You’ve carefully prepared and planned out your painting project. You have completed your masterpiece painting or renovating that antique chest of drawers, from purchasing the right paint to gathering the appropriate tools. Congratulations.
Now you are faced with cleaning up those tools, especially the paintbrushes. There are multiple factors to consider in how and where you wash your paintbrushes. And you want to ensure you clean your brushes without damaging your home.
First, it is never a good idea to clean paintbrushes in any sink in the house, especially if you have been working with oil-based paint. Washing your brushes in the sink or dishwasher could damage your pipes, drainage mechanisms, and sewer line and mutilate your septic system. Furthermore, washing your paintbrushes in the sink can cause severe environmental issues for you and your home.
What Happens if Paint Goes Down the Drain?
It Can Cause Clogs and Sludge
Oil-based paint is a slow-drying thick paint made from pigments, oil, chemical binding elements, and usually a solvent. It is most commonly used when working with wood, metals, and paintings. Washing and allowing this paint to go down your sink drain can cause clogs and sludge.
Washing your paintbrushes in the sink will create havoc in your sink drain. This type of paint is thick and will coat the drain pipes, ultimately shrinking the passageway, and creating clogging and blockages. Additionally, the build-up of toxic materials in your sink pipes can develop bacteria that can be hazardous.
Due to its chemical components, oil-based paint does not break down organically. The acrylic elements of the paint will build up in your drain and create sludge, which can harm your septic tank and sewage system.
The solid paint travels directly to the bottom of your tank to sit there, causing the growth of unwanted sludge because the tank can’t process this solid waste.
It Can Contaminate the Sewage System
Washing paintbrushes in your kitchen or bathroom sink can contaminate your water system ( I found out the hard way when I painted my kitchen sink). This is one of the significant concerns you will face if you do not take the proper steps when cleaning your brushes.
Here is what could happen. The paint will eventually reach your septic tank. The septic tank works to break down and eliminate waste. Unfortunately, paint cannot be broken down by bacteria.
You can likely expect the paint you washed in your sink to be released into the drain field and end up in the groundwater. The environment is prone to contamination and will cause an unsafe situation. This is where the paint will affect groundwater and release toxic and polluted materials and fumes into the area.
This is a problem for you, your neighbors, and the health of the surrounding environment. Depending on where you live, you may be confronted with a hefty fine.
It Can Release Unsafe Fumes and Chemicals
Your oil-based paint is comprised of dangerous chemicals. This paint protects your project from scratches, chips, mold, and moisture.
When you use oil-based paint, it is recommended to keep the airway flowing and work in an open-air area to avoid inhaling the fumes they create. Keeping food, pets, and children away from these products is advised.
Think about that. If you need to protect yourself and others from toxic materials, imagine their effect on your home and surrounding environment. You risk your pipes, sewage line, septic tank, and drinking well water.
These paint ingredients are highly flammable and toxic. Created with harmful elements, including lead and mercury, the paint is lethal if ingested in large amounts. You must take precautions when working with these paints and dispose of them responsibly.
How to Clean Paint Brushes Safely
The hope is that if you learn anything from this article, it is to prepare for each stage of your painting project. Avoid last-minute thinking and problem-solving when it comes to cleaning your paintbrushes safely.
While technically, you can wash your brushes in the sink, only if you close the drain. But professional and DIY-ers advise cleaning your brushes in a separate container is the safest method.
There are various cleaning agents as alternatives to using turpentine or mineral spirits. Create a solution in a bucket or tub of hot water (but not too hot to avoid damaging the brush bristles).
Citrus Solvent
One of the most common cleaning solutions artists and oil painters reach for is a citrus solvent like CitraSolv. This non-toxic and natural cleansing solution won’t harm your brushes and won’t expose you to additional chemicals.
Pour your citrus solvent into a bucket or glass jar and swirl your brush. Then to remove the paint remnants from your paintbrush, you’ll clean it with a bit of soap and water on the palm of your hand. The paint will eventually separate from the solvent. Dispose of the paint safely, and use the leftover solvent the next time you paint.
Vinegar
Vinegar is one of those versatile products most people have in their kitchen pantries. Distilled white vinegar is an eco-friendly alternative to paint thinner when used to clean paintbrushes.
First, heat up a disposable bowl or pan (a disposable aluminum pan will work fine) of vinegar. You can do this in the microwave for one minute.
Next, let the paintbrushes soak in the bowl for 30 minutes. The vinegar will soften the paint and loosen it from the bristles. Once you have removed the excess paint from the brush, with a brush comb or wire brush, wash your brush with soap and water.
Fabric Softener
Fabric softener is another less toxic way to safely clean your paintbrushes. First, take a scraper, a commonly used painting tool, and gently scrape away the hardened paint from the brush.
Next, fill up a bucket with two gallons of warm water. Add one-half cup of liquid fabric softener to the water and stir to create a solution.
Soak your paintbrush for a few minutes. This will help the paint to separate from the bristles. You might have to repeat the process several times until the paint has successfully separated. Once clean, rinse your brush and let it dry.
Baby Oil
Baby oil is an effective and practical cleaning method many painters and artists like to clean paintbrushes. Baby oil’s nourishing ingredients are an excellent benefit for your paintbrushes, by the way. Plus, baby oil is safe to use on your skin.
Generously coat your brushes with baby oil. Massage the oil into the brush bristles. Fan out your bristles and work the oil gently with your fingertips to push the paint off. This step may take you a few different attempts.
Once you have removed the paint completely (or as much as possible), use dish soap and water to clean any paint remnants off your brush. Lay it flat and let it dry.
Insider Tip: Use Natural Paints
Using natural paints is one way to avoid harvesting a toxic, chemical-laden paint environment. Natural paints are VOC-free, biodegradable, non-toxic, and environmentally safe. Natural paint is made from plant extracts, clay, natural mineral pigments, linseed oil, or milk protein.
Cleaning your paintbrushes is a breeze when you work with natural paints. You are welcome to rinse, wash paintbrushes and spill out paint water directly down the drain in any sink of your house. The leftover paint is also much safer to store.
It’s a win-win for your home health and the environment when you use natural paints. Go ahead and experiment with natural paints. Compared to oil-based paint, it is just as capable with the upper hand in safety.
What to Do if Paint Goes Down the Drain
As much as you try avoiding it, sometimes paint is inadvertently washed down the drain. When this happens, immediately flush your sink thoroughly with water. Keep the water running. This will dilute the paint.
If you paint regularly, you know many different paint types are available. The kind of paint you are working with will affect how and where you wash your paintbrushes.
As discussed earlier, natural paints can be cleaned with gentle soap and water, and your sink won’t have a problem. Water-based latex paint in small amounts can go down your sink drain. This paint has less risk to the environment. But, better to be safe than sorry, clean most of the paint off your brush using a scraper before rinsing in your sink.
Oil-based paint has the most chemicals, as mentioned above in this article, and washing your paintbrushes in a separate bucket is necessary. Use a natural-based cleansing solution such as citrus solvent, vinegar, baby oil, or liquid fabric softener when possible.
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