Eco-Friendly Painting

While staying home safe and sound, my husband and I decided to do a deep garage cleaning, and reorganize all our outdoor equipment, which keeps adding up year after year. With that being said, we definitely need a paint job. My objective is to go as eco-friendly as possible using sustainable paint, brushes, floor protectors, etc, as well as cleaning up the responsible way. So since this is a first for me, I did quite some research on the topic. While there is no clear checklist on the how to go about it, I found tons of good info, and a couple of great online stores. So before I get started, I wanted to share what I found and I will update this post as needed.

First and foremost, let’s talk about the prep work:

1. Patching holes and sanding: You can use ECOS Drywall Spackle which has zero VOC and no off-gassing. As for sanding, look for a solvent-free sanding block like the Task solvent-free sanding block.
2. Cleaning the walls: Use a textured rag/towel (that you can reuse) or large sponge. Simply soak in warm water and wipe down the wall. Whenever you find it hard to remove grime, dirt and grease, add a drop of dish soap on your rag and scrub. If you encounter spiderwebs, like for me in my garage, use a broom or dust mop before wiping.
3. Floor, trim and baseboard protection:
   • Floor protection: Ram board seems to be the best choice. They are composed of 100% of recycled paper and a minimum of 90% post-consumer material. In addition, they are FSC® certified and 100% recyclable. However once used and dirty with paint stain, I would personally not recycle them. Or I would cut out the dirty parts of the sheet before recycling the clean ones.
   • Painter’s tape. Unfortunately, my DIY hardware store here in Mammoth Lakes is very limited in terms of eco-friendly items, but if you have time to order online, buy the TESA Masking Tape classic pro nature, which is made from 60% bio-based material, has no solvent and is 100% bleach-free. Even its packaging contains 80% recycled materials.

Now, let’s talk paint!

1. Paint. Eco-friendly paint is expensive! So, if brands like ECOS don’t fit in your budget, you can always find other major brands that offer similar products. But first follow these guidelines:
   • Estimate the quantity of paint you will need. We bought 2 gallons and used them all. We didn’t prime the walls and there was no Primer in the paint, so we did 2-3 coats depending on the walls. But I am very happy we managed the quantity really well.
   • Look for Zero VOC (volatile organic compound) or Low VOC if you cannot find Zero VOC. VOC releases harmful gasses to your health, the environment and groundwater. Find more info here. We ended up using an interior Zero VOC paint from Dunn Edwards called Spartazero.
   • If you’re planning on a multiple-day painting project, no need to wash your brushes and rollers. Just put them in a plastic bag/wrap to keep those tools moist for the next day.
2. Rollers
3. Brushes
4. We also used a pour spout, which was very helpful in minimizing the loss of paint when transferring from the can to the tray.

Finally, cleaning up and storage! Probably the most important part of keeping our waterways free of chemicals. Cleaning up depends on the type of paint you used.

• Natural Paint: If you used natural paint such as plant or milk protein-based paint (free of any chemicals or harmful ingredients), then you just used a biodegradable paint that is safe for our drains and our grounds. You can wash your brushes and empty your cans directly in the sink.
• Latex/Water-based Paints: These contain chemicals, even if they are low or zero VOC paints. To clean your brushes and rollers:
  1. First squeeze any excess of paint into the can using gloves or a brush/roller cleaning tool.
  2. Then, use a newspaper to remove any leftover paint.
  3. If you’re connected to a municipal sewer system, then you can wash the brushes and rolls directly in your sink using warm soapy water. If you’re on a septic tank, use buckets to clean your tools. Keep the dirty water. Do not pour into the ground! Either leave outside and wait for the water to evaporate or use cat littler or sand to soak in the water. Let dry and dispose in your regular trash. Personally, I put the dirty water back into the paint can and will drop it off at the hazardous waste center.
• Oil-based paint: This is by far the more complex as both the paint and cleaning agents to clean your tools contain a high level of harmful chemicals both for you and the environment. You will need to do the cleaning either outside or in a room that is well ventilated.
  1. Wear gloves.
  2. Protect the ground/floor area where you will be cleaning up.
  3. Use a wire paint comb to remove all the excess paint to be put back in the paint can.
  4. Take an empty container and fill it with a couple of inches of toxic-free solvent. Put the brushes and rollers in it. Try removing as much paint as possible and let soak for 5 minutes.
  5. Remove from the solvent and use newspaper to continue the cleaning. If there is still paint, do the same process using a new can of solvent.
  6. When done, lay the brushes and rollers to dry.
  7. Pour all used solvent into one can. You can reuse the solvent for later use by filtering it through a coffee filter. Then dispose the filter in a safely sealed plastic bag. If you wish to dispose the solvent, safely seal the can and bring it at your local hazardous waste center.

Rollers and brushes disposal: Wait for them to dry, wrap in plastic, and put in your regular trash.

Tips for clean up:

1. Never, ever clean the paint mess or pour paint in the ground unless you’ve used an all-natural paint.
2. Paint storage: I know this blog is about avoiding using plastic whenever possible! But I storngly believe that if plastic fill the need for health and environmental protection, then it is more than ok. With that being said, if you still have some plastic wrap around the house, it is a great idea to cover the paint bucket with it before putting the lid back on. Or you can always clean the edge of the lid (if it hasn’t dried!). Label with name and type of paint, room painter, color, and date. Store in a dry, cool place.
3. Brushes storage: Reuse brushes’ original packaging to keep them free from dust.
4. Donate any leftover paint or dispose responsibly. Find out where to recycle your old paint near Manhattan Beach, here. Earth 911 and Lowes provide valuable info on what and how to dispose.

Photo Credits:

Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels