How our testing process works:

InstaScope is like an instant microscope for your air. It continuously pulls in air, shines a laser through each particle, and reads the light signature to determine whether it is mold, pollen, dust, bacteria, or other airborne material.

During your inspection, we:

  1. Scan your air in real time
    We walk the device through your home or business, continuously sampling the air—even near vents, under cabinets, and inside tight or suspect areas.

  2. Perform whole‑area room scans
    Because sampling is effectively unlimited, we can scan every room instead of taking just one or two static samples, giving a much clearer picture of mold levels and overall air cleanliness.

  3. Use a protocol that finds hidden mold
    We start with a normal “baseline” scan, then move through targeted and more aggressive scans to see how much mold becomes airborne when areas are disturbed—helping us identify hidden reservoirs behind finishes or in building cavities. In areas where mold or bacteria are elevated, we will also use moisture tools and thermal cameras to further narrow down the source of the issue.

  4. Capture broader air quality data
    Alongside mold, we measure and categorize other airborne particles and indicators (such as fine particulates and chemical byproducts), which can help explain odors and other indoor air quality issues you may be noticing.

  5. Review instant results with you
    Data appears live on a tablet in an easy‑to‑read format, so you can see which rooms have elevated mold, which areas look clean, and how your overall indoor air quality compares room‑to‑room.

  6. If areas of concern are found

    We can discuss and recommend follow-up options. If you are working closely with a doctor and want to know the exact species of mold, we can follow up with traditional mold testing using a petri dish, which can be sent to the lab for culturing. (And thanks to our inspection, we know exactly where to focus that test!) Where appropriate, we can provide negative-air containment and an air scrubber to isolate the issue while you wait for a mold removal contractor. While we are trained in mold remediation, we do not remediate projects that we have inspected!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • We are collaborative, honest, and experienced in the inspection and remediation process. We're here to help you get to the bottom of what’s negatively impacting your indoor environment and guide you through the proper next steps.

  • InstaScope is engineered to quickly measure and characterize bioaerosols in real time across entire indoor spaces, rather than isolate individual mold types. Since the remediation process is the same—remove the mold and correct the moisture—knowing the exact species typically does not change what needs to be done, and all visible mold growth should be addressed. If you need to know the specific species for health reasons, we are able to take traditional samples to send to a lab, once we’ve narrowed down the area and likely source.

  • Not in most cases. The core principles for safely removing mold are the same regardless of species. Knowing whether it’s “species A” or “species B” rarely changes the containment, cleaning, or removal steps you follow.

  • Species identification becomes more relevant when a physician or health specialist has linked a specific mold species to a diagnosed condition, or when there is a legal, medical, or research reason to pinpoint that species indoors. In those limited situations, testing aims to match a known problematic species to a potential indoor source.