frozen pee

Can You Freeze Urine for a Future Drug Test?

If you are reading this article, odds are you are wondering what’s the best way to store your recently-bought synthetic urine. Don’t worry. We understand and are here to help.

We tracked down the web’s most common questions about the process of freezing pee and brought them to one place. That way, you can get the answers you need, quickly and easily.

So, without further ado, here is your guide to freezing urine.

When Should You Freeze Urine?

There is no time like the present. If you haven’t frozen your pee already, we suggest you do it right now. Or, perhaps you should wait until after you read our section on “How Do You Freeze Urine?”

There are two reasons you want to freeze your pee as soon as possible. The first reason is to provide you the maximum amount of time to prepare for any screenings. That way, you have clean samples on hand instead of stressing out over last-minute details.

The second reason is that human urine is a complex ecosystem of microorganisms that will degrade over time.

According to a paper by Dutch researchers J. Gijs Juenen and Wil N. Knonings: “At a temperature between 5 and 40 °C and a modest pH (4.5–8.5) microorganisms can multiply at very high rates with generation times as low as 30 min.

As a result, a single bacterium can increase to 109 cells in 15 hours.”

What this means in layman’s terms is that the longer you leave your urine at room temperature, the less likely it is to resemble passable urine.

Even though urine is sterile, there is the chance that bacterium from the urinal tract or air-borne fungi could contaminate the sample, multiply, and ruin the result. Long story short, freeze your urine immediately.

How Do You Freeze Urine?

Believe it or not, there are actually more tricks and nuances to freezing pee than you may think. There are many factors to consider, such as the container’s composition and size, as well as when you actually place the sample in the freezer. Let’s start with picking the right container.

Choose something heavy duty. Immediately eliminate anything involving thin glass or porous materials. Your best bets are things that work similarly to urine collection containers, such as water bottles and certain deli containers.

When it comes to picking the size of the container, select something between 8 and 16 ounces. This spaciousness provides you enough room for an adequate sample size without taking up a lot of space in your freezer.

Also, remember that liquid expands when it freezes, so do not fill the container all the way to the top.

Urine sample

Make sure your container is airtight as well. Air can introduce a variety of contaminants, such as bacteria, that could ruin your sample. Try to fill it up close to the top, and as the urine begins to freeze, remove the excess air.

If you do not want to squeeze out the remaining air, here is another strategy for minimizing unneeded space in the container.

Fill up the bottle close to the brim and place it in the freezer without a top. Check the sample every few hours as the liquid continues to expand.

Once the pee rises to the top or is starting to overflow (be sure to place your container on a plate), level the sample and seal the cap.

How Long Can Urine Be Frozen?

There is no hard and fast science about how long pee can be frozen. The rule of thumb, however, is that urine can keep anywhere from 6 months to a year.

While we suspect you might be able to save your frozen pee even longer than that, it is better to be safe than sorry.

You may have multiple urine samples in your freezer. If that is the case, make sure to write the date on the urine container. That way, you won’t create confusion about whether samples are fresh or not.

How Do You Thaw and Heat Urine?

When it comes time to submit your urine sample, you need to figure out a way to warm it to your approximate body temperature. The best method is thawing.

Depending on the size of the sample, you can remove it from the fridge and let it thaw for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature.

Another tried and tested method is using heating pads to warm samples. Place the frozen urine on the active heating pad and monitor the thawing process. Remove it once the pee is at the required temperature.

If you are in a pinch, you can also microwave your urine. This method is not recommended, though, because there is a risk of overheating.

Can You Freeze the Urine Again?

Once you thaw out your urine, you should either use it or discard it. Refreezing the urine sample will increase your exposure to some of the risks mentioned above, like overheating and bacteria growth.

If you are concerned about freezing your urine again, your best bet is to be proactive and freeze multiple clean samples.

What Are the Odds of Getting Caught?

Some people have repeatedly and successfully used frozen urine. Others say any decent tester will catch a frozen-urine user. So why is there this discrepancy about the success rate of using frozen pee?

Every laboratory does not test urine the same way. There are many different possible chemical examinations lab workers may perform depending on their resources, preferences, and philosophies.

Some of the most frequent tests include specific gravity, pH, protein, glucose, ketones, and nitrite.

Lab workers dip a chemical-coated strip into the urine. The strip then reacts with the urine and changes color.

The lab worker removes it and compares the color to a chart; the color of the strip will determine whether or not a given substance is present in the urine.

A small color change may indicate a trace amount of a chemical, while a dark hue represents a more substantial content in the test subject’s system.

The essential factors to consider here are the specific gravity and pH of the urine. That is because both are liable to be altered during the freezing and unfreezing process. Here is why:

The Importance of Specific Gravity

Specific gravity compares the density of urine to that of water. This test is meant to measure how well kidneys concentrate the urine and the donor’s hydration levels.

Normal urine specific gravity values are between 1.002 and 1.035. Values outside of this range suggest the sample has been tampered with or diluted.

It is possible for a sample of urine to fail the urine specific gravity test. That is possible because the water in the urine freezes at a different temperature than the rest of the sample. The freezing or thawing process may make this discrepancy more dramatic.

The Importance of pH

The pH of urine works similarly. A pH test measures how basic or acidic the urine is. A standard measurement is 6.0, though anywhere from 4.5 to 8.0 is considered typical.

Excess amounts of dilution or concentration within the urine sample can throw off the pH value. This room for error may be the result of the condition of the sample itself. It can also happen in the freezing or thawing process, as this alters the pH balance.

Final Thoughts

So—can you freeze urine and use it later on? Yes. Is it a perfect solution that will work every time without fail? No. The answer you are looking for is somewhere in the middle—a resounding “Maybe.”

The most important thing to consider is to store your sample as soon as possible while avoiding any opportunities for contamination. The longer your sample is left at room temperature (or hotter), the more likely the pee is to degenerate—and the more likely you are to fail.

Properly storing and thawing your urine samples will also go a long way toward passing. Take your time with the thawing process if you can and avoid exposing your urine to the high temperatures of a microwave.

Use the natural warmth of the room or the low setting on a heating pad for the best thawing results.

Finally, do not refreeze your urine sample. Once you’ve thawed it, use it—or lose it. Following these tips will ensure the highest possible success rate when it comes to using frozen urine.

References

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-urinalysis#1

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279350/

https://www.americanthermal.com/blog/when-temperature-matters

About Chris Wilder

Chris Wilder spent many years working as a part-time phlebotomist, [and yes he knows all the vampire jokes] while honing his writing skills. In 2017 he gave up playing around with blood to become a full-time writer. While dealing with blood might seem a cold and analytical vocation, his role of phlebotomist required dealing with nervous patients who needed plenty of empathy and compassion, Chris has carried this over to his written work. He believes that Quick Fix Synthetic products are the best chance of success. With his wide knowledge in this field and his understanding of how urine drug tests can affect the lives of everyday people like you and me, Chris can explain in layman's turns all the important information you need to know. In his free time, he likes to hang out with friends and check out local bands drinking a glass or two of his favorite Makers Mark Bourbon, while enjoying a recreational smoke. To keep himself in shape he takes extremely short walks with Lola, his incredibly lazy pet pug.