Painting Tips
That Help Keep Our Water Clean
Are You Painting
The Town Red?
...Instead of Your House?
Can Paint Harm The Environment?
Paint can pollute our lakes, streams and Puget Sound. Paint or solvents that are poured down a storm drain or on the ground will get into the nearest body of water. This harms plants and animals
What's The Problem With Paint?
Paint can be a hazardous material.
Paint is made up of pigments that give it color, a base that gives it body, and
a solvent to make it flow. Paint can also have additives to make it easier to
apply or to protect different surfaces. 
The solvent in oil-based paint and stain can be a problem. These products have
hazardous solvents that go into the air when the paint is applied. They go with
the paint if it is disposed of improperly.
Latex paint is thinned with water instead of a hazardous solvent. In general, latex paint is much safer.
Some paint additives can be a problem, too. Older paints may have small amounts of mercury, pesticides, or lead. These are all hazardous. Some newer paints, especially paints for cars, boats, or metal surfaces, can also be dangerous if not handled properly.
Many of the products used with paint may also be hazardous. Strippers, thinners, and other solvents can harm you and the environment. Read on to find out how you can make choices that will protect you, and help keep the environment clean.
So What Should I Do About Painting?
You can make a difference by:
- choosing paint and paint related products wisely;
- applying them properly;
- properly disposing of extra or leftover paint.
Water-based (latex) paint will work
for most home painting tasks. Latex paints are easier to thin and clean up,
produce very little odor, and do not need hazardous
solvents or thinners. Remember to buy only as much paint as you will need, and
be sure you clean up carefully.
To remove old paint, use sandpaper instead of a chemical stripper. If you use a stripper, choose one that is water-based. Avoid strippers containing methylene chloride, acetone or naphtha, all of which can be harmful. Citrus-based solvents (based on lemon oil) are effective. However, they can be flammable.
If you have a special job where you are not sure you can use latex paint, check with your paint store. Ask it there is a latex alternative. If not, find the least hazardous alternative to you and the environment. Read the label on the products and follow directions carefully.
And I Can Protect Puget Sound And My Local Stream As Well?
After you have finished, latex paints
and brushes can be cleaned up in sinks or toilets. Never clean brushes outside,
or pour the rinse water on the ground, in a ditch, or down a storm drain. If you
have latex paint that you will not use, pass it on to someone who
can use it.
Small amounts of latex paint can be allowed to dry, and then thrown away in the
garbage. Larger amounts should be saved for a paint recycling collection or
taken to a Household Hazardous Waste collection site. You can dispose of your
household hazardous waste free at any of the city's Hazardous Waste sites. For
the disposal site nearest you, or to make an appointment, call (206) 296-4692.
Dirty solvent can be reused by letting the dirt settle in a jar and straining off the solvent. Never pour solvents down sink drains, storm drains, ditches, or on the ground. Any leftover solvents, strippers, or oil-based paints should be taken to a household hazardous waste collection site.
How To Ask For Help
If you do not know which paint to use, ask for help at your paint store. They can usually give you good advice about the kind of paint that will work best. They can also help you avoid buying more than you need or paint that is more hazardous than you need for your job.
- If you become sick from using
paint or paint products, call the Poison Center at 526-2121.
- For disposal information, call the Health Department Hazards Line at 296-4692.
Be careful with other house maintenance activities, too. If you are doing construction around your house, don't let any chemical products spill on the ground. Also be sure to prevent dirt from washing off your property and into storm drains or the stream. Construction dirt is a major pollution problem in parts of Longfellow Creek.
To find out what you can do to protect Longfellow Creek, call Sheryl Shapiro, Watershed Educator, at (206) 615-1443.
Sponsored by
the Seattle Drainage and Wastewater Utility.
Funded in pan with a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology Centennial
Clean Water Fund.