Drug Residue

Drug Residue
Drug residue can be invisible but can also look like powder, pills, or liquid left on a surface.

This page explains how the use of drugs, specifically methamphetamine and fentanyl, can leave residue behind that exposes other people entering the area to these drugs. “Residue” means any form of drug leftover from use whether visible or not, including:

  • pills
  • powder
  • smoke build-up
  • liquid
  • skin patches
  • drug paraphernalia

If you see evidence of drug manufacturing, distribution, or storage, contact your local law enforcement. This could look like pill presses, molds and punches that shape powdered fentanyl, stamps used to imprint designs on the pills, laboratory equipment, large mixing containers, and the presence or storage of large amounts of drugs and other chemicals.  

Your local health officer will determine if the area is considered contaminated. For more information, see the Drug Lab Cleanup Program.

Health Effects from Exposure to Drug Residue

Drug Residue Baby on Floor
Babies and young children are more at risk for exposure to drug residue because they spend time on the floor and put their hands in their mouths. 

Some people have reported temporary health effects when they’ve encountered drug residue, including rashes and headaches. These health effects go away once you leave the area where the drug residue is. Currently, there are no known adult deaths from exposure to drug residue. Young children have a higher risk for exposure and more serious health effects, such as overdose, because they are more likely to crawl on surfaces that might have drug residue, like floors. They are also more likely to put their hands in their mouths after touching these surfaces, referred to as “hand-to-mouth behavior.”  

There are no documented cases where exposure to second-hand smoke from methamphetamine or fentanyl use caused an overdose. However, being around any smoke is unhealthy. Opening windows or doors protects your health if you are around smoke in indoor public spaces by letting clean air in. Do not open windows/doors or use fans if you see powdered fentanyl because this can blow the powder into the air, putting you at risk of breathing it in.

To learn more about health effects from exposure to drug residue, see Health Effects from Exposure to Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Residue (PDF).

Decontamination Standards

Washington State has decontamination standards WAC 246-205-541 for methamphetamine, lead, mercury, and volatile organic carbons (VOCs), but not for fentanyl. The current Washington methamphetamine decontamination standard of 1.5 µg/100 cm2 was created based on negative health effects found in people. The separate decontamination standards for lead, mercury, and VOCs are in the rule to protect people from exposure to those chemicals because they may also be in drug labs.

Reducing Exposure to Drug Residue

There are steps you can take to reduce your exposure when coming across and cleaning drug residue. The sections below focus on different parts of the process for addressing drug residue in properties. 

Testing Methods

We do not have a policy that states when to test for methamphetamine or other drug residue from use. Testing is useful to know what drugs are present and at what amounts, so you can know how to reduce exposure. 

DOH certifies contractors who have been trained to clean up drug labs and test for drugs. These contractors test by wiping surfaces and sending the sample(s) to an Ecology-accredited laboratory. See our list of certified Cleanup Companies.

You can also take and send samples to a lab if the property has not been declared contaminated by a local health officer. The Department of Ecology has a list of labs that are accredited to analyze for methamphetamine. There are no labs accredited by Ecology for fentanyl analysis. 

Other testing methods include:

Field Test Drug Residue
An example of a fentanyl field test strip with a positive result.
  • Field tests: These include strips for methamphetamine, fentanyl, or other drugs. Field testing strips can be accurate and sensitive for the drug being tested, but do not tell you how much of the drug is there. Depending on the methamphetamine test strip, it will tell you if the drug is present, but not if it’s above or below the state decontamination standard. If the methamphetamine test strip is sensitive to levels below the state decontamination standard, a positive result may not mean the area is unsafe. A fentanyl test strip may not test positive for drugs similar to fentanyl called analogs. Fentanyl test strips may also give a false positive if methamphetamine is present instead of fentanyl.
  • Portable devices: These can detect multiple drugs using spectrometry, a science that measures concentration or how much of something is there. Portable spectrometers can give more information on which drugs are present and how much. However, these devices can also be less specific, less sensitive, more expensive, and require more training to use properly. 

Using a certified contractor to test will give you more accurate results compared to using a field test or spectrometer.

Removing Drug Residue

Some products have been tested for how well they remove or break down methamphetamine or fentanyl. General household cleaners, like soap and water, are useful for removing drug residue from surfaces, but do not completely break down the drugs. This means the active drug may be on the used cleaning materials, such as a paper towel or cleaning cloth, or in the wastewater. 

Neutralizing solutions, such as peracetic acid, break down methamphetamine and fentanyl and will remove residue from the affected areas. However, using neutralizing solutions is often difficult and requires more personal protective equipment (PPE), so most of them are not available to the public.

Always follow all product label instructions. Properly watering down (diluting) and applying the products and rinsing the surfaces according to label instructions are important. Some products also require a dwell time, which is how long a product must be left on a surface to effectively clean it. There is not one specific product we can recommend for all uses. 

To learn more about different cleaning products and ingredients that break down or remove fentanyl and methamphetamine, see Technical Information on Cleaning Products (PDF).

Encapsulating Drug Residue

Encapsulation is when you apply a coat of paint to cover up the drug residue on the surface. We do not recommend this method. EPA recommends encapsulation after the area has been decontaminated (confirmed by testing after decontamination). If an area is not decontaminated, encapsulation is not recommended because methamphetamine can travel through the paint to the surface. 

Drug Residue in Shelters and Housing Facilities

We have created a comprehensive guide where you can learn more about what steps to take to address drug residue in shelters and housing facilities.

Full Guide

Shorter Summary of our Guide

Drug Residue in Vehicles

Drug Residue Vehicles
Stolen vehicles may contain fentanyl and/or methamphetamine residue and could need to complete a decontamination process.

A vehicle may contain fentanyl or methamphetamine residue if it has been stolen and then picked up by law enforcement. Vehicles taken by law enforcement may also be found to contain fentanyl or methamphetamine residue. A vehicle containing fentanyl residue likely also contains methamphetamine residue.

Our handout Drug Residue in Vehicles (PDF) has information on drug residue in vehicles, the decontamination process by certified contractors, and cleaning on your own. Drug Residue in Vehicles: Background Information and Resources (PDF) includes further details, including information on relevant Washington state laws and statistics on drug residue in vehicles.

Drug Residue at Home with Children

Drug use in the home can leave behind drug residue where children can encounter it. Babies and young children are most at risk for harmful health effects caused by drug residue because they spend time on the floor and put things in their mouths. Please go to our webpage Drug Residue: Guidance for Child Welfare Workers for more information on how to address drug residue in the home if you’re a child welfare worker or a caregiver.

Clandestine Drug Laboratories

Example of a fentanyl pill press in a CDL
This is an example of a fentanyl pill press in a CDL.

Clandestine Drug Labs (CDLs) are illegal drug manufacturing operations that can be set up in private homes, vehicles, and temporary (transient) accommodations such as hotels or motels using common household equipment and chemicals. CDLs are dangerous and typically contain large amounts of illegal drugs, other hazardous substances, and an increased risk of explosions. CDLs can also put large amounts of toxic waste into the environment. Testing and decontamination of CDLs and storage sites are regulated by Chapter 246-205 WAC and Chapter 64.44 RCW. If you suspect there is a methamphetamine lab on your property, contact your local health agency. 

For more information and resources for CDL testing and cleanup, see the Drug Lab Cleanup Program. 

Our Publications on Drug Residue 

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