Do not touch the mercury. Keep people and pets out of the area. To reduce evaporation, lower the room temperature. Open windows to ventilate the area. Remove all jewelry from your hands since mercury bonds with most metals and put on rubber gloves.

Large spills.

Contain the spill.

Spilled mercury can spread quickly. Move furniture and other objects away from the spill and prevent the mercury from flowing into drains, cracks or crevices. Any remaining mercury will continue to emit dangerous vapors so it is important to contain every drop.

Never vacuum or sweep up the spilled mercury.

Vacuuming or sweeping up a mercury spill will spread the mercury throughout the house and contaminate your vacuum or broom.

Clean the spill.

Follow the cleanup procedure appropriate for the spill area. On a hard surface, push the beads of mercury together with a stiff piece of paper or cardboard. Lift the beads with the cardboard and place into a plastic container. Pick up any remaining mercury with duct or packing tape or an eyedropper and place in the container along with the pieces of the broken item, the cardboard and gloves. Close the container and seal it with tape. On carpet, cut out the contaminated section. Place it in a plastic bag. Place any pieces of the broken item in a plastic container along with your gloves. Close the container and seal it and the bag with tape. In a drain, remove the sink trap and pour the contents into a plastic container. Close the container and seal it with tape.