How We Wash Lead-Based Paint (Safe & Eco-Friendly!)

Lead-based paint can be a hazard both inside and outside of your home. If the outside of your house is painted using lead-based paint, you may be concerned about the potential dangers of washing it. However, it is likely to have more than a few years of grime stuck to it. Don’t worry, if the paint is in good condition, we can wash lead-based paint using a safe and eco-friendly method.

Spot Test

The primary concern with lead-based paint is if it flakes off the home and contaminants the ground and water system. This is a violation of EPA regulations, and can have serious negative health impacts. To prevent this, we start our process with a spot test. During the spot test, we’ll cover the ground with a plastic barrier to prevent any lead-based paint chips from contaminating the ground or getting into the water run-off. Then we will wash a small section of the home. We then examine the run-off water and any debris collected on the plastic to ensure it does not contain paint chips. If it does, we have to stop as we cannot safely wash the home and we will have to safely dispose of the paint chips. If not, we’re good to go!

Soft Wash

We use a soft-washing method that is much gentler than traditional pressure-washing. In fact, it is so gentle you could stick your arm in front of the water stream if you wanted to! (Please don’t actually try this though... Our insurance covers house washing not people washing!) This soft-washing process allows us to gently clean the surface of the house without excessive pressure affecting the integrity of the paint.

Other Options

If the paint is too flaky to be able to safely soft-wash, your main option is to have the house stripped and repainted. The paint stripper should be certified in lead-safe procedures to ensure that they take care to collect all paint chips and dispose of them in the proper manner.

When considering washing your home, we would recommend that you specifically ask any potential vendors about their lead policy as this contamination is an important safety hazard, not to mention a legal violation. At SF House Washing, we prioritize minimizing our impact on the environment and would never want to put your family’s health at risk.