Cleaning Up Contamination: What Happens to Meth Houses
Methamphetamine decontamination is a lengthy and gruelling process that requires a hazmat suit and respirator. Residential chemical decontamination should be a discreet process, says Jared Herbert of Meth Mob in Utah. He travels across the state to clean all types of homes that have high levels of meth contamination. The company also offers asbestos cleaning services that require similar personal protection equipment. Ann Atkin, owner of Meth Mob, says her company cleans more than 100 houses every year, and every month is busier than the last. Meth remediation often requires carpet and other materials to be removed, while other items can be cleaned and decontaminated. Herbert says most contamination can be found in bathrooms, the laundry, and other areas where a fan can blow out smoke. His team takes about 14 days to clean an average 2,200-square-foot home. The manual labor is usually done in a week, but contamination testing before and after the cleaning takes time to process in the lab.