Author: Marcy Tate

Green painting is using environmentally friendly paints and applying environmentally friendly painting and cleanup techniques. Green painting is not only good for the environment but it is also good for you in that paints can cause harm to you through the inhalation of dangerous fumes and from potential paint entering into our groundwater. While paint getting into our water system or groundwater is rare, it can occur as a result of improper painting cleanup techniques. An added benefit to green painting is that it won’t cost you any more than conventional painting. It’s just a matter of changing habits and taking a few extra steps to ensure a healthier painting experience for you and the environment around you. Many aspects of green painting surround painting cleanup and disposal of unwanted or unused paint. Below you will read practical tips for green painting cleanup.

Green painting Cleanup Tips:

When finished painting, make sure to scrape any excess paint from the can, latex rollers and brushes. Using a stir stick or wall scraper works really well. Scrapping excess paint before washing your painting tools will make them easier to clean. And the main idea behind scrapping excess paint is that it is better for the environment in that you will be decreasing the amount of paint going down the drain when you later wash the brushes and tools.

For extended paint projects, consider holding back from washing your brushes and tools each day. Instead wrap the brushes and tools in plastic wrap or plastic bags and you will be able to reuse them with no problem the next day. Make sure you keep the brushes out of the sun so that hey don’t dry up.

When it comes time to washing your equipment, the safest way is to wash in a sink or similar drain and not in a drain on the street or outside in your yard with a hose.

Consider washing your brushes and tools in a large container and then taking the dirty water to your local waste depot. They will be able to dispose of the contaminated water in the safest way.

Store paint cans upside side to prevent any leftover paint from drying out and also keep the paint cans sealed tightly.

Additional helpful tip: To prevent overbuying of paint, try to make as best of calculation as possible for the amount of paint that you need. A typical gallon of paint covers about 400 square feet so keep that in mind when planning your paint purchase.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/green-painting-cleanup-tips-752865.html

About the Author:

Marcy Tate is a content writer for Networx.com and has been working in the home improvement industry for over 10 years.

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