It is very important to use proper cleanup procedures at the end of a repair or renovation job. Dust and paint chips left behind at the end of the job may contain lead and could endanger children. Here, Dennis Livingston, author of Maintaining a Lead Safe Home, demonstrates the proper techniques for lead-safe floor cleaning using a double bucket. Regular moping using a single bucket can redistribute lead dust. (More about Livingston)

These cleanup techniques are described in Lead Paint Safety: A Field Guide for Painting, Home Maintenance and Renovation Work, produced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control. We have adapted this procedure for regular household cleaning.

Equipment needed
Double bucket (one side empty, the other contains clean water).
Spray bottle with detergent.
Twist mop with string mop head.

Mist and Scrub
At the start of the cleaning, soak mop in clean water, then mist small area with detergent before mopping.
Scrub with mop.

Squeeze Out and Wash
Squeeze mop into empty bucket then rinse in rinse water. Repeat mist and scrub process. Mop small areas at a time. Rinse often.

Rinse
Repeat process using clean water without spraying the detergent.

Dispose of Waste
Water used for clean up should be dumped into a toilet. Never dump this water in a sink, tub, on the ground or down a storm drain.

Copies of the Lead Paint Safety guide are available from EHC. 
Contact Leticia Ayala at (619) 235-0281 for more information.