How to Store Paint – a Full Guide

Posted Oct 25, 2024 | Product Advice | 0 comments

I’m going to write a quick blog on how to store paint, because I believe storing paint badly contributes to the amount that goes to landfill.

According to research I read online, 337 million litres of household paint is sold in the UK each year – that’s a lot of paint! Apparently 56 million of those litres goes unused and is therefore either sitting around in people’s sheds, garages or lockups, or worse still going into landfill.  That’s roughly two litres per household.  In ten years, that’s the equivalent of four 5L tins per household!

As I’m a Professional Decorator, I must take the credit (or blame, depending on your perspective!) for applying more than my fair share of that each year to my customers’ ceilings, walls and woodwork (and occasionally more unusual items of furniture!).

The way I tend to work is that any leftover white paint at the end of a job I keep, charge the customer only for what I’ve used, and then use the rest up on the next appropriate job.

Coloured paint, that they have selected for their walls for example, I leave with them in case they need it for any touching up in the future.  So, what I store in my garage is typically a selection of various primers and undercoats, white paint for walls and ceilings, and white paint in various finishes for woodwork.  Plus, paint I have used myself in my own home.

What the customer stores is the coloured paint they have chosen for their walls.  Either way, we’re storing a fair bit of paint between us.  So, what is the best way to store paint, to keep it in good, usable condition for as long as possible? Because if it can’t be kept in a usable condition, there’s no point cluttering up your garage with it.

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Shopping List

 

You may need some or all of the following items to help with storing your leftover paint:

Storage space (more on this later)

Dust sheet

Sieve

Damp cloth

Blunt knife

Clingfilm

Clean jam jars (or similar) with air-tight lids

Self-adhesive labels

Permanent marker pen

 

The Best Way to Store Leftover Paint

 

The first question to ask is how much is left in the tin?

 

If the Tin of Paint Isn’t Worth Keeping

Your paint tin is empty, or there is some paint left that you no longer have any use for – see our blog on the best way to get rid of paint tins, which will advise you on the best way to recycle your leftover tins. Click here to visit the blog.

 

If You Have a Small Amount of Paint to Store

You have a large paint tin with a small quantity of paint in that you want to keep for future use.  Spread a dust sheet on the floor to protect it from any spillages.  Hold a sieve over a clean jam jar of suitable size to hold the remaining paint, and carefully pour the paint into the jar.

The sieve will catch any lumps of dried paint that may have formed around the rim of the tin.  Once the last of the paint has dripped through the sieve, seal the jar with clingfilm to ensure it is airtight, and then put on the lid.

Write the paint colour, the date and the room it was used in on a label using permanent marker, and then stick the label to the jar and store as described below.  Some paint stores print labels with the paint colour name on – don’t rely on these, they fade over time! Write your own label so that you know which paint is which when the time comes to use it again.

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Half-Full Paint Tins

The paint tin is still half full (or more).  In this case there is less benefit in decanting the paint into another container. If there is dried paint around the inside edge of the lid, scrape it away using a blunt knife (this will help to keep an airtight seal).

If there is dried paint around the inside rim of the paint tin, put clingfilm inside the tin to cover the surface of the paint (so that dried paint doesn’t fall into the good paint), and scrape away the dried paint with a blunt knife. 

Carefully remove the clingfilm so that the dried paint does not fall back into the tin.

If there is wet paint around either the rim of the tin or the lid, remove with a damp cloth.  Now cover the top of the paint tin with clingfilm and replace the lid, ensuring that it fits snugly all the way around.  Label the paint tin as described above.

One thing I do with metal tins is store them upside down. This helps make the seal airtight, and your paint will last for longer.

storing leftover paint upside down to seal the tin

The Best Place to Store Paint

 

Paint does not react well to extremes of temperature, so ideally it should be stored indoors to protect it from extreme heat and frost.  Storing large quantities of paint indoors isn’t always practical though, so sheds and garages tend to be the most frequently used locations.

If you are storing paint in a shed or garage, try to put it on a shelf rather than the floor, where it could get damp and then start to rust.  It’s also true that warm air rises, so the higher off the floor you can store it (e.g. on shelving) the better protected it is from frost.

I’ve built a shelving unit in my garage for the paints I use most frequently and need to get access to most weeks.  It has a thick layer of insulation underneath the bottom shelf (no paint is on the garage floor), and if a frost is forecast, I cover it all in a thick blanket.  The paint I use less frequently is stored in the attic space above the garage.

Another thing to note that oil-based paint can be fuel for a fire. It isn’t what I’d call flammable, but it’ll accelerate a fire if it’s already blazing. Try not to store large quantities of oil-based paint in your house if you can.

 

Storing Leftover Paint – Final Thoughts

 

Stored correctly, leftover paint can last for years and then be used again in the future as and when you need it.  There is no 100% guaranteed way to ensure it won’t go off. But following the above steps to keep it in an airtight container and a frost-free environment will give you the best chance possible. If stored correctly paint can last for ten years or even longer, so if you think you’re likely to be using that particular paint again, it’s worth making a little bit of effort to protect it.

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FAQs

 

Is it okay to store paint in a shed?

You can store paint in a shed. However, the extremes of hot and cold will mean your water-based paints perish more quickly than they would if you kept them inside your home or garage.

 

How long can you keep paint after opening?

This depends on where you store your leftover paint and whether the paint itself is contaminated. Most water-based paints contain either starch or cellulous, which is the perfect food for mould and bacteria, which breaks down the paint and makes it smell.

 

How to store paint in the winter?

You just need to store paint somewhere the frost can’t get to it during winter. If water-based paint freezes, then the polymer separates, and the paint is no good.

 

What is the best container for storing paint?

This depends on how much paint, but we always find that jam jars are best. If you put clingfilm over the jar before you put the lid on, the jar will become airtight.

 

Can I store paint in a water bottle?

You can store paint in a water bottle. It makes a good airtight container to keep the paint for a long period. You might need a funnel to get the paint into the bottle, and make sure there’s no paint on the thread before you tighten the lid, otherwise you’ll never open it again.

Posted Oct 25, 2024 | 0 comments

About the Author

About the Author

With years of decorating experience, Robin set up his own business – Wokingham Decorating Services – in 2007, carrying out mainly domestic work. He enjoys trying out new products and learning as much as he can about the decorating industry

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