Going Green
Going green in all aspects of life is becoming easier by the day – experts are coming up with nifty eco-friendly solutions you can choose to make your life greener. Being eco-friendly is only the responsible thing to do and your household is a good way to start treating Mother Nature the way she deserves. Besides recycling and investing in energy-efficient appliances, now you can go green even when you decide to do a paint job, so here are several tips on how to green up your painting efforts.
Estimate the right amount
Purchasing the exact amount of paint you’ll need is not easy but putting some effort into making good estimation is a great first step to making your painting job a little bit greener. That means that you’re going to use all of the paint so there isn’t going to be any waste. Plus, you’ll save some money. In order to estimate as precisely as possible the right amount of paint, you’ll need to measure the length and height of your walls to get the square footage of the surface you wish to paint.
Learn about proper storing
If your calculations happened to be wrong then it’s essential to know how to store the rest of your paint properly. This is important because it will preserve the paint for future usage and, again, lower waste and save you some money. The most important thing is to have the lid well sealed and to store the cans upside down. That way you’ll prevent air from entering the can and drying your paint out, making it useless. The same goes for your brushes and rollers – you should wash them thoroughly and then hang them upside down to prevent the bristles from losing their shape until your next painting project.
Don’t forget to reuse
Paint thinners can be reused because, over time, the paint sludge will settle down at the bottom of the container. You can simply pour the clean solvent off the top and use it again. Also, if there’s little paint left in the can, don’t throw it away. You can use it for touch-up jobs or mix it with some other colours to create new shades. You can even donate the leftovers – ask around in your community and see if there’s a school or a park department that’s lacking paint. Besides, you can make an exchange and swap your paint for some other hue. Either way, you’ll reduce the amount of waste.
Think before you purchase
That strong smell of fresh paint comes from something called volatile organic compounds or VOCs – chemicals that are widely used in many household items. Since some of them can be harmful to your health, opting for low or no VOCs paint seems like a reasonable choice. Also, when searching for house paint products, make sure you look for a supplier that supports sustainable sourcing of raw materials, prevents pollution, and fulfills all environmentally-friendly standards. Purchase paint responsibly and your environment will be thankful.
Dispose of it properly
First of all, avoid pouring paint, solvents or thinners down the drain. Pack them tightly in containers and contact the experts responsible for their proper disposal. Pouring those chemicals down the drain can affect the groundwater supply, so proper disposal is of utmost importance if you want to make your painting efforts green. Also, make sure that the paint dries completely before you throw it away, especially if it’s latex paint. This is considered solid waste so you can throw it in the trash but not before it’s completely dry.
In conclusion, waste reduction is the most important thing in making your paint job eco-friendly. Purchase paint thoughtfully, make a good estimation, donate or reuse the rest, and dispose of it properly. That’s a good way to start acting as a responsible citizen of the Earth.
