Q. Do you wash your paint brushes in the street
gutter after the job is done?
A.
After painting your house or your favorite piece of furniture, don't
wash out the latex paint brush in the gutter where it can enter a storm
drain. One paint brush contains about 1/4 cup of latex paint and can
contaminate over 2,000 gallons of water (or 1/4 mile of stream). Wash
latex (water-based) paint brushes in a sink where the water goes to
a wastewater treatment plant.
Oil-based paint brushes can be soaked in an appropriate solvent until
they are clean. When the brush is removed, allow the solids or "dirt
particles" to settle so you can re-use the solvent in the future. When the solution gets too dirty, take it,
along with the solids or sludge, to a household hazardous waste collection
program, Novato residents should call 892-7344. All other residents
in Marin should call 485-6806.
