DEP advisory to residents regarding WTC dust, Oct 2001

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

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Recommendationsfor Food in Homes and Office Spaces The power outage in much of lower Manhattan may have caused refiigerated and frozen food to spoil. Raw or cooked meat, poultry and seafood, milk and milk-containing products, eggs, mayonnaise and creamy dressings, and cooked foods should be thrown out ifpower was out for two or more hours. Frozen foods that have thawed should be thrown away. Do not re-freeze thawed food. Throw away any food that may have been contaminated with dust, except for food in cans, jars, or containers with tight-fitting lids. Wash dust-covered cans and jars with water and wipe clean. When it comes to food left in your building, if in doubt, throw it out

Recommendationsfor Cleaning Homes and Office Spaces The best way to remove dust is to use a wet rag or wet mop. Sweeping with a dry broom.is not recorrunended because it can make dust airborne again. Where dust is thick, directly wet the dust with water, and remove it in layers with wet rags and mops. Dirty rags can be rinsed imder running water, (try not leave dust in the sink to dry). Used rags and mops should be put in plastic bags while they are still wet and bags should be sealed and discarded. Cloth rags should be washed separately from other laundry. Wash heavily-soiled or dusty clothing or linens twice. Remove lint from washing machines and filters in the dryers with each laundry load. Rags should not be allowed to dry out before bagging and disposal or washing.

Because the dust particles are so small, standard vacuuming is not an efficient way to remove the dust and may put dust back into the air where it can be inhaled. HEPA (high efficiency particulate) efficiency filtration vacuums capable oftrapping very fine particles can be used. If a HEPA vacuum is not available, either HEPA bags or dust allergen bags should be used with your regular vacuum. Carpets and upholstery can be shampooed and then vacuumed.

Ifyour apartment is very dusty, you should wash or HEPA vacuum your curtains. If curtains need to be taken down, take them down slowly to prevent making dust in the air. To clean plants, rinse leaves with water. Pets may be washed with running water from a hose or faucet; their paws should be wiped to avoid tracking dust inside the home.

Additional recommendations include:

Avoid sweeping or other outdoor maintenance; Keep outdoor dust from entering the home; Keep windows closed; Set the air conditioner to re-circulate air (closed vents), and clean or change the filter frequently; Remove shoes before entering the home for several days (once you first make sure there is no broken glass). Air purifiers may help reduce indoor dust levels. Air purifiers are only useful for removing dust from the air. They will not remove dust already deposited on floors, shelves, upholstery or rugs. Keep windows closed when using an air purifier.

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