Prior projects have left me with several cans of paint which are well over 3-4 years old. I hate being wasteful, but I don’t want to paint my furniture or walls with an old paint that’s going to under-perform and end up looking hideous.
Luckily, My-Mystery-Man (M-M-M) works with professional painters on his job sites. So I asked him… Can you use old paint?… And how old is too old?
Love M-M-M to bits! He’s always willing to answer ALL my questions. The odd time he doesn’t have an answer, he’ll ask the trades for their expert advice on my behalf.
The painters explained that the shelf life of paint really depends on how it’s been sealed and stored. Oil-based and latex paints may have a shelf life of up to 7-10 years if stored and sealed properly. A great trick to utilize old paint and make it “new again” is to strain it.
This process of straining paint sounded simple enough… so I gave it a try.
I took an old can of paint which must have been close to 5 years old. It was kept in my basement which is dry and always at a constant temperature. Even though it was stored properly, when I opened it up…it didn’t look too good. It had somewhat separated, had a slight skin on top, and had little bits of rust which I’m sure I added to the mix when I forced the lid open.
[box] *Tip- Open your old can of paint BEFORE you start shaking it! This allows you to discard any debris you see and it won’t get mixed in with your usable paint. A thorough mixing should only take place at the END of the straining process.[/box]
To strain my paint, I grabbed a pair of pantyhose which were hiding in the back of my sock drawer since the late 90’s… no really, seriously… the late 90’s!
[box] *Tip- You can also use cheese cloth, a bag strainer, or a professional paint strainer which you can find at any Lowe’s or Home Depot.[/box]
I found 2 empty containers to strain the paint into and opted for the smaller plastic one. Then I put on a pair of gloves and covered my work area with newspaper.
I used a stir stick and carefully removed the partially dried skin and the rest of the junk that was sitting on the surface of the old paint.
I cut off one of the nylon legs and stretched it over my plastic container.
Hey look…One Size does fit all…
Then I slowly started pouring the paint into the container through the nylon screen. You can’t just dump the entire can at once because the paint takes a bit of time to strain. Take your time and pour the paint little by little until the entire can has been emptied.
When I was finished straining the paint, I ended up with a nylon sack of paint-crud. All the debris was trapped in the pantyhose and what was left {drum roll please} was a clean, smooth, usable container of “looks-like-new” paint. I gave it a really thorough mixing, and it’s now ready to work it’s magic.
Update ~ I used this paint in a Home Made Chalk Paint (HMCP) recipe to re-finish 2 side tables. It worked perfectly and they turned out great.
Can You Use Old Paint?
Here are some quick tips to determine if your old paint is or isn’t usable.
*Old cans of paint which have been stored properly can usually be used. (Stored in a cool dry place and tightly secured with no extreme heat or cold)
*If your old paint still has a nice consistency, it’s probably ok to use.
*If your old paint has separated but blends together nicely once mixed, its probably ok to use.
*If your old paint is really chunky, it’s too old to use.
*If your old paint has a jelly consistency, it’s too old to use.
*If your paint smells really bad or weird (not like paint) it’s too old to use.
I’m so glad I tried this learned something new. Straining paint is a great way to use up all my old paints while being environmentally friendly!
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I used a can of paint that had been sealed properly for about 4 years. When it first went on the wall it looked fine. BUt as it dried it appears a bit darker. Do you think bringing the can to a store for a “professional shake” will lighten the color to what it is supposed to be? The wall aligns with the living room wall in an open space setting. It looks dark in the corner now. Help..I don’t know if I’ll ever get the right consistency to blend with the other walls. I am afraid if the paint doesn’t lighten and I reapply it to the wall it will be even darker!!!
If you gave it a really good shake and mixing before applying it to your walls, I don’t think bringing it to the store for a “professional shake” will make a difference Paula. 🙁
The is an awesome guide to using old paint! I used this walkthrough to dispose of some old paint cans we had leftover from the old owners we found in the crawlspace. Thank you for the tips, you’ve inspired us to create an article for our painting service customers to help them understand what to do with old paint and how long it will last.
Greetings!
I have some old paint, one is very thick and chunky but I noticed what is floating on top resembles a clear glaze. I’m going to experiment and see if it can be used as a colored clear glaze. Lol we shall ser
Hi something slightly more challenging we have a 5 Gallon of
H&C ACRYLA-DECK Water-Based Deck Coating. It is solid other than the liquid on top too big to strain through a pair of tights any suggestions?
Hi i have question,i applied the small patch paint on dry wall but its seems the colour is more darker than the previous paint but i applied through the same paint can.
Hello Denise
I am an artist and publisher
I publish an online Magazine about artists from all over the world
http://www.thenewyorkoptimist.net
Artists do send me an email with a link to your work and we will see if fots the model.
I have a 5 year old – 5 Gallon tub of Benjamin Moore Decorators white
I opened it and mixed it a bit
Its watery but will let it settle for a while and use your stocking tecdhnique
I hope it works Im painting again and could really use this paint’
😉
John S
Hi John! Hope the paint is still okay for you to use too. 🙂 Love your site btw!
Hello Denise! Great blog post! I have another angle that pertains to recycling solvent based oil paints. I spray my metal Sculptures with a preval sprayer with alkyd and a little thinner. I mix up too much paint and when I am done, I add more thinner so the pigment and solids will settle. I pour off brown liquid in a clean jar and allow remaining solvent to evaporate. I get pure alkyd oil! I then can add any pigment that is oil safe and make oil paint of any viscosity! Great fun! I posted the URL to my blog entry on recycling oil paint in the website box if anyone would like to see.
Hello Jason! Thanks for this info. Your url pointed to your wordpress login so I’ve deleted it, however feel free to resubmit so we can direct people to your post! 🙂
I wonder if anyone has tried pouring off the liquid of an old paint and using it to make a white wash or glaze. The paint was left in the garage over the winter so has congealed and settled at the bottom. It is a shame to waste the liquid on top if there is something I can repurpose it to.
Love your blog. More times than not, when I google a question on painting, I come to your site.
Yaay…that makes my day Gianne! I wouldn’t recommend using the liquid that has separated from the top because I don’t think it’s pigmented enough for good white wash results or glaze. If you ever decide to give it a try though, I’d love to hear how it turns out. 🙂
I love using old chunky paints and purposely freeze them in a shed and abuse the heck out of them, the thicker the better. I’ve applied them onto old real estate signs of mine, now that I am an artist, and let those old paints smeared dry in the sun or in the shed, then I add layers of paint and do amazing paintings with them. http://www.schnellerartgallery.com I’ll try to post a few on my website this year so you can see what I mean. You might want to see if there’s a place to recycle your old chunky paints, we artists scrounge those places and these are hidden treasures to us!
Brilliant Arlene! I received your email and dropped by your site. Your artwork is breathtaking… and what great work with the kids and families!
I have been using old old paints that I have picked up off the roadside for several year with great success! Some I have opened and found have even thickened to a soft solid so I use my Tin Snips to cut away the old rusty top part of the can to keep as much rust from falling inside as possible, then I just dip out the remaining clean part and add a little water to thin and its great after blending. My favorite discovery for mixing yucky paint has been an old blender I bought at a garage sale just for this purpose! I pour the paint in, after dipping away the rusty sediment stuff that is on the top of most old paint, and blend away! This method has given me the most beautiful smooth perfectly mixed paint for all my craft and small furniture projects. I also have a small elec chopper that I use for small amounts that hold about a cup of liquid, and when I want to mix my homemade chalk paint, I use the small blender/ chopper or the larger blender for perfectly mixed chalk paint! I absolutely LOVE my blenders, but also use a Paint Stirrer on my drill for larger quantities. I like that I am making use of paint that would otherwise wind up in the ground or water somewhere. And it is FREE! Hope you all will try this method, keeping your eyes open for a bargain Garage sale blender. When I get thru mixing I add a little dish soap and give it a whirl which dilutes any remaining paint left in the blender cup and pour back in the old can.
WOW!! This brings up-cycling and re-using older paints to a new level Debbie! Good for you! I also use an “old-blender” to mix my Homemade Chalk Paints and I also have a drill attachment when mixing the gallons. I agree, both work GREAT! I hope your comment encourages others to look at their paint carefully before throwing it away… often, with a little attention, it’s good to use!
Great suggestions! You’ve given me encouragement to experiment with all my ‘almost empty’ paint cans. Thank you.
Here I am again! 🙂 I’ve been obsessing over 3, unopened gallons of paint I hate to waste. I was thinking of taking it back to Duron (SW now!) to have them shake it. I think I’ll just try my mixy red thing if I open the cans and my paint is ok.
This is excellent news! Thanks to your MMM!
Christine!! You’re making me laugh! Your mixy red thing will probably work wonders!