Asbestos Cleaning Procedures

[redbrickhat]

I believe I recently exposed my room to asbestos fibers when I opened up 2 electrical outlets that had been sealed up for at least 30 years. One of the electrical boxes was clean, but the other one was filled with plaster dust and cloth sheathing fraying around the wires..

Because of the age of these materials I am assuming they contained asbestos.

I first fixed the electrical receptacle, which required removing an inch of the dust and fraying cloth. Then I cleaned up the dust with wet paper towels and picked up all the visible pieces of cloth fiber which had spilled to the floor. Now I would like to do a thorough cleaning of the rest of the room.

I know that a brief exposure to high levels of asbestos is not extremely hazardous, but I still want to remove as much of the material as possible.

Questions on cleaning asbestos:

A) Are static dust wipes effective in picking up the tiny asbestos particles?

B) What is the best way to clean books and bookshelves? I'm planning to use a air duster and a portable Black & Decker Dust Buster with HEPA filtration and Cyclonic Action.

C) Do you think I have to bother wiping vertical walls and surfaces?

D) For floors, what is the best chemical solution for removing asbestos: plain water, lysol, or some type of wood cleaner?

Thank you.

[Professional]

Hire a professional. You already made enough of a mess. Dont make it worse. Hire a professional. Hire a professional. Hire a professional. You are too stupid to take any further action. Hire a professional.

[Frank]

What you are doing is fine. Wear a dust mask while doing it and also wipe down walls. There is no solvent for asbestos - just use soap and water and discard rags in plastic bags for trash. Only problem with asbestos is particulate in air.

Frank

[HeyBub]

You "assume" the materials contain asbestos. Inasmuch as asbestos was selsom, if ever, used for electrical insulation (only heat retardation), your assumption is based on zilch.

If, on the other hand, you are correct, well... at least you no longer have to floss.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I believe you believe wrong. Wire insulation and plaster do not contain asbestos. Stop worrying, dust the rom and get on with the rest of your life. Some day you will probably die anyway, so don't make it from unnecessary stress.

[trader4]

I second, or third, the above. I've never heard of asbestos being used in plaster or in insulation of wiring used in home walls.

[Stormin Mormon]

You can go in one of a couple directions. Me, I'd just figure that it takes years of exposure to asbestos to cause problems. I wouldn't give it another thought.

Since you're taking it more serously, I'd reccomend in your case to buy a NIOSH / MSA approved dust mask, and a leaf blower. And a 16 gal Shop Vac with a HEPA bag filter, Use the leaf blower to loosen all the particulate asbestos, and the shop vac to caputre it out of the air. Wrap the Shop-Vac in two layers of 8-mil plastic, and tape it securely with 20 year duct tape. Remove the dust mask, and wrap that also.

Then go check into the local emergency department at the hospital for testing, and treatment. Sue your landlord for expenses, and have the building demolished.

[redbrickhat]

Will demolishing the building also release asbestos fibers? And when I am buried, should I be interred in an asbestos-free coffin?

Thanks

Storm> You can go in one of a couple directions. Me, I'd just figure that it

[redbrickhat]

[someone]

I suspect a troll, but if you are serious....... You dont need to spend money on all this cleaning stuff. What you DO need is to have your mind cleaned by a therapist. Spend your money that way instead. One a scale of 1 thru 10 for paranoia, you rate a #11. GET HELP !!!!!

This whole asbestos scare has gone WAY too far......