6 Best Ways to Store Urine for a Drug Test A Complete Guide
Are you looking to preserve urine over an extended period before a urine drug test? If so, we are here to give you some tips and insights into the best ways to store urine for that future event.
A urine sample won’t last forever, so knowing the correct storage options will help keep your urine sample clean. Let’s dive into the differences between real and fake urine and the best way to store both.
Fake Vs. Real Urine
It’s important first to know the difference between real and fake urine and why you would need to store either of them. Urine is a waste product produced in the kidneys as a way of cleaning your blood. The liquid is composed of substances that the body doesn’t need and can be harmful.
This waste contains:
- Water,
- Urea,
- Urochrome,
- Salt,
- Creatinine,
- ammonia, and
- Liver byproducts.
The combination of these components gives urine its yellowish color and odor. Human urine is an important part of your body’s cleaning system. Comparatively, fake urine is an artificial compound meant to simulate real urine.
It’s composed of:
- Chemicals,
- Creatinine,
- Yellow coloring, and
- Certain acids to help it look and smell similar to traditional urine.
This product is mainly used to test products, science experiments, and drug testing. If you have drugs in your system, you might need to use fake urine to pass a required drug test.
How to Preserve Human Pee?
To preserve human pee for short-term storage, collect it in a sterile container with an airtight lid, label it with your name and date, and keep it in the fridge at around 4 degrees Celsius if needed for more than an hour.
Here’s a step-by-step procedure for preserving human pee:
- Collect the urine sample in a sterile container that has an airtight lid.
- Label the bottle with your name and date so you know when it was first stored. Typically, labs will have you turn in that same urine sample for a drug test.
- If you need the urine sample to last more than an hour, place the container in a plastic sealable bag, then put it in the fridge with a body temperature of around 4 degrees Celsius.
A real urine sample can’t be stored for long. It won’t last more than 24 hours after you collect it [1]. If the urine sample is left out, bacteria will multiply and affect any test results and interfere with a drug test.
How to Store Synthetic Urine
The storing direction for man-made urine will look different than when compared to human urine. Synthetic urine can last anywhere from three months to three years when properly cared for. So, let’s take a look at the best ways to keep processed urine clean.
Sealed Container
Similarly to real urine, it is necessary to store the urine in a sealed, airtight bottle. When oxygen is mixed with the product, it messes with bacteria and throws off the viability of the urine sample, and can lead to an incorrect urine drug test result. Most fake urine samples come in sealed containers, but always double-check the seal when you receive the product before you store it.
Refrigerator
Place the sealed container in a sealable bag that will then go into the refrigerator as it thrives in cool, dry places. Most fake samples will be negatively affected if left to freeze, so don’t store the cold urine sample in too cold of an area.
If you freeze the urine, then let it heat up, then freeze again, you’ll be changing the composition of the urine sample, which will negatively affect your drug test. Don’t put it in a room with a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius or less.
Read More: Can Synthetic Urine be Frozen?
Heating
When you are ready to take a drug test, you’ll need to find a way to heat the product and keep your synthetic urine warm, as clean urine sits at a pretty warm temperature. After you freeze the urine, you’ll need to find a way to heat it back up.
Making urine warm can be done in multiple ways, as listed below.
1. Microwave
While microwaving the frozen urine seems like a simple way to heat the product, it can lead to a host of issues. The first being that it will be hard to get the urine sample to the right temperature for drug tests.
You’ll find your urine sample has either been boiled or cooked unevenly in the microwave, and it won’t pass a drug test this way. In any case, make sure you follow the microwave heating instruction on your urine sample.
2. Heating Pad
You’ll find a variety of heating pad products that could work to thaw out your urine stored in the freezer or refrigerator. This might be one of the best ways to reheat your urine sample before submitting it for drug testing.
The heating pad applies a steady body temperature which helps keep the integrity of the sample. You’ll be able to pass a drug test with this method.
3. Hand Warmers
Another dependable method is using warmers to warm up the product. It’s a low-tech option that is easy and affordable.
You must be aware that once the product is taken off the warmer, it cools down quickly. If the container needs to stay warm for an extended period, then this won’t be the right option for your urine test. The required body temperature won’t last for longer than two to three minutes with the hand warmers.
Recommended Article: Can Hand Warmers Overheat Urine?
When Has Synthetic Urine Gone Bad?
Synthetic urine can go bad when its color changes to a foggy white, it develops a spoiled odor, or its temperature is not properly maintained, potentially compromising its effectiveness for passing a drug test.
Here are the three things to be looking at if you want to know if your sample may have gone bad and no longer works for passing a drug test. Nurses must inspect the product before handing it over to the lab, so make sure your sample is clean and ready to use.
1. Color
The seal on your pee sample may have broken, which could let oxygen within the sample [2]. You’ll begin to notice the sample fade to a foggy white color. This is due to bacteria growing within the bottle. That is why how you store the urine is so essential.
2. Odor
Fake pee needs to have a musty smell to pass as the real thing. If the product has gone bad, you’ll notice a rotten or spoiled smell.
Freezing the urine can throw off the smell, so be careful. You don’t want to submit a sample that smells bad because the lab and nurses will be able to easily detect that something is off.
Periodically, open the plastic, sealable bag and check its odor. Do this routine monthly and throw away all expired urine products.
3. Temperature
Leaving the urine sample out in the sun will quickly ruin the product. You’ll need to refrigerate the liquid. Pee products stay fresher longer when left in the fridge to cool and away from direct sun.
If you leave the product outside or in the sun for a long time, such as two or more hours, it will be contaminated. Anything about sixty degrees will ruin the sample.
This is why it is necessary to keep the sample refrigerated. You won’t be able to use it otherwise for collecting or testing.
On the opposite side, freezing the urine is also a bad way to store the product. If frozen, the urine won’t be as fresh.
Recommended Article: Does Synthetic Urine Expire?
Ways to Store the Urine on Day of Drug Test
Now that you know the proper way to store your liquids, you’ll need to find a way to pass the required screenings and bring that urine sample in for drug testing. Here are two ways for storing that sample when taking a drug test.
1. Leg Strap
One foolproof way is to use a neoprene leg strap. It is an easy and cost-effective option that may be helpful.
Strap it securely around your thigh and put the liquid sample in the small pocket. Try to situate the strap, so the pocket is on the inside of your thigh. This will be helpful in case of a full-body pat-down situation. You can later use this leg strap for other reasons.
2. Underwear
Another practical option is to simply store urine in your underwear. It’s highly unlikely that your body will be patted down in that general region, so you won’t get caught. To be more cautious, you may choose to wear baggy clothes to help conceal any awkwardness.
The downside to this method is you might find yourself walking funny, which could cause some lab workers to have questions. You may want to practice this technique before you use it. Don’t be later wishing you had.
Can You Store Urine for a Drug Test?
The simple answer is yes. It is possible to store both human urine and fake liquid for passing a drug test. You must take into account all the possibilities surrounding this endeavor.
Remember never to refreeze urine as it may ruin the liquid. And to keep the sample clean for a long time, collect and store the substance in a sealed bottle, then freeze it. When you refrigerate the bottle, the cold temperatures help it last for hours or days. When ready, submit it to a testing center for necessary processing.
References:
- https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/infections/how-should-i-collect-and-store-a-urine-sample/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596703/