Background

Theoretically, no cleaning method can claim or guarantee 100% decontamination, particularly when porous interior materials are involved. For this reason, following contamination testing, our primary recommendation is typically to replace any interior components that have been contaminated.

In practice, however, replacing every affected component is not always feasible due to budget constraints, parts availability, or other factors. Components such as seats, carpeting, the headliner, and especially the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system can be very expensive to replace.

When extensive component replacement is not a practical option, customers may choose to have us perform a full vehicle decontamination instead. This option is available provided the customer understands and accepts our company's decontamination completion standards and acknowledges that complete elimination of all contaminants cannot be guaranteed.

Cleaning & Decontamination Process

Scope of Work Includes:

Application of appropriate commercially available and custom-formulated decontamination agents backed up by research.

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Comprehensive interior decontamination of carpets, all seats, headliner, interior panel surface, doors, and trunk.

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Repeated HVAC system treatment using a visualized spray and rinse application.

Interior steam cleaning.

Ongoing drug residue testing throughout the decontamination process.

Post-remediation drug residue verification testing with industry-leading sensitivity and resolution.

Ozone treatment of the vehicle interior and interior dehumidification treatment after decontamination.

Statement of Completion of Decontamination.

(Distance charge may be applied depending on parking location)

Post-Decontamination Testing

As emphasized previously, no cleaning or decontamination method can theoretically claim or guarantee 100% removal of contaminants unless a clearly defined acceptance criterion is established. In other words, the question is not whether absolute zero contamination can be guaranteed, but whether the vehicle meets an acceptable decontamination standard based on a defined testing method.

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Currently, one of the challenges within the industry is the lack of a unified national standard or legally mandated requirement in Canada that defines an acceptable residual contamination level for vehicle interiors after decontamination. There is also no legally prescribed cleaning or decontamination procedure specifically required for these situations.

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Our company’s policy is that, after the decontamination process, multiple surface sampling locations are selected. Samples are collected using a 10 cm × 10 cm sampling area and analyzed using either test kits or field mass spectrometry, depending on the type of substance initially identified. A negative test result indicates that the vehicle has met our company’s decontamination acceptance criteria.

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Our testing devices are selected for their industry-leading stability and sensitivity. For example, under our sampling procedure, a FEN sample collected from a 100 cm² surface area at an amount equivalent to approximately 0.44 nanograms may trigger a positive result. As another example, the approximate positive threshold for COC is 2.2 nanograms under the applicable testing conditions. These examples are provided for technical reference and demonstration purposes only and do not constitute any legal determination, allegation, or accusation regarding substance use.

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For additional information regarding our testing devices, please refer to the product descriptions of our kits available in our online store. Please note that the cut-off values listed for these kits are expressed in ng/mL.

Customers should understand that this sampling method is a representative screening process. The collection method involves surface swab sampling and cannot recover 100% of all possible contaminant molecules within the defined sampling area.

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The only way to attempt to recover all contaminants present within an interior material would involve removing sections of the material and performing laboratory extraction analysis. However, this approach would result in significant damage to the vehicle interior and would contradict the original purpose of choosing decontamination instead of complete component replacement.

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Disclaimer

We believe that transparency is an essential part of decontamination services. While our procedures are designed to achieve a high level of contamination reduction, no cleaning or decontamination method can scientifically guarantee the complete removal of every single contaminant molecule from a vehicle interior.

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For this reason, our post-decontamination testing process is based on defined acceptance criteria rather than an absolute claim of zero contamination. Customers choosing our service acknowledge that the vehicle will be evaluated according to our established testing procedures and standards.

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Our testing process uses representative surface sampling methods. Because samples are collected from selected areas using surface swab techniques, the results represent the condition of the sampled locations and cannot guarantee the detection of every possible trace throughout the entire vehicle.

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We believe this approach provides a practical balance between effective decontamination verification and preserving the vehicle’s interior. Achieving a complete extraction analysis of all possible residues would require removing and chemically analyzing interior materials, which would cause extensive damage and is generally inconsistent with the goal of restoring a vehicle without replacing major interior components.

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Before beginning any decontamination service, we encourage clients to review and understand our testing methodology, acceptance criteria, and the limitations of surface sampling. By proceeding with our service, customers acknowledge that the post-decontamination assessment will be performed according to these established procedures.

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Our goal is to provide a professional, transparent, and scientifically reasonable decontamination process while maintaining realistic expectations regarding the capabilities and limitations of contamination testing.