If you have a saliva drug test coming soon, you're probably looking for easy ways to get through it. On the Internet, you'll find numerous home remedies to pass a saliva drug test, but how many, if any, actually work? We'll go through some of the more common methods, but first we'll explain the detection times for saliva tests. In many cases, you might not need to worry about it.
Saliva Drug Tests
Saliva-based drug tests are usually better at detecting recent drug use. This limits their usefulness, but it also makes them perfect for some situations. For example, if there's an accident at work, your employer might want to test those involved to see if any were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Given the short detection time, you might not even need to worry about failing a saliva test. Here's a summary of the typical detection times:
- Alcohol: 12-24 hours
- Weed: 2-24 hours
- Coke: 2-10 days
- Amphetamines: 12 hours
- Meth: 1-3 days
- Ecstasy: 3-4 days
These are guideline figures only, so it's possible it will actually take a little longer for some people. If in doubt, always test yourself prior to a real test.
Home Remedies for Saliva Drug Tests
The following home remedies are based on reports from users. There is no evidence that any of these methods actually work, and many will be just urban myths. Even if a certain method did work in the past, recent advances in testing may have made it useless. We therefore don't recommend using any of these home remedies to pass a saliva drug test.
Excessive Teeth Brushing
Some people suggest cleaning your teeth and gums like you've never done before, even to the point of your gums becoming raw. Sure, it will probably wash out the "dirty" saliva and any residues from drug use, but your mouth will just produce more "dirty" saliva.
A thorough mouth cleansing is probably worthwhile as a precaution. Just don't damage yourself in the process.
Mouthwash
Using regular mouthwash might help to wash out dirty saliva, but most mouthwash contains alcohol. Using it just before a test increases the chances of testing positive for alcohol. Using it much earlier probably nullifies any advantage it has. Again, use it as part of your normal routine, but don't expect miracles.
Hydrogen Peroxide
A more extreme mouthwash solution is hydrogen peroxide. This gets round the alcohol issue, but it can also penetrate the tooth enamel and damage the inner tooth flesh. Other than the logic of cleaning the "dirty" saliva away, there's no evidence it actually helps.
Other less common methods include gargling vinegar and biting into an onion. Again, there's little chance these will help.
Commercial Detox Products
At best, these methods probably only help if you're a borderline case. If you're really at risk of failing, don't use home remedies to pass a saliva drug test. There are some great mouthwash products that are specially designed for saliva drug tests, and many come with a guarantee.
