Accidents happen. As Mothers always warn you not to play with fire, we’ll advise you today not to play with the turpentine. So, if you’ve recently painted over the wall of your house, there is a high chance that you have turpentine in your house. But, is it best for you to just dispose of the turpentine? And if so, how do you dispose of turpentine?

Flammable turpentine can be quite dangerous and a life-taking threat if you don’t take care of the turpentine after you’re done with it. However, to save you from misery, we’ve  figured out ways how you could take care of and dispose of turpentine safely.

How To Dispose Of Turpentine

You see, turpentine is used as a common paint thinner. The worst thing about it is it is highly flammable. Not only the container of the turpentine, but also the rags that you use to apply it are also highly flammable. Thankfully, there are ways to avoid a flammable mess, and the numbers are just three (3).

Method 1 Of 3: Take Care Of A Can Of Turpentine

Step 1: Let The Container Of Turpentine Evaporate

Just like menthol, turpentine evaporates in thin air. If you have a container that is almost about to be empty, leave the container in a well-ventilated area so that the turpentine can evaporate. Also, you need to make sure that there’s no heat source near the place where you’ve left the container. Or else, before you know it, that place may go up in flames.

Evaporating a jar of turpentine can be like a sloth racing. It might take several hours. The time mostly depends on how much of the turpentine you had in the jar.

Moreover, if you used clean paint brushes, there’s more likely to have some paint debris at the bottom of the container. In that case, you can let it dry out for disposal if there’s less than ½ inch of debris at the bottom. Or else it should be taken to a hazardous waste facility for disposal.

Step 2: Take Fuller Containers To The Local Hazardous Waste Facility

If you have a lot of turpentine left in your container, you need to take it to be disposed of as hazardous waste. You’ll find disposal locations in your city or town. If you can’t find the facility, you should check at your local waste management facility. You can also search for a hazardous waste facility online if you can’t find one physically near you.

There’s a mistake that most people make with the jar, which has more than ¼ inch of turpentine in it. Most people think that they can let the whole can or jar evaporate.

Well, you’re just calling to add more danger if you leave it like that. You see, the fumes are highly flammable, and if you let a large amount of turpentine evaporate, it can create a fire hazard too.

Method 2 Of 3: Take Care Of The Soaked Rags And Other Items

Most of the time, you use a rag to apply the turpentine. You need to take care of those too.

Step 1: Lay Out Turpentine Soaked Items

So, you need to place the rags and any other items that might have turpentine on them on a surface that won’t absorb the turpentine and be deadly itself. It’s also better if you keep them out of direct sunlight. Make sure that the rags are placed in a comfortable way and as flat as possible so that they can dry out.

Step 2: Dry And Get Rid Of Soaked Items Completely

When you’re drying rags, remember to rotate them as they dry. That will help them dry out entirely, and it might get your job done faster. You should check on them after 15 minutes to a half-hour and then rotate if the top surface is dry. It can take a few minutes or a few hours, depending on how much turpentine was on the items. If the turpentine-covered items are totally dried out, then they are safe to dispose of.

Method 3 Of 3: Reuse The Turpentine

The good news for you today is that you can reuse turpentine. Reusing anything is environmentally friendly.

Step 1: Let The Paint Debris Settle

If you’ve used turpentine with oil-based paint, you can strain it and reuse it instead of throwing it out. But you must give it some time to settle to the bottom of the container before filtering the turpentine from the can.

Step 2: Get A Container

If you want to strain the paint solids out of your turpentine, you’ll need another container that’s big enough to fit them all. Make sure that the container is made of glass or metal and has a tight-fitting lid. Also, to strain the turpentine, you can use a coffee filter. This will stop the paint debris from getting into the new jar. Then, dry the coffee filter and throw it out safely to avoid any accidents.

Step 3: Tighten The Jar And Keep It Safe

After pouring the turpentine into the new jar, seal it nicely and keep it somewhere safe. Remember that in no condition should you allow the jar of turpentine anywhere near a heat source.

We’ve just shown all the ways that you can take care of turpentine. So, now you know how to dispose of it and how you can reuse it, a piece of advice from us will be that you take extreme precautions when you’re handling such highly flammable items.

Also, remember that calling out for help from a professional can always be better than burning your house down. Call us direct at Earles Paints on 07 4121 5202 for all the information you need, or visit us at Earle Paint Place Maryborough.