Easy Ways to Get Rid of Old House Paint

Are leftover house paint cans taking up valuable floor and shelf space in your home? Painting is an easy and cost-effective way to update any room, but the old left-over paint can sit around for years. Follow these five easy steps, and getting rid of it will be a breeze!

Check to see if the house paint is still good

The typical shelf life of latex paint is ten years, and fifteen years for oil-based paints or solvents. You will know the latex paint has gone bad if it smells rancid. Remove the thin film of dried paint from the top, and stir the paint with a paint stick. If it is lumpy, then the paint is too old or dried up and should be disposed of. If your Oil-based paint had a good seal, and hasn’t been exposed to extreme temperatures, then removing the film on the top of the paint, and giving it a good stir should return it to good condition.

Decide if you want to keep it

It may be helpful to hang on to paint colors that you are still using in your home. If you are going to keep them, make sure the lids are sealed on well, and that they are labeled well with the date and room it corresponds to. To keep a small amount of paint for room touch-up jobs, transfer leftover paint into a smaller size paint container and label it.

Use your leftover house paint

Want to use your leftover paints for a fun DIY project. There are many to choose from. Painted picture frames, bookends, and flower pots to name a few. Browse the many DIY paint projects like the ones from HGTV

Donate what you don’t want

Once you have decided which paints you don’t want, donate it. Look for a local charity that might want to use it. Often community centers, or non-profits like Habitat for Humanity take paint for their community projects.

Let the Professionals Dispose of it for you

Dispose of what you can’t use or give away, and always check with local laws before disposal of hazardous waste. Don’t dispose of old paints and other hazardous materials down the drain! Oil based paints must be taken to a hazardous waste facility, but for small amounts of Latex paint, let it dry it out before you throw it away. Paint cans that have about an inch of paint left can be dried up and disposed of easily. Remove the lid and set it in the sun or use quick concrete mix, kitty litter or sawdust shavings. For larger amounts you can purchase a paint hardener at your local hardware store. One of the best ways to dispose of paint in the bay area is to bring it to the nearest Hazardous Waste Disposal area. They will know how to handle your old paint properly, and often times it will get reused for community projects when possible.

For your next painting project you can get a good estimate of how much paint you will need to use ahead of time try Benjamin Moore’s online paint calculator so you don’t end up with gallons of left over paint. For larger painting projects, consider hiring a professional painting contractor and let Deplok Painting give you an estimate!