Why Meth DIY kits aren’t worth your while

We hear it often: “Oh that’s ok, I can just buy my own meth test kit and do it myself”. DIY is great for building decks, making crafts or even brewing beer but it is not the way to go for meth testing. Particularly when it comes to buying a house, when hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake.

Here’s why presumptive or instant-answer DIY-style test kits aren’t worth the risk: 

  1. The standard of proof needed at a tenancy tribunal hearing is a lab-analysed meth test, not the instant positive/negative answer you get with these kits.
  2.  “Recovery rate” is the ability to lift meth residue off the surface for a proper test. These kits give you a relatively low recovery rate because a small cotton bud or similar is used to wipe the area. You need more effective wiping for it to be accurate.
  3.  Many instant-answer kits have a relatively low sensitivity, identifying levels of 1.5 micrograms or above whereas lab-based analysis will detect as low as 0.02 micrograms.

Still not convinced? What about this recent tenancy tribunal case… A property company used an ‘instant answer’ meth test at the start of the tenancy and it showed no signs of contamination.

They did another instant answer test at the end of the tenancy and the summary of the test report noted:

“Possible traces were detected in the lounge and master bedroom and a precautionary sugar soap wash is recommended….I am confident the readings in the rooms tested are sufficient to indicate the property is not contaminated”.

The property company then tried to charge the tenant for the cost of the sugar soap used in cleaning the lounge and master bedroom, but was rebuffed by the adjudicator at the tribunal, who said,

“I find that the summary of the presumptive test taken at the end of the tenancy does not establish that decontamination was required and was far from conclusive of any contamination at all.”

See that Tenancy Order HERE

A professional meth test, carried out by a professional meth tester who really knows what they’re doing, is far more credible. Contact us for a free quote on a meth test for your property.