SAMPLING FOR LEAD WITH A DUST WIPE
Thank you for assisting our research project looking at the potential for lead. Follow these easy steps to
complete this test.
1. Find a place on the floor, a shelf, a cubby, a windowsill, or another area that appears to have
dust or small lead paint chips and is accessible to small children. (Out of the way places like
corners or the edges of the room are often locations with dust. If you can, take a photo of the
area prior to wiping).
2. Make sure your hands are clean. Open the dust wipe sample packet and unfold the wipe. (Do
NOT touch the wipe to any walls or ceilings to make sure that lead paint doesn’t contaminate
the wipe).
3. In a square area that is about 12 by 12 inches (generally the length of your shoe), make as many
S-like motions as needed to wipe the entire sample area, moving from side to side and top to
bottom of the 12-by-12-inch square.
4. Fold the wipe in half, keeping the dirty side in, and repeat the wiping procedure in the same
direction as before.
5. Fold the wipe into an even smaller square (roughly the size of the wipe packaging) and repeat,
concentrating on collecting dust from the edges and corners of the sample area.
6. Stuff the wipe into the sample tube. Put the cap tightly on the container. On the label, write the
school name, room number, and specific area from which the sample was taken (such as Rm.
101, floor, near teacher’s desk under window). Use a wipe to clean your hands before doing the
next sample.