location or sample. For multiple surfaces or rooms, additional kits are recommended to ensure accurate results. 4-pack options are available for certain kits.
Does SimpleLab offer other mold or mycotoxin tests?
Yes. If you need more specialized analyses — including mycotoxins or advanced fungal screening — SimpleLab has a number of kits for a variety of matrices including food & beverage, surfaces, and potable and non-potable water sources.
Why Choose SimpleLab?
SimpleLab’s mold testing kits provide accredited laboratory analysis for every sample type — from visible surface growth to unseen contamination in dust or building materials. Whether you’re dealing with a recent water event or chronic indoor moisture, we make it easy to get clear answers and choose the right next step.
If you have any questions about testing with SimpleLab, reach out to our customer support team any time. To explore our full suite of laboratory testing options, visit the web shop.
The SimpleLab Standard
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Proven Reliability: SimpleLab partners with North America's leading analytical institutions—including Eurofins, Pace Analytical, SGS, and Microbac—each with their own rigorous quality control protocols to ensure top-tier accuracy. Our certified labs are located across all 50 states, making logistics a breeze.
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Simplified Sampling: Every kit includes professional-grade materials, clear instructions, automated chain of custody, and free return shipping— making accurate testing effortless.
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Seamless Experience: We combine human support with automated logistics to help make complex lab analyses accessible to all. From our user interface to our lab reports, we ensure a time-saving, frustration-free process.
In her role as the Senior Research Scientist at SimpleLab, Samantha leverages her expertise in water chemistry and engineering to ensure that all SimpleLab and Tap Score products and communications are held to the highest scientific standards. Samantha has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in environmental engineering and five years of laboratory research experience in environmental analytical chemistry. In her free time, Samantha can be found out running trails, sitting in a coffee shop or hanging out with her dogs.
About SimpleLab
SimpleLab combines world-class laboratory science with customer service to ensure testing your environment is simple, fast and factual. Everything we do is driven by data and supported by a team of experts ready to answer your questions.
