Preventative and Protection Steps

Lead cannot be seen. Lead cannot be felt. But you can lower the chances of exposure to lead in your home—both now and in the future. You can help keep your family safe from lead hazards in your home, by taking these steps:

• Keep your home clean by washing floors, window frames, windowsills and other surfaces weekly. Use a mop or a sponge with a solution of water and an all-purpose cleaner or cleaner made specifically for lead to clean up dust.
• If you rent property, tell your landlord about peeling or chipping paint.
• If remodeling is being done, be sure you find out if work is happening on something that contains lead-based paint. Never dry scrape or dry sand lead paint. Don’t burn or torch it. Children and pregnant women should stay away while work takes place. Test dust for lead around the remodeling area afterwards.
• If you have lead pipes or pipes joined with lead solder, you can take steps to cut down on the lead in your water. Never use hot water from the tap for drinking, cooking, or making formula. Hot water can take more lead out of the pipes.
• If someone in your home works with lead, they can bring it home on their clothes. Make sure they shower and change clothes and shoes before coming inside. Wash these clothes by themselves.
• If your yard or the yard at your children’s daycare may have lead in the soil. Don’t let your children play there. Have the soil tested for lead to make sure it is safe. Put in grass or other plants to help keep children away from the soil in the meantime.