Really helped me find the source of my son's lead poisoning. First, it was fairly easy to use - squeeze the shaft at point A and B hard enough to crack the glass inside and release the chemicals, then squeeze until drops of liquid come out and rub the end around on the surface you want to test. It's not perfect - it can only test the surface of materials, etc. If you need a real test then get a lead abatement contractor or have a company come test with an XRF machine. But for quick home tests and material that may have lead on the surface, this was invaluable. I was able to test several surfaces and even identified one or two objects that the CDC had missed on their sweep of my home looking for my son's lead poisoning. See photos - the various shades of brown and orange are negative swabs, and the pink is positive. One of my positive pictures is from the control test strip, which has a tiny amount of lead (hence the warning on the package). The others were of the source of my son's lead poisoning - from swabbing the stone on our patio / walkway (which the CDC does not routinely test). Turns out some sealants used on walkways can be contaminated with lead (done by a previous owner)! The patio that was not treated tested negative. I'm super happy with this product, and bought a second box to have on hand. The only downside is the price - quite expensive, but I guess all lead check sticks are unfortunately.
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From the manufacturer
3M LeadCheck Swabs are a disposable, convenient, simple way to test virtually any surface or material for lead.
- EPA recognized*
- Instant results
- Easy, clean, and contained
- Detects lead down to 600 ppm
*When used by a certified renovator to determine that lead-based paint is not present on wood, metal, or drywall and plaster surfaces.
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How to prep for testing:
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Clean area thoroughlyBefore testing painted areas for lead, prepare the surface by following these steps: |
Cut through layers of paint |
Peel away outer layers |
Perform lead test |
How to test and confirm:
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CrushEach 3M LeadCheck Swab contains two crushable vials, one with a lead-reactive dye, the other with a pre-measured activator solution. Squeeze and crush points marked "A" and "B" located on the barrel of the Swab. |
Shake and squeezeWith the Swab tip facing down, shake twice and squeeze gently until the yellow liquid comes to the tip of the Swab - it's now activated for testing. |
Rub and confirmWhile squeezing gently, rub the swab on the test area for 30 seconds. If the tip turns red or pink, lead is present. If swab doesn't turn pink or red, use the included card to confirm negative test results - red means the test was performed properly. See package for complete instructions. |
Expensive, but works fairly well, and priceless to find source of lead poisoning
Really helped me find the source of my son's lead poisoning. First, it was fairly easy to use - squeeze the shaft at point A and B hard enough to crack the glass inside and release the chemicals, then squeeze until drops of liquid come out and rub the end around on the surface you want to test. It's not perfect - it can only test the surface of materials, etc. If you need a real test then get a lead abatement contractor or have a company come test with an XRF machine. But for quick home tests and material that may have lead on the surface, this was invaluable. I was able to test several surfaces and even identified one or two objects that the CDC had missed on their sweep of my home looking for my son's lead poisoning. See photos - the various shades of brown and orange are negative swabs, and the pink is positive. One of my positive pictures is from the control test strip, which has a tiny amount of lead (hence the warning on the package). The others were of the source of my son's lead poisoning - from swabbing the stone on our patio / walkway (which the CDC does not routinely test). Turns out some sealants used on walkways can be contaminated with lead (done by a previous owner)! The patio that was not treated tested negative. I'm super happy with this product, and bought a second box to have on hand. The only downside is the price - quite expensive, but I guess all lead check sticks are unfortunately.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2021
Style: 8-PackVerified Purchase
Expensive, but works fairly well, and priceless to find source of lead poisoning
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2021
Really helped me find the source of my son's lead poisoning. First, it was fairly easy to use - squeeze the shaft at point A and B hard enough to crack the glass inside and release the chemicals, then squeeze until drops of liquid come out and rub the end around on the surface you want to test. It's not perfect - it can only test the surface of materials, etc. If you need a real test then get a lead abatement contractor or have a company come test with an XRF machine. But for quick home tests and material that may have lead on the surface, this was invaluable. I was able to test several surfaces and even identified one or two objects that the CDC had missed on their sweep of my home looking for my son's lead poisoning. See photos - the various shades of brown and orange are negative swabs, and the pink is positive. One of my positive pictures is from the control test strip, which has a tiny amount of lead (hence the warning on the package). The others were of the source of my son's lead poisoning - from swabbing the stone on our patio / walkway (which the CDC does not routinely test). Turns out some sealants used on walkways can be contaminated with lead (done by a previous owner)! The patio that was not treated tested negative. I'm super happy with this product, and bought a second box to have on hand. The only downside is the price - quite expensive, but I guess all lead check sticks are unfortunately.Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2021
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Top reviews from other countries
amam
work great if used correctly
Reviewed in Canada on April 11, 2022Style: 8-PackVerified Purchase
amam
Reviewed in Canada on April 11, 2022
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Tom Bailey
Really helpful product at a good price
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 30, 2021Style: 8-PackVerified Purchase
Tom Bailey
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 30, 2021
The order arrived next day (UK) with Prime.
The test was easy to use; break the cartridge in the marked areas, shake and squeeze, then apply. I applied the amber liquid to a few areas with scratched off paint using a single cartridge - there was some colour change instantly but after leaving it for 5 minutes the result was obvious.
I also tested on card and the liquid stayed amber. The 2 test cards have 4 tests areas each to verify that the pen works. Again the circle turned red and the area around it stayed amber so I’m happy that the tests worked as promised.
I obviously don’t know how much lead was in the outdoor paint that I tested - I’ve read that outdoor paints contained a higher percentage than indoor. I therefore can’t verify accuracy with a smaller concentration of lead, but for my use case the test told me what I needed to know and I would definitely recommend them as a starting point.
Given that I could reuse the test in multiple places, they seem to work accurately, and the results were so quick - I strongly believe that these are great value for money at £37. I’d been quoted £300 for testing 6 samples by a UK lead testing lab so it’s a big difference.
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