Old Paint

I recently met with a client that had a lot of old paint in her basement and wanted to know how to get rid of it. This is very common. Every house I have ever lived in has had paint cans in the basement, many left from a previous owner.

If you do not plan on using extra paint around your space, please be sure to dispose of it properly to protect our environment. Check the label on the can to see if the paint you want to get rid of is latex or oil/solvent based.

A lot of the household paint used these days is latex based. If you have latex based paint that you want to get rid of you can let the remainder dry up by leaving the lid off (away from pets or children) or you can add kitty litter to the can. The kitty litter will soak up the remaining paint and turn into a yucky hard glob. Once the latex paint is dry you can dispose of it with your household trash.

However, if you have oil or solvent based paint, stain or other household toxins, you will need to dispose of these properly at a collection site in your community. In Washtenaw County, Michigan, there is a collection site for residents only on Zeeb Road just north of I94. This time of year you need to make an appointment to drop off household toxins during the week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. You just need to call 222-6874. When I called today, Joanna was very helpful in answering all of my questions.

If you have other common household items that you need to get rid of but don't know what to do with, please contact Simply Organized Life and we will try to help!