Home Test Kits Checklist

There are several home test kits for detecting Meth residue in a property. A Google search should come up with several.  There are some specific questions/issues to consider when comparison shopping for a home test kit:

• What is the lowest detectable level of Meth that will produce a positive result (also called a threshold)?
• Does the test kit provide a simple +/- (above detectable limits as per Question 1) or do you get the actual number? (Kits that change color upon positive result fall into the first category.)
• Does the kit detect only Meth residue, or can it also detect the chemicals associated with Meth labs or maybe other drug residue (i.e. marijuana, cocaine)?
• If it can detect chemicals, which chemicals does the test kit detect?
• Are there any additional fees (like shipping, lab fees, etc.)?
• Does your company also do cleanup of Meth labs? (While many cleanup companies do offer home test kits, consider the possibility of a conflict of interest.)

Of course, price may also be a deciding factor. It may be possible to use a cheaper testing kit that provides +/- with a relatively higher threshold for routine testing, and then follow up with more expensive tests to determine the exact level if the initial test is positive.  If a problem is suspected, it makes more sense to start out with a more expensive test that provides the quantifiable result.