We recently used some old acrylic paint to paint a small area in the bedroom. Within hours we noticed an incredibly acrid smell, some say that it’s like cat urine. At first, we suspected a new mattress that had been delivered the same day, especially given that some new mattresses are known to smell for a few days after delivery. We removed the mattress, and the smell remained. Then we suspected the paint. (Note, the odor isn’t obviously traceable to the paint on the wall, and we could only confirm the culprit by cracking the paint can.)

So, the point is I now really question the wisdom of keeping paint beyond whatever period causes it to break-down in this manner. Once applied, the smell from old paint is very difficult to eliminate, even if painted over.

And I would like to add that the disposal of paint and other hazardous waste is likely to be regulated by state and/or local law, and therefore the correct answer to the question of how to dispose of paint will vary depending on where you live.

Glass food jars. Sure you could recycle them, but you bought them. They’re strong and they seal well. Jelly jars, PB jars, pasta sauce, baby food and more. They’re great because you can see the colors and you can easily dip a small brush in then re-seal. Just run them through the dishwasher to get them good and clean. If you crave consistency on your shelves you can use canning jars.

I also use them to store left over nails and screws from projects (no sharp points can get through them). The empty paint cans are then free to be “project buckets” as described here: http://unclutterer.com/2008/08.....ur-garage/ or for parts storage. For example we had some leftover hardware on a plumbing project that we keep for maintenance later.

And of course, don’t forget to label everything. You’ll never regret it.

NB: In the 19th century, oil (mostly linseed) was used as the vehicle for paint. The yellowing of paints that contained oil was a key drawback, so it was a significant advance in the 1920′s when alkyd, a close cousin chemically, replaced oil used in paint. For more, see “Paint in America”, Roger Moss, ed.

Yes, paint in its liquid form is not viable for non-hazardous waste disposal. However, only LATEX paint is non-hazardous once dried out. So, you can dry out your latex paint cans, simply by leaving the covers off of the cans, and feel free to just toss them in the bulk waste trash. That’s perfectly fine. Oils, lead based, and any non-latex paint should NEVER be disposed of in the trash though. They contain chemicals that can leech into groundwater or prove toxic if put in an incinerator.

Non-latex paints, batteries, lead pipes/fishing sinkers, and other standard household waste should be disposed of in yearly haz-waste drives. For information on those, contact your waste management company, or municipal department, or simply google it.

The best way to handle the little hazardous wastes that pile up is to just stick it in a coffee can, and wait until haz-waste day, then drive up, have them handle it, and fill up your can again next year!

I plan to use my leftover paints to paint up the basement in blocks. It’ll be bright and colorful.

Be sure if you are throwing out gallon cans of specialized colors you had mixed, that you keep the lid with the color recipe on it, or make a copy/scan on your multi-function document device.

My question is, if they are too hazardous to dispose of, shouldn’t they be too hazardous to use?
TM