Leading regulatory and microbiological testing house MSL Solution Providers has expanded its CleanSure Hygiene Auditing Solution to include air quality testing.
The addition of air plate testing, alongside existing swab testing, enables landlords, councils, housing associations, and facilities management (FM) teams to validate indoor air quality as well as surface cleanliness in line with the latest requirements of Awaab’s Law.
The approach adapts GMP level environmental monitoring practices, commonly used in pharmaceutical, cleanroom, biocidal, and cosmetic manufacturing, for use in residential buildings to support safer, healthier homes.
Awaab’s Law entered its enforcement phase on 27 October 2025, when updated regulations came into force requiring that landlords respond to damp, mould, and related hazards within strict timeframes, including investigating significant issues within 10 working days and resolving emergencies within 24 hours. The Government’s own impact assessment estimates that the first phase of Awaab’s Law will cost local authorities £180.6 million, adding further pressure to already stretched housing budgets.
MSL’s CleanSure Hygiene Auditing Solution enables landlords and facilities managers to verify that rental properties are hygienically clean, safe, and following correct cleaning protocols. Quick, reliable, and effective, the service uses both surface swabs and air plates for microbiological testing by post, drawing on the company’s extensive microbiology and industrial hygiene expertise.
The enhanced CleanSure Hygiene Auditing Solution service now includes:
• Surface swabbing for microbiological contamination
• Air plate testing to detect airborne moulds, yeasts, and bacteria
• Clear, UKAS aligned reporting within 3–5 days
• Actionable recommendations to support remediation and prevent recurrence
The process is straightforward, with reports issued within 3 – 5 days of samples being received. Alongside the results, clients receive tailored recommendations to help them stay ahead of any potential hygiene problems. This dual approach provides a more complete picture of hygiene performance, helping property managers demonstrate that homes are clean, safe, and compliant, not only at the point of cleaning, but also in terms of ongoing environmental health. It supports identification of hidden hygiene risks, prevention of mould recurrence, and clear documentation of compliance.
Peter Thistlethwaite, technical manager at MSL Solution Providers, comments, ‘Awaab’s Law has raised the bar for what ‘safe housing’ really means. Surface cleanliness alone isn’t enough – airborne mould spores and microbial contamination are just as critical to tenant health. By adding air plates to our CleanSure audits, we’re bringing the same environmental monitoring standards used in GMP manufacturing directly into residential settings. It gives landlords, councils, and FM teams a reliable, evidence-based way to validate cleaning performance and stay ahead of potential hazards.’
MSL’s expertise also includes product claim support for the BPR (Biocidal Product Regulation), disinfectant testing, claims substantiation, safety data sheets, user trials, hygiene auditing, cleanroom validation (UV and airborne disinfection), and tailored solutions for specific testing needs. Its in-house microbiology and virology labs provide a comprehensive range of standard tests, including efficacy testing against bacteria, fungi, spores, viruses, mycobacteria, and legionella. The majority of its testing, including biocidal and virology testing, is accredited by UKAS to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards.
For more information about MSL, visit www.msl.io or enquire at [email protected].
