​In the late 1980’s the term second hand smoke began to rise in articles and reports associated with the health concerns for children.  Today, second hand meth has become a HUGE issue.  What is “second hand meth” you may ask and why would I be concerned with it?  There is a lot more here than you may know and it may very well be affecting people you know.  It could even be affecting you and your family. 
The health effects of Methamphetamine are catastrophic.  What many people do not know is that the houses used as Meth Labs and even the homes where users smoke it often have chemical contamination from Meth and the products used to “cook” it which do not go away on their own.  Unlike marijuana and many other drugs, Meth is chemical based.  The chemicals used in the production of and the final meth product itself do not degrade over time.  They get absorbed into flooring, concrete, walls, paint, carpet and more.  When a new family moves into the home, they move in right on top of the problem and the contamination is then breathed, absorbed and even ingested via hand to mouth contact.  Testing has shown that children are the most vulnerable to this second hand Meth nightmare.  This is because they play on the floor and have more contact with the areas that are contaminated.  Next to no one ever has the home they are buying tested for Meth.  That is until the past few years where real estate agents and buyers are getting smarter and more informed.  Although in some cased, there may be obvious signs that would make you think of testing, even a clean freshly painted and carpeted house can still have toxic levels of Meth and related chemicals from its production leaching into the home.  The ONLY way to make sure a home is not contaminated is through proper testing. 
Some health departments and doctors are now testing children for meth before prescribing things like Ritlan or Adderal for ADHD as they are finding that many of the children who were being diagnosed with this and similar things actually had levels of Meth in their systems the same as users due to living in a contaminated home.  Second hand meth is real and it’s a problem.
New technologies have been developed in the past few years that help remove meth contamination with much less destruction to a home.  Up until just a few years ago, the standard was to remove drywall and other contaminated surfaces and after testing showed cleared, rebuilding the home.  Today however, there are processes and machines that help the professional decontamination company remove the chemicals out of paint, cement, and other structural items reducing not only the decontamination costs but also minimizing the costs and time for rebuilding.  Proper testing can rule out areas and give a more focused efficient way to decontaminate the home. 
This is not a job for the DIY crowd.  Meth cleanup and decontamination is a serious business with more certification and training than many other hazardous cleanup projects require. 

​We hope you never run into Meth in your home or office.  If you do, it's important to stay away from it.  Call 911 and let them know what you have found.  This is not something you want to deal with yourself.  After the clandestine drugs have been removed, it's time to look at the need for testing and possible decontamination.  Meth cleanups are a difficult thing but the processes and systems to do it have made them much quicker and with less destruction to your property.  Mojave Corporation is here to help.  From testing services to meth lab cleanup and decontamination services, we can get your rental back rent ready or home safe to sell or move back into.  We serve all areas in Utah from our Provo and Orem office.    

​We hope your Christmas and holiday season is going well.   it's getting cold throughout Utah.  Cleaning up these types of "Ice" or "Crystal" is easy.  Don't have an ice scraper handy?  Just use a credit card.  It works great and is a much better way to using that plastic this season

​There is a growing epidemic occurring all around us.  It may even be affecting you or people you know.  For years, people have worried about their teenagers activities.  The question of “is my kid doing drugs” is something that many parents of teens ask themselves.  Now many parents however wonder about their 2 year old toddler or newborn baby.  How about the pre-school kid or elementary children.  How about themselves?  Okay, by now you may be wondering where this is coming from.  Who could ever wonder about having meth in their system if they have never done drugs?  The answer is MANY PEOPLE have meth in their systems without ever doing drugs themselves.  This is because they moved into a home or apartment that at some point in the past a prior resident used or worse, cooked meth in the home and contaminated it.  Meth contamination is not something that goes away on it’s own.  It does not biodegrade.  It does not lesson in potential risk over a few years.  In fact since it is chemical based, even waiting 50 years will not make it go away.  The only way to make the problems go away is to remove it and have the home tested to make sure it is safe to occupy again. 

Doing a simple search on the internet for stories of families affected by meth contamination and how they had no idea the home they purchased had such a history is a scary thing.  This is why many real estate agents are now requiring testing for meth contamination be done to homes their clients are putting offers on as condition of the sale.  Knowing up front if that home you are buying is safe as far a meth contamination goes is one of the most important things you may do when putting together an offer to buy.  Many states are now requiring disclosure of such things but those are just a hand full of states.  That disclosure is to be done by the owner of the home.  The problem is that many of them know little to nothing about the actual history of the home.  In the case of rental properties and foreclosures there is even less information about this.  The Drug Enforcement Administration keeps a national registry that logs known contaminated homes which law enforcement has reported.  While this is great for the few they register, it in no way is a even close to accurate list to go off of.  Saying that since a home is not on the list it is safe, is just like saying since only one person got a ticket today on Main Street, that all the other drivers obeyed every law.  There are thousands of meth labs for each one that has been busted and an estimated 10 or more users from each home meth lab that have most likely contaminated the homes they live in by smoking meth in those homes.  This is a real problem that needs real solutions.  The best solution is to test before moving into a home, before buying it, before renting it and the like.  If a problem is found, you then can know what it takes to fix the problem and make decisions based on that.  The best deal you can make sometimes is by walking away from a problem instead of buying it.  Likewise, if you find a problem and it gets fixed, you can move in knowing you have a safe place for your family to live. 

Feel free to contact us for more information on how we can help.  From testing services to decontamination and cleaning up of meth homes, labs and more, Mojave Corporation is here for you.

​Mojave Corporaiton
www.cleaningupmeth.com
800-756-5929

​Are you buying, renting, living in or selling a Meth House?
This is a question being asked by thousands of buyers, sellers and agents every day.  It would be nice if we could say we don’t have that problem here.  The fact is that there is no way of knowing how many homes (even the one you are living in) are contaminated unless you are the first and only owner who lives in it or if you have it tested.

Landlords are all over the place when it comes to Meth contaminated apartments, rentals houses and the like.  For most property managers, landlords and owners, they simply clean up after the prior tenant and rent it right back out.  In most cases there is nothing that would make them think there was a problem.  In many other cases however there are needles, drugs and paraphernalia left throughout the home and they have a really good idea.  Even in the cases of no signs of drug use and production, the prior tenant may have contaminated the property just as much.  The reality is that there is no way to know except through testing.  

Sellers of homes never want to spend on things like testing.  Buyers however are making the investment into that property.  They definitely want and need to know what they are getting into.  This is where they may plan on raising their family or renting it out to families.  No one wants that liability and cost in the future.  Testing is the answer. 
What if it comes back positive for Meth Contamination?

At least everyone knows and you can take the proper steps or avoid the deal all together.  Cleaning up meth contamination in homes and buildings that are vacant is much easier and much less expensive than dealing with furniture, clothing and contents.  Knowing up front is the best possible situation for everyone involved.  The seller and their agent are not worried about this coming back against them later as it is known and the solution can be negotiated and agreed upon in writing before closing the deal. The buyer and their agent know what they are dealing with and everything is out on the table for use to discuss, negotiate and decide upon.  Costs for the cleanup can be figured out and be a known thing rather than pie in the sky guesses. 

If you are buying, selling, helping someone buy or sell or know someone in this situation, please pass on this information.

We work with great testing companies throughout California and we can give you a quick and easy quote for decontaminating a meth house.  We often get requested to handle jobs at the last minute when a problem is found within days of scheduled close of escrow.  Our services can even be paid out of escrow in some circumstances.  We also handle issues such as water damage and mold remediation issues.  We have worked in the cleaning, restoration and hazardous waste industry since the early 1980’s and can put those many years of experience to use for you.
See more at
www.cleaningupmeth.com
www.testingformeth.com
Mojave Corporation   
​1-800-756-5929