Tip Tuesday – Paint Problems?

A client recently asked: “What should I do with ALL the old paint in my house?” We find clients in this paint predicament all the time.
I suggest that you go through your home and make a list. I have a simple chart I use for my house listing the room/area, color name, brand, color number, saturation, finish, when it was done, what it cost, and who did the painting. I also take a photo of the sticker of the mix that is on the side of the can. 
Then I feel confident to toss the big, awkward-to-store cans, usually only saving the sample size of the paint for occasional touch-ups. I also recommend always storing your paint in a climate-controlled area, not a hot garage or freezing crawl space. 
If the paint has been left behind by former owners, it may be more difficult to match. In that case, one client purchased jars with brushes inside into which they poured a sample for touch-ups. But often clients realize that they will repaint those walls before they touch them up and decide to discard the old paint, especially if they have “inherited” it from previous owners.
You can use a service like Yuck Old Paint to pick up and recycle paint. If it is latex paint, open the can up and wait until it hardens, or get a paint hardener to speed up the process. If it is oil-based paint then you will need to take it to the hazmat location in your town. Check out this former Tip Tuesday, Pitch your Paint, for more resources on paint disposal.
I hope this tip helps you deal with the old paint in your home! Will you take care of your paint problems? Let me know!