Cleaning Up Paint Spills

Cleaning Up Paint Spills

Cleaning Up Paint Spills

This can be easy or hard to clean up depending on the paint, color, and location of the spill. The most important thing is that no paint has gotten into your eyes, skin or mouth. If so, seek the necessary medical attention right away, property can be replaced you can't. When working with a latex or water based paint the mess isn't as bad as it looks. If you're able to return any portion of the paint to the can, do it. This material may seem wasted or dirty but you can filter out most of the contaminates. If the material is filled with too much junk, then it must be disposed of or else when applied to a surface anything in it will show up.

Most waste management companies, not to mention local EPA authorities don't like wet paint. The only thing you can do is dry the material out first. The most efficient way to do it is by using a bag of drying agent sold at most hardware stores. Mix the wet paint it until it feels dry then throw it away. Sometimes they like it if you double bag it too. Wash off any remaining paint with a scrub brush and hot soapy water. Count your losses and start again.

If you happen to be using oil-based paint, it becomes a little more difficult to clean. In fact, you will need to use paint thinner to clean the mess from whatever you splattered it on. If this includes cloth, such as lawn furniture cushions, cleaning it may be impossible.

If you do decide to scrub them with thinner, it will soak through into the padding and never dry or wash completely out of the cushions or stop smelling like thinner. This would also make for an ideal fire hazard, which is something to consider as well. Other materials such as concrete, brick, or wood must be washed with soapy water after using thinner. If your spill is on blacktop, using paint thinner will destroy it. In this case, it would be best to buy a flat black top coating and simply paint over the spill with a couple of coats. Any rags used in the clean up also need to soak in soapy water, let dry, then throw away. Because thinner on rags may heat up chemically through drying. Under the right conditions, they also pose a fire hazard. Never leave a pile of soaked rags in a building or near a heat source. A final note, don't leave any paint thinner cans in direct sunlight; it will cause expansion of the containers. Read and follow all safety warnings on any material you plan to use.

Christopher Wager

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