A 24-hour urine sample means collecting all of your urine over a full day into the large container from your kit, mixing it, and sending a measured portion to the lab. Plan this collection for a day when you will have access to the same bathroom for the entire 24 hours, because every urination must go into the container.
Important: Register your kit before you collect. The starting point and storage instructions differ between test types — follow your kit's specific instructions, not general guidelines.
Before you start
Choose a normal-activity day when you can stay near one bathroom for the full 24 hours.
Confirm that the large collection container fits in your refrigerator before you begin.
Do not collect during menstruation. Wait until the following week.
If your kit lists dietary steps to follow before collection — for example, avoiding certain fish or shellfish for a set number of days — follow them. Never stop a prescribed medication without first talking to your care provider.
Note: Some kits ask you to wait at least 96 hours after an MRI procedure that used gadolinium contrast dye before collecting. Check your kit for any waiting periods that apply.
Starting and running the collection
The starting point for the 24-hour window depends on your kit. Two approaches are common:
Some kits instruct you to begin with your second urination of the day and collect everything from that point forward.
Other kits instruct you to urinate and discard the first morning void to mark your start time, then collect every urination after that.
Whichever method your kit specifies:
Use the large cup or collection container to catch the complete contents of every urination — day and night — for the full 24 hours.
Pour each urination into the large collection container and refrigerate the container between trips.
Continue for the full 24 hours, ending at approximately the same time of day you started.
Important: If you accidentally miss or discard any urination during the 24-hour window, the collection total is no longer accurate. Contact our support team if this happens — restarting with a fresh collection window is usually the right next step.
Finishing and packaging the sample
Mix the full container gently by swishing or slowly inverting it.
Measure and record the total volume in the space your kit indicates — often on the container label or cap.
Fill the smaller collection cup or shipping tube to its fill line, then pour off any excess above the line.
Cap the cup or tube tightly.
Label it with your name, date of birth, and collection date using a blue or black ballpoint pen — not a felt-tip or dry-erase pen. Record the total volume if your kit's label includes a field for it.
Store as your kit directs. Some kits require freezing the final sample for at least 4 hours before shipping; others require refrigeration only and must not be frozen. Mark the "frozen" checkbox on your label if your kit includes one.
Note: Ship on a weekday so the sample is not held in transit over a weekend. If you finish your collection on a weekend, store the sample as directed and ship it on Monday morning.
Need more help?
If you missed a urination during collection, are unsure of the start point, or have questions about storage and shipping, contact our support team through chat with your Kit ID. There is no cost for a replacement collection kit when a new sample collection is needed for the lab to complete your analysis.