Hi, I’m Daniel Aznar
I write and run HomeDampLab. I’m a final-year student in the double degree in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, based in Spain, and I run a professional cleaning-products distribution business. HomeDampLab is where those two worlds meet: practical answers about mold, moisture and odors in your home, explained with the chemistry behind them.
Why I started this site
Most mold advice online repeats the same tips without explaining why they would work. Pour bleach on it. Spray vinegar. Buy a bigger dehumidifier. Some of that advice is fine, some of it wastes your money, and some of it, like mixing the wrong cleaners, is dangerous.
Chemistry is a good filter for that noise. Once you know what a product actually contains, what it does to a surface and what moisture level mold needs, most decisions get much simpler. That’s the kind of explanation I wanted to find, so I built the site that gives it.
What I know first-hand
- The chemistry of cleaning products. Through my degree and my work, I deal with what’s inside cleaners and disinfectants: active ingredients, concentrations, pH and why some combinations are hazardous.
- Reading safety data sheets. Handling SDS is part of selling professional cleaning products. On this site I use the public SDS of products sold in the US to explain what they contain and how to use them safely.
- The science of humidity. My coursework covers the chemistry and physics this site relies on, from how oxidizers, acids and surfactants work to the thermodynamics behind humidity, condensation and dew point.
- Professional distribution. I know how products are made for, sold to and used by cleaning professionals, which helps me explain the difference between a consumer product and a professional one.
What I don’t do, and how I handle it
I want you to know exactly where my knowledge comes from, so here it is plainly:
- I’m not yet a graduate chemist or a licensed engineer. I’ll update this page when I finish my degree.
- I’m not a mold remediation contractor, home inspector or insurance agent, and I haven’t done remediation work in US homes. Topics like contractor costs and insurance coverage are researched from the EPA, the CDC, state regulators, insurers and other sources linked on each page, and presented as research.
- I’m not a doctor. I don’t make health claims or diagnose anything; for health questions, I point you to official sources and your physician.
- I don’t run lab tests on products, and I never write as if I had. My own contribution is the chemistry analysis of public safety data sheets, worked calculations with every assumption shown, diagrams and free tools tested against hand-worked examples.
How I work
Every fact and figure on HomeDampLab is linked to a source I open and check while writing, with official US agencies first. Every page shows when its information was last checked. I use AI writing tools to help research and draft, and I review and approve every page before it goes live. The full process is on our How We Verify page.
What you won’t find here
- Scare stories about “toxic mold” or health promises.
- Invented tests, made-up experience or fake reviews.
- Sponsored rankings. No brand pays to appear on this site.
Get in touch
If you find a mistake, have a question or want me to cover a topic, write to me through the contact page. I read every message.