Quick Start Guide
A few important things to keep in mind.
The GOT MOLD? Test Kit is not to be used as a substitute for professional testing performed by a qualified inspector.
This kit detects airborne mold spores using spore traps. The lab results and report are for informational purposes only.
If you are experiencing health concerns which you think may be mold-related, please seek medical advice.
Time: 2-3 days
- Keep the doors and windows closed as much as possible for at least 2-3 days before you take the samples.
- Turn off all standalone air filters and air purifiers.
- Do NOT turn off the heating and/or air conditioning systems.
- Do NOT mow grass, rake leaves, or otherwise disturb the property on the day of sampling.
- Choose a day when it’s not raining or snowing for the best results.
- If you’ve done all this… THEN YOU’RE GOOD TO GO!
All samples must be collected at the same property, the same day, within one hour. Failure to follow these instructions will nullify your results.
Time: Ongoing
- Focus on rooms where people frequently experience symptoms, where a musty/damp odor is present, there has been a history of water damage, or you may have noticed excess moisture or possible mold growth.
- Make sure to record where you will collect these samples on your own worksheet for later reference.
For details on how to perform a thorough inspection, download our comprehensive guide, How to Find Mold in Your Home, available at: gotmold.com/findmold
Time: 15 minutes
- Pick a day that’s not too windy, and without rain or snow.
- Open Box #1 and remove the BioVac™ air sampling device.
- Put four new, brand-name AA batteries into the device*.
NOTE: The green light on top of the unit means the batteries are in correctly. If no light appears, please check the orientation and try again.
* If someone passed a BioVac along to you and it still has batteries in it, replace them with new, brand name batteries for optimal results.
Time: 5 minutes
- Remove and open Box #2, which contains the air sampling cassettes. Box #2 is also a prepaid return mailer. You will use it to submit the samples to us for analysis.
- Remove the adhesive seals from both ends of the cassette marked Outdoor Sample and stick them on the side of the BioVac. Save these seals, as you will need to put them both back on the cassette after you take the air sample.
- Place the cassette onto the air sampling device.
- Then place the device outside on a clean surface, 5-10 feet from the most-used, nearest entrance, at least 30” above ground.
- Press the gray button located on the top to start the BioVac. The light will turn RED for 5 minutes during sampling, and will automatically change back to GREEN when finished.
- Remove the cassette, replace the adhesive seals, and return it to Box #2.
Time: 5 minutes each
- Go to the first area of concern you identified earlier in Step 3.
- Just as you did for the outdoor sample, remove the adhesive seals from the next unused cassette and stick them on the outside of the BioVac.
- Place the fresh cassette on the device. Put it on a clean surface, at least 30” above ground, near the center of the area or room. Then press the gray button to start.
- When complete, replace the adhesive seals onto the cassette and place back in Box #2.
- Repeat with the other unused cassettes included in your kit.
- And don’t forget to write down the description of each sampling location on the Worksheet!
Time: 2 minutes
- By now all the cassettes should be back in Box #2 (return mailer), into the same slot from which they were originally removed.
Keep track of your sampling locations. This information will be needed during kit activation and registration.
Standard kits come with fresh batteries. After samples have been collected, please remove the batteries and feel free to reuse them for any purpose.
Time: 15 minutes
- Activate your kit online at: gotmold.com/activate. This is where you’ll input your information, the details about the property and where you collected the samples.
- Please provide the KIT ID # listed on the sticker placed on the back cover of this guide and throughout the kit.
- Please make sure that all the air sampling cassettes are back in Box #2, which is the return mailer.
- Once you’ve submitted your sampling details online, peel the protective cover from the adhesive strip on the inner lid of Box #2, and seal the box.
… and Finally, Mail It!
- Drop the sealed Box #2 containing your samples into the mail. No postage is necessary if mailed from within the United States.
- To track the status of your report, go to: gotmold.com/status
Time: 4-5 days
More Resources
- For additional information, visit our Learning Center at gotmold.com/learning-center
- Download our comprehensive guide, How to Find Mold in Your Home at gotmold.com/findmold
Disclaimer
The GOT MOLD? Test Kit is not a substitute for a mold inspection performed by a qualified professional. Its purpose is to be a cost-effective first step. Please do not make any major life decisions, such as planning remediation, filing lawsuits, relocating, etc., based solely upon the results from this, or any, do-it-yourself test kit.
If there are “alert conditions” detected using this kit it’s highly recommended that you seek out a qualified mold assessment professional who would perform a thorough physical inspection, perhaps additional testing, and provide a full written report with observations, recommendations, and a remediation plan, if needed.
This test kit uses devices known as spore traps, which collect the microscopic particles floating around in the air, in the immediate area being sampled, at the time of sampling. These conditions can be different from minute to minute, depending upon many factors, such as ventilation and movement in the building. Since it’s a constantly changing landscape, and human sensitivities vary widely, the results from this kit are not to be considered a measure of exposure or risk and shouldn’t be used to determine if the building is “safe” or not.
Also, since spore traps capture spores floating around in the air, if there’s a hidden mold problem in a wall, for example, this method may not detect it. Similarly, if the air in the room has been still for quite some time, spores may have settled out of the air, and the samples can sometimes look cleaner than expected.
In all cases, if you are experiencing health issues that you think may be building-related, please seek medical advice.