How to Dispose Of Paint Thinner
Mineral Spirits, Turpentine, acetones, and other solvents that thin out paint help a lot when painting and cleaning up. Disposing of unused paint thinner in the wrong way can end up damaging the environment and even animals or someone around you. Paint thinner has a very toxic smell that can make some people get dizzy.
One of the best ways to dispose of paint thinner is to avoid using paint that requires paint thinner and use waterbased paints more, but if you have to use a paint thinner and you have some left over. Follow the step-by-step guide on how to dispose of paint thinner property so you don’t get a fine or damage the environment and wildlife around you.
Tools Needed:
- Plastic BagsÂ
- GlovesÂ
- Face MaskÂ
- Cleaning Clothes
- Plastic Bottle
Steps To Take:
Step1: Try And Reuse Or Save The Paint Thinner
* As I mentioned above earlier that reusing paint thinners and using water-based paint is the best way to not have to deal with paint thinners. But if you do have to use paint thinner, try and reuse it or save it so you don’t have to dump it because paint thinner can be used to do a lot of cleaning in your house when it comes to stubborn stains on your walls, floors and other areas. It can even remove hair dye.
* To see if the store to paint thinner, clean off any overspill of paint thinner on the container and wipe off any chunks of paint that might be on it with a cloth. Make sure to wear a gloves and rubber mask.
Step 2: Cleaning Up The Area That You Use The Paint Thinner
* The first thing you need to do is ensure that you put on a proper face mask and thick rubber gloves so that the paint thinner doesn’t get on your hands or you inhale too much to where you’ll get dizzy.
* You will need to clean up the area where you use the paint thinner to thin out the paint. Because the cloth that you will use to clean the paint thinner won’t be a normal cloth that you use in your house because the cloth will smell of toxic chemicals and you will need to get rid of it when you get rid of the paint tinner as well.
* Wipe up the floors, walls, and any area that you think the paint thinner might get on, Even the paint thinner on the container you need to wipe it off and wash out the paint brushes with some of the paint thinner and then you toss all the clothes in a disposable bag.
Step 3: Getting The Paint Thinner Ready To Be Dumped
* Paint thinners and other highly toxic solvents require to be in a thin can or something that cannot be burst easily. The majority of the time you will not be able to dump the paint thinner in these containers so you will need to pour out the paint thinner in a large enough plastic container and carry it to your local dump or recycling facility.
* Carefully pour the paint thinner into the plastic container and seal it off properly with the cover. If you are not ready to carry the paint thinner to the dump or the dump truck will not come for a few days. Store the paint thinner in a high and secured location.
* Ensure the paint thinner can is properly drained out in the next container so you can add some soap to the can and wash it out with warm water. You can dump this water down the drain or outside because it will be diluted with water and soap so it will not cause any major damage.
* Once you have done that you can toss the paint thinner container in the trash or the recycling bin if your neighborhood or state does that. You can also put the bag of clothes with the paint thinner in the plastic container to go to the dump or landfill as well.
Also Read:
How to clean oil paint brushes