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Nestwell
RUSH: Mold and Fungus Surface Swab Test
54
Lab markers
2
Days until results

RUSH: Mold and Fungus Surface Swab Test

Dust lab test kit

Price

$118

The species-level mould identification, run on a rush timetable for when the answer cannot wait.

  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Free shipping in 3-5 business days

What’s included

  • All sampling materials
  • Easy-to-follow instructions
  • Full contaminant details for your address
  • Prepaid 2-day return shipping
  • Accredited lab network
  • Regulatory analytical methods
  • Per-location results
  • Scored against EPA + CDC standards
  • HSA/FSA eligible via TrueMed

It’s worth testing for if…

  • You are up against a closing, an inspection or a deadline
  • A decision about moving out or remediating is pending
  • You need the fastest turnaround available

What is in your dust?

54 measurements
RUSH: Mold and Fungus Surface Swab Test

The same species-level mould identification, on a rush timetable. The biology does not change; the lab's queue does. For when a closing, an inspection or a decision about moving out will not wait.

How to Test

Run the swab over the spot you are suspicious about, then seal it in its tube. Damp, discoloured or musty-smelling areas are the ones worth sampling.

Supports concern around

Breathing and asthma, cancer, short-term toxic effects at high doses.

49 of the 54 substances this kit measures have a hazard classification on file. The other 5 do not yet — which means nothing has been established about them either way.

Every measurement, explained

At Nestwell, we provide science backed ranges for all the exposures in your home, allowing for personalized suggestions of in home remediation.

54 measures across 3 groups, 7 of them written up by our advisors. Open a group to read what it covers.

  • Alternaria

    Hazardous

    What it is

    A common mold found in damp areas, showers, and around window frames, and is one of the most allergenic molds.

    Can be linked to

    • Breathing and asthma

    A major trigger for allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and asthma; prolonged exposure can worsen chronic respiratory conditions.

  • Aspergillus/Penicillium

    Hazardous

    What it is

    Very common indoor molds found on food, in HVAC systems, and on damp building materials.

    Can be linked to

    • Cancer
    • Breathing and asthma

    Can trigger allergies and asthma; in people with weakened immune systems, Aspergillus can cause serious lung infections.

  • Chaetomium

    Hazardous

    What it is

    A mold that grows on heavily water-damaged drywall, wallpaper, and other cellulose-rich materials.

    Can be linked to

    • Breathing and asthma

    Produces a musty odor and can cause skin and nail infections; some species produce toxins that may affect health in immunocompromised individuals.

  • Cladosporium

    Hazardous

    What it is

    One of the most common outdoor and indoor mold types, often found on damp surfaces, HVAC systems, and fabrics.

    Can be linked to

    • Breathing and asthma

    Can trigger allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and respiratory symptoms in sensitive individuals, but rarely causes serious illness in healthy people.

  • Penicillium/Talaromyces

    Hazardous

    What it is

    A widespread mold commonly found on water-damaged materials, wallpaper, and stored food.

    Can be linked to

    • Cancer
    • Breathing and asthma

    Can trigger allergies and asthma; some species produce mycotoxins, and can cause serious infections in immunocompromised people.

  • Stachybotrys/Memnoniella

    Hazardous

    What it is

    Often called 'black mold,' this grows on water-damaged building materials like drywall and ceiling tiles.

    Can be linked to

    • Short-term toxic effects at high doses
    • Breathing and asthma

    Can produce mycotoxins that cause respiratory problems, chronic coughing, fatigue, and headaches — especially concerning for children and those with asthma.

Also measured

  • Arthrinium
  • Ascospores
  • Aspergillus species
  • Aureobasidium
  • Basidiospores
  • Bispora
  • Botrytis
  • Cephalotrichum
  • Cercospora
  • Chlamydospores
  • Coelomycetes
  • Curvularia
  • Epicoccum species
  • Fibrous Particulate
  • Fusarium
  • Ganoderma
  • Hyphal fragment
  • Monodictys
  • Mucor
  • Myxomycetes
  • Nigrospora species
  • Oidium
  • Oncopodiella
  • Ophiostoma species
  • Peronospora
  • Pestalotia/Pestalotiopsis
  • Phoma species
  • Pithomyces
  • Rhizopus species
  • Rusts, Smuts, Periconia, Myxomycetes spores
  • Scopulariopsis/Microascus
  • Spadicoides
  • Sporidesmium
  • Sporoschisma
  • Stemphylium
  • Torula
  • Triadelphia
  • Tritirachium species
  • Ulocladium
  • Unidentifiable Spores
  • Zygomycetes
  • Ascotricha species
  • Acremonium
  • Bipolaris
  • Trichoderma

What these substances are linked to

Health effects that researchers have associated with the substances on this panel, from the EPA's CompTox database. This describes the substances themselves — not your home. Whether any of them are present, and at what level, is what the test is for.

  • Breathing and asthma49 of the 49 classified substances on this panel — including Acremonium, Alternaria and Arthrinium
  • Cancer4 of the 49 classified substances on this panel — including Aspergillus species, Aspergillus/Penicillium and Fusarium
  • Short-term toxic effects at high doses1 of the 49 classified substances on this panel — including Stachybotrys/Memnoniella

49 of the 54 substances this kit measures have a hazard classification on file. The other 5 do not yet — which means nothing has been established about them either way. A classification means a substance has been associated with an effect in published research — usually at doses well above what a home test would find. It is not a diagnosis, and it is not a prediction.

Designed To Understand Your Whole House

A single kit answers one question properly rather than several vaguely. Whichever you start with, it is the same lab, the same methods, and the same reporting — so results from one kit sit beside results from the next, in one place, on the same scale.

Accredited labs, regulatory methods

Every sample is analyzed by an accredited environmental lab with the same methods regulatory testing uses.

Numbers with regulatory context

Results come back as a measured value next to the standard it is judged against, not just a "detected".

One box, no home visit

Everything arrives at once and we tell you both where and how to sample, no outside home inspection needed.

How Nestwell Testing Works

How Collection Works

Understand the science –›

  1. Collect

    Run the swab over the spot you are suspicious about, then seal it in its tube. Damp, discoloured or musty-smelling areas are the ones worth sampling.

  2. Mail

    Everything goes back in the same box with the prepaid return label. No appointment, nobody in your house, and easy to send back when convenient for you.

  3. Read

    Results land in your Nestwell dashboard in about 2 days, each scored against the standard that applies to it.

A sample bottle being filled at a kitchen tap
Wiping a surface to collect a sample
Nestwell kit boxes on a kitchen counter

Why Nestwell?

CapabilityNestwellHardware Store StripsIn Person Inspector
Samples from across your homeYesOne sample, one placeYes
Real exposure concentrationsYesPaper colour keySometimes
Accredited lab, regulatory methodsYesNoSometimes
Nobody has to come into your homeYesYesNo
Results tracked over time in one placeYesNoOne time result

A number is only useful next to its limit.

At Nestwell, we provide science backed ranges for all the exposures in your home, allowing for personalized suggestions of in home remediation.

Accredited labs only

Samples are analysed by accredited environmental laboratories using the analytical methods used for regulatory compliance work: the same reading a professional consultant would order.

Each result has a standard

A number on its own is not an answer. The EPA action level for lead in water is 15 ppb; the CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Each finding is shown against the limit that applies to it.

Where there is no limit, we say so

The EPA sets no numeric limit for mold, and moisture control is the real remedy. Mold results are reported as what is growing and at what relative level, never as just a pass or a fail.

Medical advisors

Built with leading medical experts

Dr. Malathi Srinivasan

Dr. Malathi Srinivasan

Clinical Professor of Medicine, Primary Care and Population Health

Stanford University

“Our physical & home environment is a direct determinant of our health, and is immunoregulatory. In a year, we breathe about 6 million times, drink 250 gallons of liquid, and eat almost 2 tons of food, with hundreds of compounds interacting on our skin and immune systems. Small environmental changes make a big difference, especially in early childhood development and for vulnerable adults.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions? Find answers to common customer concerns below.

What does the RUSH: Mold and Fungus Surface Swab Test actually measure?

The panel runs 54 measures, covering Mould and fungi, Particles and fibres and Pollen. Every one is listed on this page with its detection limit, so you can check for a specific substance before you buy.

How do I take the sample?

Run the swab over the spot you are suspicious about, then seal it in its tube. Damp, discoloured or musty-smelling areas are the ones worth sampling. It takes a few minutes per swab, and everything you need comes in the box.

How long until I get results?

The kit reaches you in about 1 days. Once the lab receives your sample, results appear in your Nestwell account in about 2 days. Return shipping is prepaid and included.

Who analyses the sample?

An accredited environmental laboratory, using published analytical methods — the same methods and the same labs used for regulatory and commercial testing. Nestwell does not run the analysis itself.

Why do some substances on the panel have explanations and others do not?

Our advisors have written up 7 of the 54 measures on this panel so far. The rest are still measured, reported and held to the same detection limits — they are listed under "Also measured" until the write-up exists. We would rather show you the gap than fill it with something we have not checked.

What happens if something comes back high?

Your results are shown against the relevant reference values rather than as a bare number, so you can see which measures stand out and by how much. The lab reports what it measured; it does not diagnose, and a lab result is not medical advice.

Can I pay with an HSA or FSA?

Most Nestwell kits are HSA/FSA eligible through Truemed. Eligibility is shown on the kit page at checkout, and where it applies you can pay with pre-tax dollars.

Free. 3 minutes. No card required.

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$118