If you are someone who likes smoking weed, then you might also like to know how to pass an oral swab drug test. Employers are getting more and more conscious about the eligibility of the people they are recruiting. Law enforcement authorities have always performed drug tests before recruitment. Because of the growing number of substance abuse cases, many companies have added drug screening as a mandatory procedure for their current employees and employee candidates.
Thus, the popularity of mouth swab tests is increasing among them. This type of test is non-invasive, cheap, and takes less time to perform. Not to mention that a mouth swab test can be done on the spot with direct observation. Marijuana is legal in some states but that doesn’t mean you can use cannabis and your employers would be fine with it. That’s why you need to know how to pass a mouth swab drug test for weed.
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Legalization Of Cannabis And Drug Tests
As mentioned, some states are fine with marijuana consumption as a form of recreation. But you cannot show up at work being stoned. Thus, even states like Oregon, California, and Colorado, with liberal laws regarding cannabis consumption ban its use while at work. The legalization of cannabis in these states created some issues which lead to frequent drug tests on the roadside.
The number of cases of driving under the influence suddenly skyrocketed due to this law in the mentioned states. The risk factors are too high when you are driving after consuming cannabis. So, the authorities are often performing oral swab drug tests on roadsides.
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How can I pass a cotton swab drug test is a very common question you would find around the web? It also has varied answers that might seem promising but not many could benefit from using these methods. These remedies might have worked for a few in the past. But technology is progressing each day and you cannot expect to beat drug tests with old methods anymore.
To flush out the presence of toxins from the system you need to find out potent methods that can beat advanced drug resting technology. So, the next time you are looking for ways that promise to help with passing a saliva test, check if they have sufficient backing.
Mouth Swab Drug Test Overview
Mouth swab tests can only identify recent drug use because of the small detection time. Thus, you can clear the test by quitting weed for only a day. The fact that it has a small detection window is a huge advantage of mouth swab tests over other types of tests.
If you are going for a drug test as part of the prerecruitment policy, check if you can select the drug test type. For those who have this opportunity, better make the best out of it. Go for a mouth swab test if you want to pass it without problems.
Knowing about the best ways to pass a mouth swab test works in your favor if you get a call for a sudden test. Throughout the article, we are going to discuss important facts about oral drug testing and the process of these tests.
People use mouthwashes with detox formula ( such as Toxin Rid Detox Mouthwash) to remove metabolites of drugs. We are going to review them too. Also, you would find out some effective home remedies for beating mouth swab tests. If you cannot get a hold of a Toxin Rid Detox Mouthwash then these methods might be your next best option.
What Is a Mouth Swab Drug Test?
You might know mouth swab tests as saliva drug tests, or oral fluid drug tests. There is no difference whatsoever. No matter what you call them, the process and the mechanism for doing the tests are all the same. We have come across some saliva drug test FAQs left by people asking to know about how the test works.
Well, the process is simple. The testers would put some cotton swabs in your mouth to coat it with saliva as a sample. The rest are left to them where they would run several tests to determine the presence of drugs. When compared to other types of drug tests, oral fluid drug screens are a new testing technique.
Authorities often prefer this test because it is:
- Very convenient to do as it doesn’t require a professional to collect the sample
- It is a non-invasive testing method whereas other types of tests are mostly invasive.
- You can do the test almost anywhere
- The cheapest drug screening method available
- Almost impossible to temper with the saliva sample

What Is The Process Of a Mouth Swab Drug Test?
With this test, you don’t have to feel embarrassed, unlike a supervised urine drug test. It doesn’t require you to cut your hair from the roots like a hair follicle drug test. The procedure for collecting samples for a saliva drug test is as simple as they come. To understand the process better, SF HIV Prevention Section take the following steps.
- The person in charge of collecting the sample would use a sponge or absorbent pad-covered stick and put it inside the mouth.
- Swabbing the Strick around your mouth the sponge pad would absorb your oral fluid.
- After getting the sample they will start analyzing the sample to detect drug residues.
- The whole process can be done in a lab or on-site.
If it is an on-site mouth swab test then you would get the result within a few minutes. Normally it takes up to three minutes more or less. In case you are doing the test in a laboratory then it would take around 24 hours to get the result.
Although the test is simple, you must follow some instructions before taking the test. A mouth swab test has eating restrictions. You cannot eat or drink anything for at least 10 minutes prior to the test.
What Kinds of Drugs Can Be Detected with Mouth Swab Drug Test?
These types of tests are generally performed to see if someone has consumed cannabis. But it can easily detect several other drug compounds other than THC. With a multi-panel drug test, your employer can find out if you are using substances or not.
Passing a saliva drug test for THC might be comparatively easy. It cannot detect the presence of THC in your body. But when it comes to substances like cocaine, opioids, or alcohol the same might not be easy. This type of test can only identify the existence of THC if some of the traces are left there in your mouth. Following are the types of drugs that can be detected with saliva drug tests.
- PCP
- Cannabis
- Alcohol
- Amphetamines
- Opioids
- Methamphetamines
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
Mouth Swab Drug Test Detection Period
The following chart tells you about the detection periods for each drug type. As you might have noticed oral swab drug test THC detection time is the smallest of them all. The detection time varies from one type of drug test to the other. For mouth swab drug tests, the detection window is as follows:
Marijuana | 24 hours |
Opioids | About 36 hours |
Benzodiazepines | Maximum 10 days |
Methamphetamines | Ranges from 10 minutes to 4 days |
Cocaine | Maximum 2 days |
Alcohol | About 12 hours |
A hair follicle drug test can detect the presence of drugs for up to 90 days whereas a urine drug test can detect the same for 3 days. So, this might be a major drawback.
Employers Who Use Mouth Swab Drug Tests
To this point, we have explained the basics of the mouth swab test. Now it is time to find out what type of employers select mouth swab drug tests before hiring a potential job candidate. Thus, if you are someone who aims to work in these sectors can prepare yourself beforehand to avoid complications.
Most companies have written policies in place describing all the things expected from their employees. It explains the drug testing policy too. It should have all the information starting from the type of drug test you need to take, and the time frame for the test.
Sectors such as transport, security-critical, and energy generation jobs require undergoing drug tests. Awareness is surging in the construction industry too. Now people who are involved in this sector have to go through drug tests to prove their eligibility.
To secure a job as a federal employee you have to undergo advanced drug testing procedures. It is one of the most commonly followed policies. Drugs decrease the ability to think rationally damaging decision-making capacity. So, those who are in charge of safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining national security undergo frequent drug tests.
People involved in law enforcement such as police also take frequent drug tests. Healthcare providers like doctors also take drug tests.
You might need to go through a drug test even if your job has nothing to do with state security or healthcare. It depends on your employer. These days numerous companies have made it a prerecruitment policy. So, naturally, if you want the job you must take drug tests.
When an Employer Might Ask for Mouth Swab Drug Test
How often you would undergo drug screening varies from one company to the other. Some employers ask for drug tests before hiring. This might be just a pre-employment policy. But many companies perform frequent drug tests to maintain a healthy work environment.
Pre-employment
Potential job Candidates take pre-employment drug tests. The goal is to see if the person is right for the job. This can be a sudden test. Since mouth swab tests can be done on-site so you might not have enough time to prepare yourself. Lower, in the table, you can see what solution is offered for such an issue ( Toxin Rid Detox Mouthwash)
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Random Drug Testing
To ensure that the employees are not indulging in any kind of substances employers ask for frequent and random drug screening. Your employer would notify you about the test. Normally, you don’t get a lot of time before you must take the test.
Post-incident
Accidents in the workplace are not something new. It can happen anytime causing huge damage to company resources. To investigate the root cause the people involved in the accident need to take drug tests. it doesn’t require orders from the higher-ups to administer the test. In case it doesn’t happen automatically your employer can demand a drug screening. It helps then identify the person responsible for the accident.
Pros and Cons of Mouth Swab Test
There are several types of drug tests available for you to choose from. And every one of the tests has its pros and cons. Mouth swab drug tests have some pros and cons too and they are stated below:
Pros
- A non-invasive testing method that inflicts no pain to the test taker.
- Doesn’t cost much
- Provides quick results compared to urine drug tests or follicle drug tests.
- The person authorized to collect the sample doesn’t have to be a doctor or a medical professional.
- It is tough to tamper with the sample
Cons
- Saliva drug test detection time for THC is the narrowest which is about 24 hours
- The rate of accuracy is smaller compared to other drug test types
- Those who have a dry mouth might find it hard to provide the test sample
- Requires highly skilled people to perform this test
Different Types of Drug Tests
Without comparing there is no way of knowing which drug tests are better. Keeping that in mind, we are going to compare major drug test types with mouth swab test to see if it actually is the best.
Oral Drug Test vs Urine Drug Test
We all know that urine drug tests are very popular. But this seems to be fairly true in the past not at present. Now employers are looking for more convenient and less time-consuming types of tests. And mouth swab test fills in all the requirements. This is why employers are preferring saliva screening over urine drug tests.
We have already mentioned all the pros of oral swab drug tests. Urine drug tests can get awkward because sometimes they want you to take a supervised drug test. This means someone would be staring at you while you are peeing. But a mouth swab test doesn’t compromise your privacy. Coming to the detection window, if you are planning to cheat your way out of the drug test then a saliva drug test is the best option.
Just stop smoking pot for about 24 hours and nothing would come up in the test. Also, you can use a certain type of mouth wash which will get rid of the THC compounds. To pass a urine drug test you need to go through an intense detoxifying process. It takes a lot of time too and doesn’t even guarantee success.
Blood Test vs Oral Fluid Test
When it comes to accuracy, a blood test would come up at the top. It has a detection window of about 30 days which is far greater than mouth swab tests. But a blood test is an invasive method not to mention expensive. Another concerning matter is, blood test result carries a lot of private information. If someone wants, he can find a lot of things about you using the blood sample. But these are the last things you have to worry about with mouth swab drug tests.
Hair Drug Test vs Oral Fluid Test
Hair follicles drug test is another invasive and expensive type of drug test. Among other drug tests, follicles drug tests have the longest drug detection window of 90 days. In this type of test, the lab testers would cut hair from the roots to collect the sample. Also, you have to wait for a few days to get your test result. But mouth swab drug test provides fast results and costs less than a hair drug test.
Home Remedies to Pass a Saliva Drug Test
Refrain From Using Cannabis
The first and crucial step for expelling drug metabolites would be to stop consuming weed at once. You should do that from the minute you know you are going to take an oral drug test. For regular and heavy weed users this might quite a challenge. In that case, you might go without smoking pot for at least a day just before the day of your test.
Oral swab drug test THC detection time is short. Thus, even regular cannabis users can pass the test without any worries. The THC remains in your mouth for just 24 hours. This is why we recommend stopping consuming marijuana one day prior to the test.
Chewing Gums
Who would have thought that chewing gums can be this effective? Of course, you cannot hope to clear the test with your regular chewing gums. You would find several types of specialized chewing gums with neutralizing agents. Oral clear is a good example of these gums. These are widely used for cheating on a mouth swab test.
The gums typically have a type of fluid wrapped inside of it. When you bite into the gum the fluid residing in it comes out. It reaches every inch of the mouth. The mechanism behind this is that you chew the gum for a short time and let the juice cover your whole mouth. When you continue chewing the gum for several seconds, it results in detoxified saliva.
The effectiveness remains intact for about 30 minutes. And within this time, you need to take the saliva drug test.
Candies
Masking the existence of THC is enough to pass a mouth swab test. To do so you can try out sour candies. They increase the level of acid in your mouth. Candies tend to be high in sugar so it turns your saliva into a sugary and acidic oral fluid. When the testers take their sample from your mouth they cannot identify if the saliva sample has THC in it or not.
We wouldn’t say that this method is one of the best but if you are short on options this might work like wonder. But remember, the effectiveness doesn’t last long. You must go for the test as soon as possible otherwise lab testers would detect the presence of THC with no problem.
Eating Oily Foods
Eating junk food is another delicious way for passing a mouth swab test. This is one of the best alternatives for beating the saliva test. Foods like chicken fry, chips, burgers, or pizza contain too much oil. Although these foods are not good for your health, they surely can assist you in clearing oral drug tests.
When you eat these foods, the fat from them traps THC residues. Since drug metabolites are trapped in the fat cells, the doctors looking for the presence of THC cannot find it. That’s how the results come negative for a mouth swab test. Eat oily food one day prior to the test. If you don’t like junk food then make sure you are eating something very oily. It can be your regular meal but greasy.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Using hydrogen peroxide might be the most used home remedy to pass a mouth swab drug test. To use it take you to need to mix the peroxide and water. Take 3% of hydrogen peroxide with two parts of water. Now you have to mix it well and use the mixture to gargle. Gargling helps to expel THC residues from the mouth.
Hydrogen peroxide works as a detox mouthwash too. Thus, if you cannot find a detox mouthwash or are not sure if the product would work you can always rely on hydrogen peroxide. For that, make sure you have cleaned your mouth thoroughly. After that take the right proportion of water and hydrogen peroxide as mentioned and mix it.
When you are done, use the mix to swish several times and gargle. It is best if you carry on the routine of swishing and gargling for 5 minutes or more. Careful not to swallow the hydrogen peroxide mixed water. You can use it to wash your mouth as soon as you know about the saliva drug test. But remember to do the whole routine an hour prior to the test.
Although hydrogen peroxide used in the right amount is safe for the body. But when you use more than that it might create some discomfort. In the worst-case scenario, it can cause tissue damage. So, it is up to you if you would use it or not.
Vinegar
Vinegar is one of the widely used ingredients when it comes to home remedies. And guess what, vinegar comes in handy in beating mouth swab drug tests too. It flushes out THC from the fat cells by melting fat stored in your body. It also improves your metabolism rate.
According to some people, apple cider vinegar can help pass a mouth swab test if you drink it first thing in the morning. As per their statement, you need to continue drinking it on an empty stomach for about a week or more.
Another type of vinegar used for the same thing is called balsamic vinegar. We have seen many people share their success stories online stating how they passed saliva tests with balsamic vinegar. But these are all claims of random people without having any scientific evidence backing them up.
Listerine
Another home remedy people use is Listerine. Many of us already use it to wash our mouths clean and keep out bacteria and germs. It refreshes your mouth and removes bad breath. Some pot smokers reported that regular use of this mouthwash helped them clear oral swab drug tests.
Of course, there is no concrete evidence that Listerine can actually help to beat a saliva drug test. The mouthwash isn’t specialized to do that.
Best Detox Products for Mouth Swab Drug Test
After going through a lot of detox products we have come up with a list that would help you pass mouth swab drug tests. you would find a lot of detox products claiming to help you beat a drug test but not all of them work effectively. Thus, to avoid scams you can choose any of the following detox products to beat the mouth swab drug test.
High Voltage Saliva Detox
This Saliva Cleanse Detox Mouthwash is the first one on our list for beating saliva tests because of its popularity and effectiveness. This is the go-to detox drink among heavy weed users. The instruction for using the mouthwash is easy and the effect stays for about an hour. All you have to do is shake the bottle nicely and swish it for a few minutes. Now spit it out and your mouth would be free of THC.
Some might worry that lab tests would detect the product. Put your mind at ease because the product doesn’t get detected. Remember you cannot smoke, drink, eat, or brush immediately after or before using the detox mouthwash.
Stinger Detox Mouthwash
This mouthwash works within minutes. You just have to take a small amount of the mouthwash in your mouth and swirl it for a few minutes. Swallow it once you know that the fluid has reached every corner of your mouth. After that go for the mouth swab drug test confidently.
Ultra Klean Mouthwash
This mouthwash includes natural ingredients that help with detoxification. The effectiveness lasts for about 30 minutes so you have to take the test within this time. You have to use half of the mouthwash and swirl it in your mouth. Swirl it for up to 3 minutes and spit it. This would get rid of the toxins accumulated in your mouth.
Toxin Rid Mouthwash
The mouthwash was created to flush out toxins from the mouth. It comes in a small bottle for you to carry anywhere. If your employer surprises you with a sudden oral drug test, this might be the best option.
Magnum Detox Mouthwash
This might be the least known detox mouthwash. Magnum detox is on the list because it works quite well. The mouthwash cleanses the mouth as soon as you use it. Your mouth stays toxin-free up to 45 minutes after using the product.
Federal Laws Regarding Drug Testing
The Drug-free Workplace Act of 1988 is a federal law addressing drug abuse in the workplace. This law instructs that every employee involved in the transportation, aviation, or defense sector must undergo drug tests.
Scientists have done countless research on cannabis and according to some findings, it has some health benefits. Mainly after that, a few states have legalized the use of marijuana. That’s why the laws regarding the consumption of weed are frequently changing. Using cannabis is legalized or partially legalized in some states. Whereas some states do not consider people who use cannabis as criminals.
In a nutshell, the law varies from one state to another when it comes to marijuana. You have to keep yourself updated with your state’s laws if you don’t want to find yourself in trouble for indulging in weed.
The Bottom Line
Mouth swab tests are an effective alternative when you would like to eliminate any chance of tampering with the sample for a drug test. We all know that there are countless ways to cheat when it comes to hair follicles or urine drug tests. But it’s impossible to do the same with oral drug tests as the sample is taken by the testers.
Moreover, mouth swab tests are very convenient and less expensive. With this type of test, the doctors can provide quick results. Though it comes with many benefits the one thing which is a major drawback is the short detection window. So, how long does THC stay in your saliva drug test to be detected in drug tests?
Saliva drug test detection time THC is around 24 hours which is way smaller than urine or hair follicle drug tests. It can only detect the current consumption of marijuana. So, if that is what you want then mouth swab tests would be the best option to go for no question asked. It is an easy, and quick drug test method. It provides nearly accurate results.
This info given by SFHIV/San Francisco Department of Public Health