How to Dispose of Mineral Spirits in a Safe Way
Catch the spirit of safety by disposing of this substance properly
Mineral spirits are solvents used for various projects, including degreasing, thinning oil paint, and cleaning up spills and stains. They’re also flammable, so you can’t just throw them away with your regular household trash. Avoid serious safety risks by learning how to dispose of mineral spirits with safe, approved methods for handling hazardous materials.
What Are Mineral Spirits and Why Might I Have Them?
Mineral spirits are clear hydrocarbon solutions that consist of petroleum-based aliphatic and alicyclic compounds. Mineral spirits are different from paint thinners, which use different chemical combinations depending on the brand. Mineral spirits will always be structurally the same, with only minor variations unless otherwise noted.
Mineral spirits can be used in numerous ways, but thinning oil paint and removing stains from wood furniture are two of their most common applications. If you have them on hand, odds are you or someone in your household used mineral spirits in a painting project—and its clean up—or for restoring wood furniture.
When to Throw Away Mineral Spirits
Mineral spirits will never go bad with proper storage, so you could theoretically keep them for a lifetime if conditions allow. However, this chemical solution is highly toxic and flammable, so if you don’t have a cool space for storage in your home, you’ll need to find a way to dispose of your mineral spirits.
Similarly, objects contaminated with mineral spirits—like rags used to clean up paint spills—should be considered hazardous waste and disposed of accordingly. There’s no way to remove spirits from such items without risk and no way to store them for future use safely, so you’ll need to get rid of them safely and replace them instead of reusing them.
How to Dispose of Mineral Spirits
Getting rid of mineral spirits isn’t as straightforward as throwing out your usual trash, but it’s not that hard. Whether you want to try to save your spirits for later or need to get them out of your home stat, the following disposal techniques have you covered.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program
Like oil paint disposal, this is the best way to dispose of large amounts of leftover spirits without worries.
Contact your local household hazardous waste collection program. Having trouble finding the one nearest to you? Use the Environmental Protection Agency’s search engine to locate it quickly and easily.
Find out what they do and don’t accept, as this can vary. You’ll also want to ask about the best ways to package mineral spirits for their processing needs and whether or not they charge for mineral spirits disposal. Such junk removal services average between $5 to $10 per gallon. When hiring a junk removal company, contact them ahead of time to make sure they’ll take hazardous waste. From there, arrange a pickup or find out if they offer drop-off days and make a plan to bring your waste in.
Mix With Absorbent Substance and Let Dry
If you have just a small amount of mineral spirits you need to get rid of—and would rather not have to call the hazardous waste experts to pick it up—this is the trick for you.
Combine one cup or less of remaining spirits with an absorbent substance, like cat litter without additives or mulch from untreated wood.
Let sit outside until completely cured—about 15 to 20 minutes—then throw away with your household trash.
Empty, Dry, and Recycle Old Containers
Still have an old mineral spirits container on hand, even though it’s mostly empty? Take a few extra steps, and you may be able to recycle it.
Pour out any remaining paint sludge or spirits into a container with cat litter or mulch. Let it dry outside for 15 to 20 minutes and dispose of it with typical household garbage.
Leave the container open and store it in a well-ventilated space that’s not too hot or cold until completely dry. If the opening of the container is very small, this process can take three to four months.
Double-check with your local recycling collection program before throwing it into the recycling bin to ensure they’ll accept it. Although most do, it’s better to be 100% sure than risk a fine or environmental damage.
Filter and Reuse
If you’ve used mineral spirits to thin paint or remove leftover pigment from paint brushes, it’s completely possible to salvage what you have left over.
Tightly seal the container, place it in a cool (but not cold), well-ventilated space, and let sit until the paint settles to the bottom—this may take several months.
Wearing nitrile gloves, transfer the clean spirit to a fresh, glass container, seal tightly, label, and store for later use. You can further purify the spirit by pouring it through a coffee filter into the new container to catch stray paint particles.
Pour the remaining paint sludge onto a flat vessel like a paint tray. Leave it outdoors to cure. When the sludge is completely dry, and the remaining mineral spirits have evaporated, you can safely dispose of it in your normal household trash.
How to Store Mineral Spirits for Later Use
If you’re in no rush to throw out leftover mineral spirits, use the following tips to make them last as long as possible.
1. Keep in the Original Container
Mineral spirits are typically sold in metal containers that are designed to maintain the effectiveness of the solution within. Avoid transferring mineral spirits to another container if you can, and don’t pour out more than you need for your current projects. That way, you can simply dispose of the small amount you used without performing a tricky transfer back into the original box.
2. Put Leaky Containers Inside of a Larger Container
If you notice a container leaks, placing it into a larger, leakproof container is safer than transferring everything inside. Choose one that has a lid or topper that creates a tight seal to ensure little to no evaporation.
3. Store in a Safe Place
Because mineral spirits are flammable and can spontaneously combust at temperatures 200 degrees F and above, you must store them away from heat sources like the boiler. Ideally, place them in a closed structure away from your house to stay safe in case of fires. And make sure that wherever you put them is properly ventilated.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro to Dispose of Mineral Spirits
Disposing of mineral spirits is easy to do as a DIY if your local garbage removal service offers hazardous waste removal. You’ll need to follow their collection process or bring them to a collection facility.
If you have large amounts of mineral spirits or other hazardous materials and your regular trash collection service won’t pick them up, you’ll need to find a service that disposes of hazardous waste. Hazardous waste disposal costs around $250, so this might not be a cost-effective option unless you have a large quantity of material to dispose of.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, mineral spirits are considered hazardous waste because they’re both toxic and flammable. Direct contact with skin can cause rashes, and inhalation of fumes can lead to nausea, dizziness, and irregular heartbeats. That’s why it’s so important to dispose of materials like gas and mineral spirits with a hazardous waste collection program.
No, if you have paper towels or rags that are soaked in mineral spirits, you can’t throw them out like you normally would with household trash. When contaminated in this way, such objects are deemed hazardous waste and can only legally be disposed of with a hazardous waste collection program.
Yes, mineral spirits are flammable and may spontaneously combust at temperatures of 200 degrees F or more. Storing them in well-ventilated spaces and disposing of them the proper way are the best ways to prevent mineral spirits or anything contaminated with them, like towels and rags, from going up in smoke.