X post-Broken CFL on carpet in dd's room

[infomama]

Broke a CFL bulb in dd's room last night. Carpeted floor. DH picked up the pieces and put them in a small lidded garbage can while I vacuumed up the section of floor. THEN I read the instructions for this occurrence and I'm freaking out.

DH quickly removed the broken bulb and put in in a plastic container, placed it outside. washed the garbage can.
I moved dd out of her room for the night and opened the window even though it was in the 20's here last night.
I laid a towel over the spot (this morning) until I figure out what to do.

Anyone been through this? Broken CFL on carpeting in dc's room?
Should I replace her carpeting? Replace my Dyson? I slept maybe a couple of hours last night since I'm so worried about this.
I **really** hate those bulbs.

[wellyes]

Aw, hugs. I'd have freaked out too. But I'm sure you're fine.
I googled this for you:

http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/07/31/cfl_mercury-2/

It says the amount of mercury in one of those is minute, and that you might risk poisoning "if you broke a dozen CFLs in your house every day for a couple of weeks".

[egoldber]

Well if it makes you feel any better, I had one explode *all over my kitchen* when I had a contractor doing work in the room above it. I had absolutely no idea I was supposed to do anything special, so I just swept up the shards and threw it away in my kitchen trash.

I didn't know about the mercury/disposal issues until months later. Ah well.

[infomama]

DH and I have decided we're going to replace the carpet. I just won't feel comfortable unless since it's dds room. Of course, they discontinued the carpeting we have a year ago so no luck in ordering more. I'll have to see what we can get that is close. New vac, too.
I really don't need this expense right now but I will think about mercury what evers being spread about every time I vacuum or see her down on her floor playing.

Am I going off the deep end? The EPA site is friggin scary! I wish I had not vacuumed that dang room!!!!

[wellyes]

I'd do the same. Not because you have to for safety, just to get this memory behind you.

Hardest part will be getting rid of that Dyson! I wouldn't want someone else to pick it up if you feel weird about it. Kinda like getting rid of a "perfectly good" expired car seat.

[ehmom]

i hate those light bulbs! the light from them makes me feel like i;m in a department store dressing room....then you figure in the cost and hassle of cleanup from a broken one. so nice to know how much i am "saving" by being forced to buy a product that has these potential risks.

[Reader]

DH and I have decided we're going to replace the carpet. I just won't feel comfortable unless since it's dds room. Of course, they discontinued the carpeting we have a year ago so no luck in ordering more. I'll have to see what we can get that is close. New vac, too.
I really don't need this expense right now but I will think about mercury what evers being spread about every time I vacuum or see her down on her floor playing.

Am I going off the deep end? The EPA site is friggin scary! I wish I had not vacuumed that dang room!!!!

I would do the same, too. Expensive, but not worth worrying about the health consequences.

[infomama]

DH is online and in information overload mode. Not good. he wants to get somebody out to do mercury monitoring. I don't think we need to do that but maybe he's right?
I just got off the phone with the EPA and they seem to say that I did pretty much everything I could considering I screwed up and vacuumed the floor. Off to the carpet store and figure out where I'm going to get another Dyson.

[bisous]

Wait, you aren't supposed to vacuum? I didn't read that...I remember breaking a CFL light bulb in my living room. DH took care of it after looking up protocol on the internet. Pretty sure he used a vacuum but replaced the bag afterward...

Off to google...

[infomama]

Wait, you aren't supposed to vacuum? I didn't read that...I remember breaking a CFL light bulb in my living room. DH took care of it after looking up protocol on the internet. Pretty sure he used a vacuum but replaced the bag afterward...

Off to google...
No, your not. http://www.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup.html#cantfollow
DO NOT VACUUM. Vacuuming is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken. Vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor.

[infomama]

I'd do the same. Not because you have to for safety, just to get this memory behind you.

Hardest part will be getting rid of that Dyson! I wouldn't want someone else to pick it up if you feel weird about it. Kinda like getting rid of a "perfectly good" expired car seat.

I think I'll cut the cord off and dispose of the canister separately. I love that vacuum but oh well.

[billysmommy]

No, your not. http://www.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup.html#cantfollow
DO NOT VACUUM. Vacuuming is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken. Vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor.

It also says this on the bottom of the same page.

What if I can't follow all the recommended steps? or I cleaned up a CFL but didn't do it properly?
Don't be alarmed; these steps are only precautions that reflect best practices for cleaning up a broken CFL. Keep in mind that CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury -- less than 1/100th of the amount in a mercury thermometer.

I honestly wouldn't get rid of the vacuum, just wash out the canister. Once it is washed out there wouldn't be mercury vapor left in it.

[infomama]

It also says this on the bottom of the same page.

What if I can't follow all the recommended steps? or I cleaned up a CFL but didn't do it properly?
Don't be alarmed; these steps are only precautions that reflect best practices for cleaning up a broken CFL. Keep in mind that CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury -- less than 1/100th of the amount in a mercury thermometer.

I honestly wouldn't get rid of the vacuum, just wash out the canister. Once it is washed out there wouldn't be mercury vapor left in it.

Yes and I'm so glad that put that bit in at the end but the vacuum goes...just out of our comfort level. I'm worried about the mercury powder as well as the vapor.

[YouAreTheFocus]

This would make me want to replace carpet as well!

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rugs: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

The next several times you vacuum the rug or carpet, shut off the H&AC system if you have one, close the doors to other rooms, and open a window or door to the outside before vacuuming. Change the vacuum bag after each use in this area.

After vacuuming is completed, keep the H&AC system shut off and the window or door to the outside open, as practical, for several hours.

[infomama]

Looks like IKEA will be phasing out CFLs by 2016. Hope this is true.

[lovin2shop]

Looks like IKEA will be phasing out CFLs by 2016. Hope this is true.

What are the other options? We're building a house right now, and the builder is only allowed to use CFL's. I'm not thrilled with this, but I didn't think there was any other option.

[infomama]

What are the other options? We're building a house right now, and the builder is only allowed to use CFL's. I'm not thrilled with this, but I didn't think there was any other option.

LED looks like it's the new choice

[twowhat?]

LED looks like it's the new choice

We LOVE our LEDs. We are slowly replacing them as our CFLs burn out. They are so expensive but they are lovely. They emit a nice warm, and very bright light - AWESOME for kitchens! No "warm-up" time. They do have a split second delay between when you hit the switch and when the lights come up, but it's just a split second and when they're on, they are ON. We have 4 LEDs in our house so far - 2 can lights above the kitchen sink that I have a love affair with, and our 2 motion detector flood lights out back. I want to replace our under-cabinet lighting (CFL tubes currently) with LED tubes (SO expensive but I am gonna do it one day!) - because even the CFLs heat up the cabinets and that's bad for my spices:)

[ett]

We are slowing replacing our CFLs with LEDs too. Last year there was a pack of 2 for $12 I think.

[lovin2shop]

Thanks, might have to work this in with our builder. I didn't realize that LED's had hit the market for normal light fixtures yet. Is there anywhere that you definitely would not want LED's?

[infomama]

We LOVE our LEDs. We are slowly replacing them as our CFLs burn out. They are so expensive but they are lovely. They emit a nice warm, and very bright light - AWESOME for kitchens! No "warm-up" time. They do have a split second delay between when you hit the switch and when the lights come up, but it's just a split second and when they're on, they are ON. We have 4 LEDs in our house so far - 2 can lights above the kitchen sink that I have a love affair with, and our 2 motion detector flood lights out back. I want to replace our under-cabinet lighting (CFL tubes currently) with LED tubes (SO expensive but I am gonna do it one day!) - because even the CFLs heat up the cabinets and that's bad for my spices:)
Lightbulb moment (no pun intended)!! I can't believe I didn't connect the dots as to why my cabinet was heating up! Those are gone, too!!

[twowhat?]

Thanks, might have to work this in with our builder. I didn't realize that LED's had hit the market for normal light fixtures yet. Is there anywhere that you definitely would not want LED's?

I really can't think of any. I wish all of our ceiling can lights were LED. At least here, all homes are full of these can lights and in homes with high ceilings and/or multi-story entryways, changing these lights is a PITA. So, I would definitely want LEDs in anything I can't easily reach. LEDs for otudoor lighting is great. You don't want to be changing those bulbs any more frequently than you absolutely have to:)

For other things, like vanity lighting, etc - you could probably skip the LEDs and do incandescent since those are easy to reach and change. I have no idea how LEDs do in terms of putting on makeup. I know incandescents are pretty good for that (and CFLs are awful) so you might consider keeping the vanity lighting incandescent...and they'd be really easy to switch out for LEDs if you choose to do so later. Those are the only lights I can think of that I *might* not want to be LED.