The ERMI (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index) is a dust test that uses MSQPCR (mold specific quantitative DNA) to detect 36 species of mold in your home.

It was originally created by the EPA as part of a research project. They were trying to develop a "moldiness scale" for buildings by measuring fungal DNA in dust collected via vacuum cleaner.

Today, when this test is recommended by practitioners, doctors, and health-focused consultants, it's done a little differently. A microfiber Swiffer cloth collects samples from specific areas in the home instead.

PCR testing in general is used in all kinds of fields, from COVID testing to cancer diagnostics to GMO detection. So the methodology itself is trusted science.

But there are things that can skew the results. Cleaning habits, chemical use, and how you sample all matter.

And then there's context. Your health, your sensitivities, your susceptibility. These don't change what the test finds, but they shape what we do with that information.
This is exactly why we require a forensic review with every test. You'll never just get a lab report and be left to figure it out. We look at your results alongside your home, your history, and your health to start building your case. This is where working with us begins, so you're ready if an inspection is actually needed.

When you receive your results, the lab report will include:

1. The raw data showing spore counts per milligram of dust, plus the ERMI score. The EPA created this score for research purposes, and we do NOT use it in our forensic review.

2. A HERTSMI-2 score, which focuses on five specific molds linked to CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome).

3. Our professional forensic review of the full 36-mold dataset.

Molds the ERMI Tests For (36):

Group 1: Water-damage indicator molds:

1. Aspergillus flavus

2. Aspergillus fumigatus

3. Aspergillus niger

4. Aspergillus ochraceus

5. Aspergillus penicillioides

6. Aspergillus restrictus

7. Aspergillus sclerotiorum

8. Aspergillus sydowii

9. Aspergillus unguis

10. Aspergillus versicolor

11. Aureobasidium pullulans

12. Chaetomium globosum

13. Cladosporium sphaerospermum

14. Eurotium (Aspergillus) amstelodami

15. Paecilomyces variotii

16. Penicillium brevicompactum

17. Penicillium corylophilum

18. Penicillium crustosum

19. Penicillium purpurogenum

20. Penicillium spinulosum

21. Penicillium variabile

22. Scopulariopsis brevicaulis

23. Scopulariopsis chartarum

24. Stachybotrys chartarum

25. Trichoderma viride

26. Wallemia sebi

Group 2: Common outdoor molds:

27. Acremonium strictum

28. Alternaria alternata

29. Aspergillus ustus

30. Cladosporium cladosporioides type 1

31. Cladosporium cladosporioides type 2

32. Cladosporium herbarum

33. Epicoccum nigrum

34. Mucor amphibiorum

35. Penicillium chrysogenum

36. Rhizopus stolonifer

One test is usually enough. We collect dust from all your main living areas to get a representative picture of the whole house.

Why the whole house? DNA testing isn't designed to pinpoint where mold is. It screens your home's overall fungal fingerprint and flags if something looks off. One test in one room doesn't give us enough data to move forward, and it risks sending you down the wrong path.

If you wanted to do room-to-room comparison, you'd need five or six samples, and that adds up fast. Since the next step after ERMI is almost always an inspection anyway, we'd rather not see you waste money on unnecessary testing.

For larger homes (4,000+ square feet) or multi-level properties, some people choose to "zone" their testing. First floor and second floor separately, or the basement on its own. This can give more detailed data about how different parts of the home compare. If you run two tests for the same property, you still only need one interpretation from us.

But for most homes? One test is all you need to know whether it's time to go deeper.

This is a very common question.

Short answer: DNA (ERMI) testing is not designed to identify or confirm a known mold source.

If mold is already visible or there has been known water damage, DNA (ERMI) testing is NOT meant to determine WHERE the mold is coming from, WHAT species it is, or HOW it should be addressed. Identifying a specific source or species requires different types of sampling & evaluation.

DNA (ERMI) testing is a dust-based DNA test that looks at the overall indoor environment. Its purpose is to help determine whether there are patterns that suggest broader mold exposure & whether further investigation, such as an inspection, may be needed. It is a screening & context-building tool, not a source-identification tool in the way we are using it.

In some cases, DNA (ERMI) testing can provide helpful exposure context, especially for people w/health issues & concerns. However, on its own, it will not tell us:

• Where the mold is located

• Whether a visible area is the primary issue

• What remediation steps are required

Because of that, many people who already know they have mold & are experiencing health symptoms choose to bypass DNA (ERMI) testing altogether & move directly into onboarding with us.

From there, we use your intake information to determine what type of inspector makes the most sense based on your home’s history, climate, & your health, symptoms, & sensitivities. We will make a referral once we do your onboarding intake.

Some people still choose DNA (ERMI) testing to gather additional exposure information before deciding on next steps. Both approaches are valid, it depends on how much you already know & what questions you’re trying to answer.

If you already know you have a mold issue, onboarding is usually the most appropriate place to start.

In short, no.

Think of it like getting a complex medical lab back from your doctor. If you saw areas highlighted in red, your first reaction might be panic, assuming high means bad & low means good. But with DNA dust testing, that is not exactly how it works.

This type of testing requires context, which is why we have to talk with you before you act on the results. It is important for us to understand your symptoms and how they connect to:

1. Your health history & current symptoms

2. Your climate & home maintenance habits

3. Past water damage, renovations, fogging treatments or remediation

4. Cleaning practices

5. HVAC details

6. How the sample was collected & from where

7. Your susceptibility & sensitivity levels

Without this context, numbers alone are meaningless and often dangerous.

The lab report includes color coding to show 10 times, 100 times, & 1,000 times differences between species counts. But even those differences still mean nothing without the full story. When people make decisions based only on the numbers, this is where the controversy around this type of test comes from. Many end up overwhelmed, misinformed, and making fear-based choices that cause more harm than good.

You're not alone.

Most women sit on this for 6 to 9 months before they finally order. That's not a character flaw. That's fear doing its job.

Here's what's usually underneath it: the fear that knowing means you're responsible for what comes next. That one test opens a hundred doors.

• Telling your husband.

• Finding money.

• Researching remediation.

• Maybe moving.

It feels like testing means committing to all of it at once. It doesn't.

Testing is just information.

You're not deciding anything yet. You're not committing to a $30k remediation. You're just finding out what you're actually working with so you can stop spinning in "what if."

And here's the part no one says out loud: the mold doesn't wait with you.

It's doing its thing whether you look or not. Waiting doesn't protect your family. It just delays the moment you can actually do something about it.

There's always a workaround. Always. But we can't find it together until you know what you're dealing with.

You don't have to feel ready. You just have to take the first step.

No, and here’s why.

This test analyzes mold DNA in settled dust, not what’s floating in the air right now. That dust gives us a long-term view of your home’s microbial activity, reflecting past leaks, seasonal changes, HVAC patterns, and contamination you might not even know about.

When people clean and wait 4–6 wks to collect “fresh” dust, they risk missing critical exposure history. Unless your symptoms started in that same short window, fresh dust doesn’t reflect what your body’s been reacting to.

Many cases of mold-related illness stem from chronic exposure to fragments, toxins and spores from old or hidden sources, not always recent growth.

So no, don’t deep clean. This isn’t the time to scrub baseboards or go hard on dusting. Just live normally and collect from your regular living areas… don’t overthink it. (We will instruct you with all the details)

The dust that’s already there holds the history we need to understand what’s really going on.

No, ERMI or ERMI Plus doesn’t identify where the mold is growing. It’s not a source-locating tool.

Instead, it helps us understand whether there’s enough mold exposure in the home, past or present, to warrant further investigation. It gives us context for your symptoms, your space, and your history, so we can determine if Phase 2 (like hiring an inspector) is necessary.

Think of it as a first layer of intelligence, it helps us assess risk, not diagnose locations.

To use it properly, we always interpret it alongside your intake, symptoms, home details, and goals. Without that context, it’s just numbers on a page.

Definitely, which is why we send crystal-clear directions, written by our founders PJ and Peter Harlow. They’re simple to follow but professionally precise.

Some labs give overly dumbed-down instructions to avoid user error, but that can backfire. It doesn’t just lead to poor data, it can actually spike your results or skew them low depending on what’s interfering.

Here’s what to avoid near your sampling spot before testing:

Bleach or chlorine products

Rust or iron oxide dust

Essential oils (especially tea tree)

Paints, clay, or gypsum dust

Urine, blood, or heavy oils

Not Enough Dust: These tests require a minimum amount of fine dust (not hair or lint). If your sample has too little, the lab may not be able to run it, or you’ll get underreported results.

Testing actual Mold

Sampling from a New Construction

Using this testing for PRV/Post testing or sampling a home that was just remediated

And remember, location matters. Sampling the wrong area can downplay a serious problem or exaggerate a minor one. That’s why our protocol walks you through exactly where and how to collect, so you get clear, usable results.

We hear this all the time. Unfortunately, many people are told, “You’re fine, your air test was clear,” and they move on, only to keep struggling with symptoms for years before circling back to mold.

Here’s the truth: air testing is not designed to assess health exposure. It only shows what’s floating in the air at that moment, not what’s settled, hidden, or fragmented.

It misses:

1. Mold fragments (often more inflammatory than spores)

2. Heavy, sticky spores like Stachybotrys

3. The species of mold (which matters for toxicity and risk)

It’s not a bad test, it’s just the wrong tool for the job. That’s why we start with DNA dust testing. It looks deeper, tells a longer story, and helps us assess what your body’s really been exposed to.

We know the “under 2” or “under this number” rules get thrown around a lot, but it’s a terrible standard. After reviewing thousands of ERMI reports, we can confidently say: lone numbers tell you very little.

Here’s why:

The ERMI score was developed by the EPA as a research tool, not a medical benchmark. It’s based on a specific vacuum sampling method and a scoring index (a table ranking homes by relative moldiness). But most people today are using cloths or Swiffer-style methods to collect samples—so the results don’t match how the original index was designed. It’s not apples to apples.

So when someone grabs a wipe sample, plugs it into the old EPA scoring table, and says, “You need to be under 2 to heal,” they’re misusing the test. That score can’t be applied universally like that.

What matters far more than the score is which molds show up, how much DNA is present, what your health picture looks like, and how the test was collected.

Bottom line?

That “under 2” number isn’t magic, and if someone’s using it as your mold healing threshold, they may mean well, but it’s not the full picture. You deserve a more thoughtful individualized approach. Healing is personal, and interpreting this test should be too. I have worked with some women that react to a speck of mold, and some men that don’t feel ANYTHING in a dungeon. That’s why we always recommend working with someone who understands the nuances and can look at your whole situation, not just a single number.

No. The ERMI test won’t answer all your questions about your home. In fact, it often leaves people with more questions than answers. This part of the project (investigation) is often a period of ambiguity. This can be difficult for some people so we like to be transparent up front that it is not a failure on our part during test interpretation, it’s just part of the process. The results are only one piece of data.

It’s meant to be an early screening tool, not a diagnostic one. The results can help determine whether you need a full inspection, and if so, what type, and what level of expertise your inspector should have. It’s one step in a larger process, not a stand-alone solution or a green light for remediation or any big decisions for that matter.