Can Children’s Toys, Clothes and Bedding Found in a Meth Contaminated Home be Saved?

Most children’s toys, clothes and bedding are considered porous items and are hard to be cleaned effectively, especially if they are found in a room with high levels of methamphetamine concentration. It is recommended they be thrown away. Porous items can include, but are not limited to the following items:

• Infant bottles, nipples, utensils
• Infant toys that are put in the mouth
• Stuffed toys or animals
• Children’s clothing in highly contaminated areas
• Mattresses, sheets and bedding, especially baby blankets
• Upholstered furniture or chairs
• Papers or books
• Plastic containers or flatware
• Curtains or wall coverings
• Untreated or unfinished wood furniture

You can see from the items listed above that innocent babies and children definitely come out on the losing side when their parents or guardians cook or smoke meth in their presence or even just in the home where they reside. Children who are found living in a meth home will be removed and taken to the hospital to be checked for contamination.

Some non-porous items can be effectively cleaned, such as hard surface furniture made of pre-finished wood or metal that was not in a highly contaminated area.  However, any hard surface furniture made of plastic, unfinished wood or porous material is more difficult if not impossible to clean successfully.

If you have items that need to be discarded, dispose of them in a solid waste landfill and make sure you notify the landfill that these items came from a meth contaminated property. Always obtain a receipt for what you disposed of at their facility.  You may be asked for proof of this from your local health department or the cleanup contractor with whom you are working.

We work closely with Child Protective Services. If you have any questions or know of a situation that concerns you, please don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 1-877-260-4828.