WHAT you will need:

• Clean plastic bags with a ziplock closure
• Unpowdered disposable latex gloves (if available)
• Tape measure or ruler
• Baby wipes
• Clean hands

If you are going to take several samples, be sure to wash your hands before collecting samples and use a clean pair of disposable latex gloves for each sample.

WHERE to sample:

Areas in your home where your children normally play should be the first to be tested.  The surfaces that you test should be smooth and non-porous, like linoleum, painted wood, or wood floors.  Good places to test include:

• Entryway (including porches).
• Children's principal play area (usually the TV room or living room).
• Children's bedrooms.
• Kitchen.
• Bathroom

WITHIN these rooms, places that are likely to have high dust levels are:

• Floors near friction or impact spots (usually doors and windows)
• Floors near areas with deteriorated paint.
• Interior window sills (of frequently opened windows).
• Window troughs (of frequently opened windows).

HOW to sample dust:

1. Outline the area to be wiped with tape or a template.  The preferred area is a square 12 inches by 12 inches (one square foot). For places where wipe samples are taken and are not this big (like a window sill), measure the dimensions for lab use.  Results will be reported as micrograms per square foot (µg/ft²).
   
2. Remove a wipe from the dispenser and throw it away.
   
3. Put on disposable, non-powdered, latex gloves.
   
4. Remove another wipe and place it on the surface,but withi the area you taped off.  Wipe the area from side to side "S" motions. Fold the wipe in half by picking it up in the middle so that the just-wiped side is folded into itself leaving an unused side outward and complete a second pass going from top to bottom.
   
5. Fold the wipe (contaminated side facing inward) and place it in a sealable plastic bag. If there is gross debris such as paint chips, try not to lose any material collected in the wipe.
   
6. Label the bag and record information (including sampling area measurements) on a piece of paper for your own records
   
7. Place a clean , unused wipe into a clean plastic bag and label the bag as a Field Blank.  This will allow you to determine if there is any lead in the materials you are using to collect the samples.

Send the samples to a lab certified by the California Department of  Health Services.  A list of certified labs is available from your local health department or our Program's Information Line at
1-800-B-LEAD-SAFE.