The Curly Fry Light Bulb Cleanup checklist:

As heard today on the Rush Limbaugh Show there is a long checklist of things you will need if you buy a new Mercury Filled CFL light bulb.  You may know that the sale of incandescent light bulbs are banned after 2012 so eventually you may be forced to purchase one of these dangerous bulbs.  Invented by Thomas Edison in the 19th century the incandescent light bulb truly changed the world like no invention before.  For over a century the picture of a light bulb, sometimes drawn over a person's head, was the symbol of a great idea.  Well, soon they will be banned, in favor of expensive mercury-filled bulbs made in China. 

Don't worry - the list of things needed to clean up a broken Curly Fry bulb isn't long at all.  I Own The World put this very short list together.  Who doesn't have these things:

• • A flashlight (for locating mercury spatter on the floor or rug)
  • Several zipper-seal plastic bags (to seal contaminated items)
  • Some large plastic trash bags (to cover your shoes to walk in the contaminated area)
  • An eyedropper or a syringe without a needle (to suck up mercury off of the floor)
  • A roll of duct, masking or packaging tape (for sealing shoe covers and bags)
  • A utility or similar knife (to cut out chunks of contaminated carpeting for disposal)
  • Index cards, thin cardboard, stiff paper or a rubber squeegee (never explained in the cleanup instructions but they want you to have them anyway)
  • Paper towels and water
  • Small artist’s paintbrush (to absorb mercury beads)
  • Foam type shaving cream (for pet feet and other cleanup)
  • Shoe covers, newspaper to kneel on and old clothes to wear (all must be sealed in bags and disposed of properly)
  • Rubber or latex gloves
  • A cardboard box to carry the cleanup items to and from the spill site

Too easy - right.  Now the steps required to clean up one of these Curly Fry Light Bulbs just follow these simple steps put out by the EPA.

Before Cleanup

Have people and pets leave the room, and avoid the breakage area on the way out.

Open a window or door to the outdoors and leave the room for 5‐10 minutes.

Shut off the central forced‐air heating/air conditioning (H&AC) system, if you have one.

Collect materials you will need to clean up the broken bulb:

o Stiff paper or cardboard

o Sticky tape (e.g., duct tape)

o Damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes (for hard surfaces)

o Glass jar with a metal lid (such as a canning jar) or a sealable plastic bag(s)

CLEANUP AND DISPOSAL OVERVIEW

The most important steps to reduce exposure to mercury vapor from a broken bulb are:

1. Before cleanup

a. Have people and pets leave the room.

b. Air out the room for 5‐10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor

environment.

c. Shut off the central forced air heating/air conditioning (H&AC) system, if you have one.

d. Collect materials needed to clean up broken bulb.

2. During cleanup

a. Be thorough in collecting broken glass and visible powder.

b. Place cleanup materials in a sealable container.

3. After cleanup

a. Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials outdoors in a trash container or

protected area until materials can be disposed of properly. Avoid leaving any bulb

fragments or cleanup materials indoors.

b. For several hours, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the

H&AC system shut off.

Cleanup Steps for Hard SurfacesCarefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place debris and paper/cardboard in a glass jar with a metal lid. If a glass jar is not available, use a sealable plastic bag.

(NOTE: Since a plastic bag will not prevent the mercury vapor from escaping, remove the plastic bag(s)

from the home after cleanup.)

Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Place

the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag.

Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels in the glass jar

or plastic bag.

Vacuuming of hard surfaces during cleanup is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all

other cleanup steps have been taken. [NOTE: It is possible that vacuuming could spread mercurycontaining

powder or mercury vapor, although available information on this problem is limited.] If

vacuuming is needed to ensure removal of all broken glass, keep the following tips in mind:

o Keep a window or door to the outdoors open;

o Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken using the vacuum hose, if available; and

o Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and seal the bag/vacuum debris,

and any materials used to clean the vacuum, in a plastic bag.  Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags, outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of properly.

o Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your area. Some

states and communities require fluorescent bulbs (broken or unbroken) be taken to a local

recycling center.

Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing bulb debris

and cleanup materials.

Continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the H&AC system shut off, as

practical, for several hours.

Cleanup Steps for Carpeting or Rugs

Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place debris and

paper/cardboard in a glass jar with a metal lid. If a glass jar is not available, use a sealable plastic bag.

(NOTE: Since a plastic bag will not prevent the mercury vapor from escaping, remove the plastic bag(s)

from the home after cleanup.)

Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Place

the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag.

Vacuuming of carpeting or rugs during cleanup is not recommended unless broken glass remains after

all other cleanup steps have been taken. [NOTE: It is possible that vacuuming could spread mercury containing powder or mercury vapor, although available information on this problem is limited.] If

vacuuming is needed to ensure removal of all broken glass, keep the following tips in mind:

o Keep a window or door to the outdoors open;

o Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken using the vacuum hose, if available, and

o Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and seal the bag/vacuum debris,

and any materials used to clean the vacuum, in a plastic bag.

Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags, outdoors in a

trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of properly.

o Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your area. Some

states and communities require fluorescent bulbs (broken or unbroken) be taken to a local

recycling center.

Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing bulb debris

and cleanup materials.

Continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the H&AC system shut off, as

practical, for several hours.

And the really good news is these Mercury Bulbs cost as much as SIX TIMES as much as a traditional incandescent light bulb!