Worried About Lead In Your Home? Here’s How You Can Check in Duluth & Superior [VIDEO]

There's been a lot of talk lately about lead in our homes.  Whether it comes from the drinking water or from paint in houses, it's present in many homes.  There are some simple tests you can do, and there's some remedies as well.

They do sell lead paint test swabs at home improvement stores.  This one is made by 3m, and its a quick way to tell if there is lead on painted or metal surfaces.  You could use it on windows, doors, and plumbing.

Homes built before 1978 are the homes most likely to have lead in them.  It doesn't mean all of them do, but federal regulations started in 1978 to prevent the use of lead based paint.  Areas of concern are where paint dust could be found, such as door jambs, windows, etc.  Wherever paint is being rubbed or flaking is an area of concern.  You should contact a professional for help.  There are more tips available at the CDC link below.

As for drinking water, you can get a report of your water quality from your city's water source.  If you own a private well, you should have it tested.

There still could be a safety issue in your home, even if the public water source is safe.  You can always send in a test sample to a lab and get it checked.

Another option is to let your water run for 30 seconds from the tap before you use the water for cooking.  That will flush any lead from your plumbing system.