Daily clean up of the home is one of the best ways to protect your family from encountering extremely toxic lead substances.
Simply sweeping or vacuuming will not remove lead dust from floors or window sills. Wet mopping and using a damp rag or sponge is the best way to clean potentially hazardous dust.
The EPA recommends that when wet mopping the floors, the best method is to use three buckets: one bucket should contain warm, soapy water; the second bucket should contain clean water; the last bucket should contain cold, clean water. The reason three buckets are needed is to ensure that each time you get the mop wet, the lead dust that had collected on the mop is washed off. This way, each time you mop, you remove the lead dust instead of push it around!
Don't forget to wear gloves when cleaning window frames with a wet rag or sponge.
Other suggestions on daily clean up to reduce lead hazards in the home can be found here.
