How to clean up mercury spills in your home

When mercury spills in your home, contact Victorian Poisons Information Centre or a doctor about any health concerns.

Some household items have larger amounts of mercury than other items. These include:

thermostats
pendulum clock counterweights
home medical items. For example, devices used to measure blood pressure.

When these items break, it’s considered a large spill. You shouldn’t try to clean up large spills. Instead, follow the steps below:

How to clean large spills of mercury

1. Clear the area

Remove all people and pets from the room immediately.

2. Create air flow in the room

Close all the room’s doors then open all windows in the room.
Turn off all heaters and air conditioners.

3. Call 000 and ask for fire services

Seek advice about any potential hazards.

4. Contact an experienced cleaner

Contact a cleaning contractor experienced in chemical clean ups.

You can clean up smaller spills from thermometers or barometers yourself:

How to clean small spills of mercury

1. Clear the room

Remove all people and pets from the room.

2. Create air flow in the room

Open all windows and close the room’s doors for 15 minutes before starting your clean up.
Turn off all heating and air conditioners.

3. Ensure you don’t make more vapours

Don’t vacuum or sweep mercury. This spreads it and makes more vapours. Mercury can also contaminate your vacuum cleaner.

4. Follow these clean up steps carefully

Take off your watch and any jewellery.
Put on gloves you can dispose of later.
Shine a torch on the spill area to find mercury droplets.
Use an eyedropper or syringe to pick up droplets. Use a pen to guide droplets onto a piece of card.
Use sticky tape to pick up smaller droplets.
Carefully place all droplets into a strong plastic container with a lid.
For mercury spilt over a drain or sink, check the plumbing for mercury.

5. After your clean up

Keep windows open so air can flow through the room for 24 hours. Take all rugs and mats outside and hang in open air for at least a week.
Dispose of all items that mercury contacted. For example, gloves, eyedropper, pen, card, broken glass and clothing. Put them in a plastic bag and then into your general rubbish bin.
Don’t wash clothing that mercury contacted in your washing machine. This will contaminate the machine.
Don’t pour mercury down the sink. It’ll stay in the water trap and keep spreading vapours.
Dispose of carpet, curtains, furniture cloth or fabric and any other household cloth that mercury contacted. Mercury can stay in these materials and release vapours.
Mercury safely collected in this manner can be disposed of at a Detox Your Home event. Check when and where the next Detox Your Home events are happening and register to attend.

Broken fluorescent light globes or tubes can release tiny amounts of mercury that aren’t easy to see. You can clean up these breaks and spills yourself. Follow the steps below:

How to clean mercury breaks and spills from fluorescent light globes or tubes

1. Create air flow in the room

Open all windows.
Clean up carefully.

2. Put gloves on and pick up all glass pieces

Use sticky tape to pick up smaller pieces.
Put all glass pieces in a sealed container.
Wipe the area clean with damp paper towel or disposable wet wipes. Put these in a glass jar or sealed plastic bag for disposal.

3. After your clean up

Maintain air flow in the room for 12 to 24 hours.
Put glass and any items that mercury may have contacted in your general waste bin. Don’t put them in the recycling bin.