You Found More OLD Paint

Spring cleaning has started as we head into the warmth of Summer.  Basements, garages and the cellar discoveries quite often is old paint cans from years gone by.  I think there might be a song about it but I could be mistaken.

You examine each can wondering where they came from and what they are.  Oh and don’t forge “How old are they”

The major decision is how to get rid of them in the appropriate manner.

I have blogged about old paint in the past but this is a question that we field weekly.  We bring this up as the last house asked me the same question we are asked all the time “Can I just throw them away in the trash?”

NO, Not Yet………….

As you can see in the picture we have the cans of latex paint opened in a safe place, away from kids and protected from the elements.  This is so they have time to dry out.

An easy low cost solution if you are not in a rush to get rid of the old cans is to let them just dry out.

How to Dry them out:

1. Open all the lids and expose the open cans to the dry air.
2. Over the next week or so a skin will form on the top of the paint. Use a painting stick or something stiff to push down and churn the paint.
3. when stirring the paint and breaking thru the hardened top surface you will see the liquid paint come to the surface.
4. Step back and wait another week or so and repeat this process until the contents are hard.
5. If there is little paint in the can to begin with sometimes just a week of letting it open in the open air will dry the paint out.

Please note: for oil paints they have to be brought to a specific drop off center in your town as they are considered hazardous.

For another option you can use the Paintcare program.  please click on this website to find a location nearest to you. http://www.paintcare.org/drop-off-locations/

If you have any questions with drying out old paint or other options for removing old paint please send us a message at Ramsdenpainting.com