3M LeadCheck Swabs, Instant Lead Test, 8-Pack

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.

Dont listen to the negative reviewers, super easy to use and works well. I had to send out paint samples from industrial parks to check for lead. While waiting for the results, I decided to buy a pack of these and followed the instructions. Pretty simple-- scrape down to the bare metal, crush tubes, SHAKE (pull back sleeve if you want to make sure its all stirred up), and then swab onto the area. Theres like 3-5 drops of liquid inside, so if you are fast with a q-tip, you can dribble onto the q-tip and then swab up to around 4 different sites per tube. I ended up using all 8 at 20 different places from the 8 using the method above, and got 14/20 positive lead checks. Real lead tests came back showing the SAME 14/20 places. This was a super easy way to check and I could get results ASAP. Terrific.

These work well enough. You will pay $25 at your local hardware store for a 2-pack of the same thing, so this is a good deal.If you suspect the presence of lead paint in your home, do not expect this to be the only thing you buy. This is your initial test.The instructions are pretty clear and straightforward. Break, shake, swab. It can be a little tricky and you will probably waste one of them trying to figure it out but whatever they're cheap compared to the hardware store ones.This kit is to test the presence of EXPOSED lead. If you have lead paint on your wall but it is safely painted over by certified interim controls, or really just you rolling some paint (or a previous tenant/owner), it will most likely not detect this. Although I did not see it in the description, I was able to test several areas of dust and get a result back (positive). I tested and re-tested areas in duplicate to make sure that I was not receiving false-positives and the results were consistent.We suspected lead in a few areas being exposed, namely old wooden window sills. This allowed me to focus our efforts on containing certain areas and it will not help you rest easier at night if you're already freaked out about lead exposed but it will at least tell you that your freak out is justified.Again this is not the last thing you will deal with if you suspect lead and you will need to hire a professional inspector to come through and do an entire wall-to-wall-to-window inspection of your property. But before you fork over $450 (our cost for a 2bd/1ba apartment) for the inspection, at least get some swabs to make sure you've got a definite reason to do so.My only complaint (or tip?) is to not go crazy when breaking the glass vials. It might feel like it's not completely broken, but it is. I actually had one break and start leaking the fluid through the casing so that one went in the trash. They basically work like those plastic glowsticks. You break a glass vial on each end and shake together.

Used to test items for lead seems to work as intended

Expensive but useful. I’m not just using this to look at my home’s construction, but to detect lead in household items. Some surprises:A negative swatch can turn positive in eight hours when left to dry on leaded ceramic tile and bathtubs. What a disappointment to know that in newer houses they are still using leaded products in bathrooms! Good to know for renovations.Swiped negative on brass door hinge, which should have enough lead to detect.Swiped positive on some dust particles! We are now a shoes at the door house.Swiped positive on munitions shell, as expected.Turned dark red on stained glass, as expected.Swiped negative on wall paint and positive on galvanized strip under exposed drywall, as expected.Swiped negative on silver metal kitchen pulls, I am trusting this result.Swiped negative on vintage picture frame made of plaster, brass paint or gilding (metal) and clay - not sure, may want to retest.Pro tip: You can get more tests by squeezing the contents into a glass measuring cup with four q tips and using immediately.Cons: sometimes turns an intense orange which can be difficult to distinguish from red.Appeared to turn red on a golden part of a “vegetable dyed” wool oriental rug (lead oxide?) but not on the swab itself, unable to confirm results. In the meantime this goes away from kids.Sometimes the stick itself will stay negative while the liquid on the test item will change.Off label uses may not always be accurateMay not detect on all metals, may be slow or non detect on ceramics.Orange glow juice may be annoying to remove after testing