Unfortunately, the Gold Coast is a hot spot for meth (methamphetamines, blue, crystal, ice, speed). Not only are there a large number of users on the Coast, but meth labs are springing up all the time. In houses where meth has been produced or smoked, the surfaces throughout the house get contaminated with the drug.

Although houses with meth labs will often smell due to the chemicals used in manufacture, methamphetamines are actually invisible and odourless, so there is no way to know whether there is meth contamination in a house without testing.

Meth does not break down quickly, so surfaces can remain contaminated with meth for many years. Although the health risks associated with this third hand exposure are still somewhat unknown, the higher the level of contamination, the greater the risk, especially if you have small children.

What’s involved in a meth test?

In our meth test, we test common areas of homes, where residues are most likely to be detected, including:

Our testing kits will show whether meth is present in the property.

What should you do if the meth test comes back positive?

If the test results are positive for methamphetamines, we can offer to send the samples to an analytical laboratory to accurately determine the level of methamphetamines present. It is important to understand the level of contamination as this will determine whether there is a need for decontamination of the property.

The level of contamination will determine the amount of cleaning and costs involved. In cases of significant contamination, the cleaning process and replacement of carpets can cost many thousands of dollars! Certainly if you are looking to purchase a home, this information is important to take into account in any negotiation on price.

Although Gold Coast Pest Services do not do these decontamination cleans, we can put you in touch with a commercial cleaning company that specialises in meth decontamination.

Who should order a meth test?

Landlords and property managers have a responsibility to ensure the rental properties are safe for their tenants. Leasing a property with meth contamination puts the tenants at potential risk and leaves the property manager and landlord exposed to legal action.

It’s smart for Real estate agents to get a meth test on any property being listed on the market – it helps gives potential buyers that important peace of mind.

Homeowners and landlords looking to purchase a property should get a meth test as part of the pre-purchase inspection process. A serious contamination will be costly to remedy and so can influence the purchase decision and any price negotiations. At Gold Coast Pest Services we can carry out the meth testing at the same time as the pre-purchase pest inspection, saving you money!