Lead Dust Wipe Inspection Preparation

NOTE:  Inspectors are required by law to notify MDE by Fax or email 24 hours prior to an inspection.

VISUAL INSPECTION OF "ALL INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR PAINTED SURFACES" for chipping, peeling and/or flaking painted surfaces.

Exterior:  Walls, Windows and Trim, Doors, Fraes and Trim, Soffit, Facia, Gutters, Down Spouts, Porches, Post, Ceilings, Railings and Steps.  Any outbuildings & structures accessible to tenant.

Interior:  All six (6) sides of each room.  Walls, Ceilings, Floors, Doors and Trim, Baseboards, Windows, Trim Sills and Wells (window well is trough area between the sill and the storm window.)

All rooms considered part of the living area must be inspected, including laundry or laundry areas in basement and enclosed porches.

Correcting Areas of Concern

HEPA vacuum ALL rooms.

Wash ALL floors, window sills and wells with mild solution of dishwashing liquid.  Suggestion:  Use two (2) clean buckets.  One (1) with a mild solution of dishwashing liquid and one with clear water.  Lots of paper towels.  Wash areas with paper towel and rinse with lots of clear water and a clean paper towel.  Dry with a clean paper towel.

If you must scrape paint, mist the area with water before scraping or sanding.  Keep dust wet.  Clean with paper towels and suggested cleaners.  Paint if necessary.  If you choose to cover the wells with vinyl or aluminum coil stock and caulk around. When scraping or sanding, cover the floor or ground in the work area with 6 mil plastic sheeting.  When finished, carefully roll up covering and place in plastic bag.

After cleaning or painting allow area to dry before lowering window.  While closing sindow before test, protect from any possible dust contamination.

Day of Inspection

Exterior and interior of the building/unit and common areas will be visually inspected to assure that no chipping, peeling or flaking paint is present.

Prior to Inspection, or right before inspection in cases where storm windows are not present, clean with soap solution and paper towels.  Also make sure floor areas are clean and free from dust.

Dust wipe inspections are performed on window sills, window wells and floors.

The inspector will test two (2) areas in rooms without all replacement windows in that room and one (1) in rooms with all replacement windows or no windows.

CLEANING UP:

It is very important to use proper cleanup procedures at the end of any remodeling, repainting or maintenance job.  Dust and paint chips left behind at the end of the job may contain lead and may endanger children.  Have dust-wipe samples collected at the end of the job to be sure that it is safe for children to return.

Cleaning the Work Area:

  • Pick up the work area.  Pick up large chips with damp paper towel.  Mist, then push dust into dust pan.
  • Pick up protective plastic sheeting.  Clean off protective sheeting.  Fold dirty side inward (dirty side to dirty side). Dispose of protective sheeting at the end of job.  Protective sheeting may be used again within the same work area if it has not already been folded.
  • HEPA Vacuum all horizontal surfaces - slowly.  Vacuum all ledges, sills, stools, molding tops, dusty surfaces, etc. Vacuum floor under work area.  Use vacuum corner tools in corners, cracks of trim, and between floor boards. Vacuum floor with floor brush and carpet with carpet tool.  Important - vacuum carpet very slowly.
  • Mist and scrub.  Wet rag or paper towel with detergent then wring out.  Mist surface or rag as you clean.  Lead needs scrubbing, not just wiping.
  • Rinse rag or use new paper towel.  Squeeze rag into empty side of split bucket.  Rinse out rag.  Squeeze into empty side.  Repeat as needed.  Change rinse water often.  Use paper towels first if surfaces are very dirty. Replace rag when it looks dirty. 
  • Recommendation:  Make a final pass with a HEPA Vacuum after dry.

Cleaning Floors:

  • Mist and scrub.  At start of cleaning, soak mop in detergent water, then mist small area with detergent before mopping.  Scrub with mop.  Squeeze mop into empty bucket, then rinse in rinse water.  Rinse often.  Squeeze out and rinse again.  Mop small areas at a time.
  • Rinse.  Repeat above process using clean water rather than detergent.  When cleaning up a work site, us a new mop head for rinse stage.
  • Recommendation:  Make a final pass with a HEPA Vacuum.

Please feel free to call with any questions concerning the above process.