Paint questions,
answered.
What kind of paint you have, how to store or donate it, and how to get rid of it.
Start here
4 GUIDESCan you pour paint down the drain? ↗
Why paint doesn’t belong in sinks, toilets or storm drains, the one small exception for latex brush water, and what to do instead.
Read more →How to dispose of paint ↗
Latex, oil-based, spray paint, stain and thinner: what to do with each one, from the best option to the last resort.
Read more →Is my paint latex or oil-based? ↗
It takes about a minute to find out, and it decides where your leftover paint can go.
Read more →Paint disposal rules by state ↗
What each state's environmental agency says about getting rid of household paint, in one table.
Read more →Where it goes
8 GUIDESCan someone pick up my old paint? ↗
Yes, and sometimes for free. It depends on where you live and how much paint you have.
Read more →Can you donate leftover paint? ↗
Where good leftover paint can go, what each place takes, and what to do if no one wants it.
Read more →Does Home Depot take old paint? ↗
Almost never. Only two Home Depot stores show up as paint drop-off sites, and both are on California's Central Coast.
Read more →Does Lowe's take old paint? ↗
PaintCare's locator lists no Lowe's stores as drop-off sites, and Lowe's own guide points you elsewhere.
Read more →Does Sherwin-Williams take old paint? ↗
Often yes in the 12 PaintCare states and DC. Almost never anywhere else.
Read more →What is household hazardous waste, and where does it go? ↗
What counts as household hazardous waste, what you can and can’t put in the trash, and how to find your local drop-off.
Read more →Where to dispose of paint (and paint recycling near you) ↗
Every kind of place that takes old paint, how to find the one closest to you, and how to make sure the trip works.
Read more →Which paint stores take old paint? ↗
It depends on the store and the state. A chain name alone doesn't tell you whether a store takes paint.
Read more →Paint types
3 GUIDESHow to dispose of acrylic paint (craft and artist paint) ↗
Tubes, craft bottles and jars of rinse water from art projects don’t follow the same rules as gallons of house paint.
Read more →How to dispose of latex paint ↗
Latex is the easiest paint to get rid of, but the right answer still depends on where you live.
Read more →How to dispose of oil-based paint ↗
Oil-based paint is flammable, so it can’t go in the trash like dried latex. Here’s where it goes instead.
Read more →Other products
10 GUIDESHow to dispose of acetone ↗
Acetone vapor can catch fire even below freezing, so leftovers go to hazardous waste, whatever the size of the bottle.
Read more →How to dispose of mineral spirits ↗
Odorless or regular, mineral spirits are a petroleum solvent that can burn, and they go to hazardous waste, not the drain.
Read more →How to dispose of oily rags safely ↗
Rags wet with oil-based stain, linseed oil or varnish can start a fire by themselves. Here’s how to stop that.
Read more →How to dispose of paint stripper ↗
Stripper, the scraped-off goo and old cans in the garage all go to hazardous waste.
Read more →How to dispose of paint thinner ↗
Most dirty thinner can be cleaned and used again; the rest goes to a hazardous waste drop-off.
Read more →How to dispose of primer, caulk, epoxy and other painting products ↗
Paint projects leave more than paint behind. Here’s where each of the other leftovers goes.
Read more →How to dispose of spray paint cans ↗
A spray can is under pressure and full of flammable gas, so it needs a different plan from a can of wall paint.
Read more →How to dispose of stain, varnish and polyurethane ↗
Wood stain, varnish, polyurethane, shellac and sealers are paint’s cousins, and most of them go to the same places.
Read more →How to dispose of turpentine ↗
Turpentine comes from pine trees, but leftovers are still flammable hazardous waste.
Read more →Lead paint disposal: old cans, chips and dust ↗
Old paint cans and old painted surfaces need more care than a can of last year’s latex.
Read more →Preparation
6 GUIDESDoes paint go bad? How long paint lasts ↗
How long paint lasts in the can, how to tell if it has gone bad, and how to store it so it keeps.
Read more →How much paint do I need? ↗
Work out how many gallons you need for walls, ceilings, trim and outside, and buy close to the right amount.
Read more →How to clean paint brushes (and get rid of the dirty water) ↗
Clean brushes last for years. Here’s how to clean them, and what to do with the water or thinner afterward.
Read more →How to dispose of paint cans (full, empty and dried) ↗
What’s left inside the can decides where it goes, so check that first.
Read more →How to get paint ready for drop-off ↗
How to sort, pack and drive your old paint so the site takes it and nothing spills on the way.
Read more →How to harden paint for the trash ↗
Hardening works for latex paint, in places that allow it. Here’s how much to use, how long it takes, and when to skip it.
Read more →Understanding recycling
5 GUIDESDoes it cost money to recycle paint? ↗
Usually not for households, but it depends on your state, what you're bringing and whether you're a business.
Read more →How contractors and property managers can get rid of paint ↗
Latex paint is usually simple. Oil-based paint depends on how much hazardous waste your business makes and where you work.
Read more →Is paint hazardous waste? ↗
What the law says about latex and oil-based paint, and what it means for how you get rid of it.
Read more →What happens to recycled paint? ↗
Here's where your old cans go after you hand them over, step by step.
Read more →What is PaintCare? ↗
PaintCare is the reason you can drop off old paint for free at thousands of stores in some states.
Read more →Ready to get rid of it?
See where to take paint in your city.
Find a drop-off ↗