What Are Folk Remedies to Pass a THC Oral Drug Test?
When it comes to passing oral drug tests, the term “folk remedies” usually refers to solutions using commonly available ingredients like antibacterial mouthwashes or certain types of vinegar. Most people who use these remedies claim that they can successfully remove THC metabolites from the mouth and saliva or at least mask them for a sufficient amount of time to pass a drug test. In case you forgot, THC is the active component of weed that lets you get high. It stays in your saliva for 1-3 days or up to 7 days if you’re a regular user.
The effectiveness of folk remedies remains a rather controversial topic due to mixed customer reviews and the lack of solid scientific evidence to prove this point. However, many people still choose this option over other available alternatives like specialized detox mouthwashes due to their personal preferences and beliefs. In this context, it would be helpful to discuss the use of folk remedies in detail to determine whether they can serve as a reliable method to pass a THC mouth swab drug test.
How Do Folk Remedies Work?
Folk remedies can help you pass an oral drug test in several ways. Some of them focus on temporarily removing drug metabolites from your mouth, cleansing your saliva and providing a short toxin–free window. Others don’t actually remove metabolites, but rather mask them for a certain period of time, making THC undetectable for saliva drug tests. Finally, some folk remedies aim at providing full body detox, which can be helpful for passing any type of drug test. As you can see, in theory, all of these effects should allow a person to pass a saliva drug test. But do they really?
What Are the Main Advantages and Disadvantages of Folk Remedies?
Just like any other method used to pass an oral drug test, folk remedies have certain advantages and drawbacks that influence their effectiveness and safety. Let’s take a closer look at both of them:
Advantages
- Low cost. Folk remedies are usually cheap because they depend on commonly available ingredients.
- Available to everyone. Since folk remedies are cheap and can be made from the most common ingredients sold almost at any local store, they are available practically to anyone.
Disadvantages
- Low effectiveness. Most home remedies have limited effectiveness, which makes them unsuitable for regular and heavy users.
- Safety issues. Some of these remedies can cause harm to your health if overused or used incorrectly.
- Slow action. Most folk remedies take a lot of time to work.
Which Are the Most Popular Folk Remedies to Pass an Oral Drug Test?
There is a huge number of various folk remedies people use to beat a saliva drug test. After conducting a thorough research, we’ve come up with a list of 7 extremely popular options:
- Listerine rinse
- Hydrogen peroxide mouthwash rinse
- Apple cider vinegar rinse
- Lemon juice rinse
- Mint chewing gums
- Sour candies
- Long-term abstinence
Each of these folk remedies works in a different way and has a unique set of advantages and drawbacks. So let’s get to discussing them without further delay.
1. What Is Listerine Rinse and How Does It Work?
As the name suggests, this method involves rinsing your mouth with Listerine, a well-known antiseptic mouthwash brand initially designed to eliminate germs. According to the research “Assessment of different mouthwashes on cannabis oral fluid concentrations”, Listerine rinse works by temporarily decreasing the concentration of THC metabolites in your mouth and saliva.
However, there is a catch: in order for this method to work, you need to stop consuming weed at least three days prior to your test, which makes it unsuitable for surprise saliva drug tests. Additionally, you have to use Listerine mouthwash several times per day for at least several days and right before your test to achieve the desired results. We should also warn you that this method offers a very short toxin-free window and may not work for heavy users.
2. What Is Peroxide Rinse and How Does It Work?
This method involves rinsing your mouth with hydrogen peroxide, a chemical compound with extremely strong oxidizing properties. This chemical works as an adulterant, which means that it doesn’t actually remove metabolites from your saliva but masks them instead. For this method to work, you need to rinse your mouth with a hydrogen peroxide mouthwash just a few minutes before your oral drug test. This will make THC undetectable for a short period of time and theoretically allow you to pass your test.
However, there are 2 major issues you should be aware of if you decide to use this method. Firstly, you will need to properly dilute your peroxide mouthwash to prevent it from causing harm to your mouth. Secondly and most importantly, you should never swallow it because doing so may cause serious harm to your gastrointestinal tract due to the chemical properties of peroxide. As you can see, this method of passing saliva drug tests can’t be called safe.
3. What Is Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse and How Does It Work?
This method works largely similar to the listerine rinse, but has a few differences, starting with the fact that you will need to rinse your mouth with apple cider vinegar. This type of vinegar contains a lot of acetic acid, which should prove useful in eliminating THC metabolites from your saliva. In order to benefit from apple cider vinegar detox, you need to stop using weed at least 3 days before your scheduled saliva drug test and rinse your mouth with this product at least 5 times per day.
However, we should warn you that the effectiveness of this method isn’t scientifically proven, and that customer reviews on its effectiveness we’ve found on the Internet are very mixed. That’s why we don’t recommend you to rely on it to pass a saliva drug test.
4. What Is Lemon Juice Rinse and How Does It Work?
As the name suggests, this method involves rinsing your mouth with lemon juice, which contains a lot of citric acid. This natural compound can change the pH level (the level of your saliva’s acidity) and reduce the concentration of THC in your mouth, potentially lowering it to an undetectable level. According to the research “Salivary stimulation by citric acid at concentrations found in beverages”, the latter effect occurs because citric acid stimulates saliva production, thus its use greatly dilutes your saliva.
As with most rinses, it’s highly recommended to stop using weed at least 3 days before your saliva drug test and repeatedly use lemon juice rinse over this period. It’s also necessary to rinse your mouth with lemon right before the test to maximize your chances of passing it. Unfortunately, this method is unreliable because it doesn’t have a solid scientific backing.
5. What Are Mint Chewing Gums and How Do They Work?
The use of mint chewing gums is yet another popular folk remedy to pass a mouth swab drug test because it stimulates the production of saliva. According to the research “Effects of chewing different flavored gums on salivary flow rate and pH”, this method focuses on changing the pH level and diluting the concentration of THC metabolites in your saliva. It’s strongly recommended to choose a mint gum because it can affect the chemical composition of saliva and mask any unpleasant odors. Theoretically, chewing a gum right before a drug test can reduce the concentration of THC below a detectable level. However, this method has low reliability, and it certainly won’t work for regular or heavy users.
6. What Are Sour Candies and How Do They Work?
This method involves sucking sour candies that can help you pass a drug test due to their special properties. Sour candies contain a lot of citric acid, so using them allows lowering the pH level of your mouth and greatly boosting saliva production. Doing so will allow you to dilute your saliva and decrease the concentration of THC, potentially making it undetectable for an oral drug test. You just need to suck 2-3 sour candies about 5-10 minutes before your test. While this method can prove useful for light and occasional users, it’s unlikely to work for regular and especially heavy ones.
7. What Is Long-Term Abstinence and How Does It Work?
As you can guess, long-term abstinence involves avoiding the use of weed for a prolonged period of time. The main goal of this method is to provide your body with the opportunity to naturally detoxify itself. While this method is probably the safest and most reliable way to perform a THC detox and pass an oral drug test, it has a serious drawback that limits its applicability. Specifically, it takes a lot of time to work, so it won’t help with a surprise test or if you have a very limited time to prepare for a scheduled test (like just 2-3 days). So prolonged abstinence is more of a long-term lifestyle change than merely a method to pass a saliva drug test. We should also warn you that abstinence can lead to the onset of cannabis withdrawal syndrome.
What Are the Alternatives to Folk Remedies to Pass an Oral Drug Test?
There are some alternatives to folk remedies available to individuals who need to pass a saliva drug test, namely lifestyle changes and special detox mouthwashes. The first category includes solutions like sauna therapy, regular exercises, and dietary changes. While lifestyle changes can prove helpful in the long run, their ability to help in the short-term is extremely limited. On the other hand, a detox mouthwash is a product specially designed to rapidly cleanse your saliva of THC metabolites for a short period of time, providing you with a toxin-free window to take your test. So if you’re wondering how to pass a drug test for sure, these special mouthwashes are probably your best bet.
Is It Better to Use Folk Remedies or Alternatives to Pass an Oral Drug Test?
As already mentioned, detox mouthwashes like Toxin Rid Rescue Wash and Stinger Detox tend to be more effective at passing saliva drug tests due to their rapid action. However, this isn’t their only advantage. A high-quality detox mouth wash also has very high effectiveness, which means that it works even for regular and heavy users, unlike most home remedies. These products also don’t require any preparation, like abstaining from weed use for 2-3 days. They are perfectly fit for using on the go and can become your lifesavers in emergency situations. That’s why it’s better to place your trust in detox mouthwashes over folk remedies when it comes to oral drug testing.
How Long Do Different Substances Stay in Your Mouth for an Oral Drug Test?
Oral drug tests can detect various substances like THC (weed), opioids, or alcohol only for a limited amount of time, which is called a detection window. These detection windows can vary based on a specific drug as well as personal factors and consumption habits. Moreover, urine and hair drug tests can detect various substances for a significantly longer period compared to saliva tests. Now let’s look at average detection times for different drugs in saliva:
|
Substance |
Detection Window |
| THC (weed) |
1-3 days |
|
Opiates |
1-2 days |
| Cocaine |
1-2 days |
|
Methamphetamine |
1-3 days |
| Amphetamines |
1-3 days |
|
MDMA (ecstasy) |
1-2 days |
| Barbiturates |
1-3 days |
|
Benzodiazepines |
1-3 days |
| PCP |
1-3 days |
|
Alcohol |
6-24 hours |
What Are the Key Things to Remember About Folk Remedies to Pass an Oral Drug Test?
There are several important things you should remember about folk remedies if you consider using them to pass a mouth swab drug test. Firstly and most importantly, you should be aware that these solutions are readily available because they utilize common ingredients that can be found practically in any local store. Most folk remedies either remove THC metabolites from your mouth and saliva or mask them for a very short period of time. Unfortunately, the use of some folk remedies may also pose a certain threat to your health, especially if they are used too much or incorrectly. Additionally, it’s important to understand that these remedies are unlikely to work for regular and chronic users. That’s why such individuals should consider the option of using alternative solutions such as special detox mouthwashes to pass their oral drug tests.