Air Quality Testing

This I have never done but there are other toxins to look out for...cleaning supplies and washing detergents. You might look into that too.

Air quality tests can raise more questions than suggest solutions, and according to at least one state's health department, testing is not necessarily the first or most useful way to address air quality in your home.

If you wish, you can start by assessing many forms of potential pollution that you can control directly - specifically what commercial cleaners, toiletries, etc. you use on your family, in your home and in your laundry? (Fabric softeners and other scented products are very h*** o* my lungs.) What chemicals do you use in your yard and garden? Can you place sheets of carbon-filter material in the wall or floor register vents? Do you have (or plan to have) new furniture, wall treatments, paint, carpet, bedding? All of these can have a profound impact on air quality. And allergens in the diet can also contribute to lung problems.

A really fine source of information on healthy home air quality is http://www.healthyhouseinstitute.com/a_1018-How_is_Your_I... . There's lots of free information on the site, and they have a good bookstore for further education. As a person with multiple allergies and chemical sensitivities, I have to be conscious of air quality wherever I go. Ongoing self-education is one of the best things I have ever done for my touchy lungs.

You say the duct cleaners you hired found mold. Did they give you any test evidence, or tell you what kinds of mold they found? They could be qualified and honest, or they could have been simply making money off of your trust. Whether or not they were legitimate, I wonder how they treated the mold - chemicals sprayed in your air ducts could conceivably reduce air quality furhter and cause ongoing problems. If you trust they are legitimate, did they give you a guarantee? Will they come back and retest your ventilation system if you feel there is still a problem?

Good luck with this very important investigation. I hope you'll share good information or solutions that you find.

I think getting a few air purifiers is a great idea. I also suggest changing your air filter in your heating system. They say you should change it every yr, but maybe every six months would be better. It is something tht your hubby can do, even you. The filters are very inexpensive for a general one, though I believe you can get a better quality for just a little more. These will help filter the mold particles, dust, and whatever else that may be floating around. I havea cold humidifier in my daughters room and it has an air filter on it, maybe put one in your little ones room?!
I dont know anything about the air quality test. Though I think one would go to air purifiers after the test anyway.
Best of luck!

I have! It has been about 4 years. But from what I recall, I found a Seattle based company that sent someone out to do the test. It took a little while, and cost about $500 if I remember correctly. I still have the results somewhere... if you are interested send me a personal message and I'll dig up the records.

have you thought about getting an air purifier, I have one for each bedroom, they are not too expensive if you shop around and find the best deal, or you can pay more and get hospital grade stuff like my parents do. They work wonders for your home!
You can get some really fancy ones that are supposed to 'sense" mold and bacteria in the air and put themselves on a higher cleaning power.
Personally, I keep the air purifiers in my kids'' room on low during the day (except nap times) and at night when we put the kids to bed, we turn it on high. It helps them sleep, and their room does not smell as bad (just kid smells) and I feel better putting them in a room with clean air.
If you DO get one, make sure it has a carbon filter, you will be surprised by the difference you will SMELL in the air! The air will actually smell clean. I love it when we just got a fresh new filter! We have some of the smallest air purifiers since we live in a small apartment, but if you have a big house, I would invest in a higher quality big air purifier.
One of my kids did have RSV when he was a baby, and now he has asthma, lots of allergies, and all that. It is also possible that he has food allergies. I have two kids with asthma, food allergies, and environmental allergies (weeds, pollen, etc) So we have a whole host of symptoms we mess with at different times of the year.
This is pretty long.. I will end this, if you have any questions you can send me a message!