Cleaning up Lead-Dust in Your Home

The best method for removing lead-contaminated dust combines using a vacuum cleaner, ideally equipped with a High Efficiency Particulate Air Filter (HEPA),  and wet wiping at least once a week.

Cleaning Supplies Checklist:

• Vacuum
• Mop
• 2 Buckets
• Heavy Duty Trash Bags
• Non-Toxic Cleaner
• Disposable Rags
• Rubber Gloves
• Disposable Mop Cloths

Step 1: Vacuum the room, starting at the highest point and working your way down to the floor. Note: If you do not have a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter or do not have a vacuum at all, you can do just the wet wiping. (See Step 3.)

Step 2: Exit the room and let the dust settle in the room for 30 minutes.  If you don't wait for the dust to settle, you may breathe in lead dust or you may not get all the dust when you are wet wiping.

Step 3: Wet Wiping

• Wear rubber gloves and mix cleaning solution in one bucket and fill the other with clean water.
• Wet a disposable rag in the bucket of cleaning solution and wipe down surfaces: Window sills, window wells, door frames, walls.  Wet a disposable mop cloth with the cleaning solution and mop the floors.
• Throw away the used rags and used mop cloth into a heavy duty garbage bag after use.

Step 4: Rinse

• Wet a fresh disposable rag in the bucket of clean rinse water and wipe down the surfaces you washed.  Wet a disposable mop cloth with the rinse water and mop the floor.
• Throw away the used rags and used mop cloths into the heavy duty garbage bag after use.

Step 5: Getting rid of the used cleaning solution and rinse water. 

• When you are done, pour the buckets of rinse water and used cleaning solution down the toilet.  Do not pour water into a sink or bath tub.