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Keep It Clean Campaign

One of NELCC's largest efforts has been the Keep It Clean Campaign. This campaign works with hardware and home-improvement stores to distribute information on lead-safe painting and home-improvement practices to property owners and contractors.

If property owners and contractors work in houses and apartments built before 1978, those buildings may contain lead-based paint. If painting and home-improvement activities disturb lead-based paint, they can create a lead hazard by producing paint dust, chips, or fumes. Even common activities, such as sanding and scraping an old painted windowsill, removing cabinets, and removing paint with a heat gun, can produce lead hazards. Lead dust cannot safely be cleaned up by traditional cleaning methods, like sweeping or vacuuming with an ordinary vacuum cleaner.

If children breathe the lead fumes or swallow even small amounts of lead-paint dust or chips, they can become poisoned. Very young children, who crawl on the floor and put toys in their mouths, are usually at higher risk and are more susceptible to damage.

The Keep It Clean Campaign promotes five actions when doing a home improvement project:

1. Protect your family and your neighbors.

• Keep your family and neighbors out of the work area.

2. Prepare your work area.

• Empty the room.
• Close it off from the rest of the house.
• Bring in your supplies.

3. Protect yourself from lead dust.

• Put on safety equipment, such as safety glasses and disposable coverings.
• Do not eat, drink, or smoke in the work area.

4. Work wet.

• Lightly mist painted surfaces except near electrical outlets.
• Scrape or sand by hand, not with power tools.

5.  Work clean.

• Keep dust inside the work area.
• Clean often, using damp rags or paper towels.
• Use a HEPA vacuum cleaner, a special vacuum cleaner that traps tiny bits of lead dust.
• Wash and rinse.
• Dispose of trash safely.
• Check your work.

To learn more about how to work lead-safe, click for NELCC's detailed booklet entitled Don't Spread Lead.

Click for a brochure describing the booklet.

Click for a Don't Spread Lead bookmark.

To request a CD showing how to work lead-safe, contact the Connecticut Department of Public Health at (860) 509-7299. This program is available in English and Spanish.

Click for a pilot training on lead-safe work practices for employees of paint and home improvement stores.

Click for NELCC's policy regarding the use of the Keep It Clean logo.

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