How to Make Your Home Lead-Safe

Maintain Your Home’s Condition

It is very important to properly care for the lead-painted surfaces in your home. Lead-based paint in good condition is usually not harmful. If your home was built before 1978:

• Regularly check your home for chipping, peeling, or deteriorating paint. Fix small areas (under six square feet) of damaged paint as soon as possible without excessive sanding. If you must sand, sand the minimum area needed, wetting the area first, and clean up thoroughly.
• Regularly check all painted areas that rub together or get lots of wear, like windows, doors and stairways, for any signs of deterioration.
• Regularly check for paint chips or dust – if you see some, remove carefully with a damp paper towel and discard in the trash, then wipe the surface with a clean wet paper towel.
• Wipe down flat surfaces, like window sills, at least weekly with a damp cloth or paper towel.
• Mop smooth floors (using a damp mop) weekly to control dust.

Here are more tips to help you reduce or prevent your family’s exposure to lead dust. It’s best to follow these steps weekly.

Cleaning Uncarpeted Floors

Do:

• Damp mop with a standard sponge or string type mop and an all-purpose cleaner.

• Clean with a standard vacuum cleaner if no visible dust or debris from chipping or flaking paint is present.

Don’t:

• Mop with a scrubber strip attached.
• Power buff or use polishing machines or vacuums with beater bars that may wear away the painted surface.

Cleaning Carpets and Rugs

Do:

• Wet scrub or use steam cleaning methods to remove stains.
• Clean with a standard vacuum cleaner if no visible dust or debris from chipping or flaking paint is present. Use only vacuums with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters if visible dust or debris from chipping or flaking paint is present.

Don’t:

• Dry sweep the surface dust and debris.
• Shake or beat carpets and rugs.

Cleaning or Dusting Walls and other Painted Surfaces

Do:

• Clean with a soft, disposable cloth dampened with an all-purpose cleaner.

Don’t:

• Use steel wool, scouring pads and abrasive cleaners.
• Apply solvent cleaners that may dissolve paint.
• Excessively rub spots to remove them.

Learn About Lead-Safe Certified Renovation Firms Before You Renovate

Renovation, repair and painting jobs in pre-1978 homes and buildings can create significant amounts of lead-based paint dust. If your contractor will disturb lead-based paint while renovating, repairing or painting your home, he or she must be trained in lead-safe work practices. 

EPA requires all community water systems to prepare and deliver an annual water quality report called a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) for their customers by July 1 of each year. Contact your water utility to request a copy of its latest report. If your water comes from a household well or other private water supply, then check with your health department, or with any nearby water utilities that use ground water, for information on contaminants of concern in your area.

• Find your local Consumer Confidence Report.
• Learn more about protecting water quality from private drinking water wells.
• Read the Is There Lead in My Drinking Water? fact sheet

The most common sources of lead in drinking water are lead pipes, faucets and fixtures. Lead pipes are more likely to be found in older cities and homes built before 1986. Since you cannot see, taste or smell lead dissolved in water, testing is the only sure way of telling whether there are harmful quantities of lead in your drinking water. A list of certified laboratories is available from your state or local drinking water authority. Testing typically costs between $20 and $100. Contact your water supplier as it may have useful information, including whether the service connector used in your home or area is made of lead.

• View and print a fact sheet on testing your home's drinking water.
• Learn more on our Lead in Drinking Water web page.

Reduce Your Exposure to Lead in Drinking Water at Home