Paint thinners are hazardous material and must be disposed of properly.
Paint thinner is a solvent that you use to thin oil-based paints or to clean up oil-based paints.. Mineral spirits is the commercial name for a paint thinner, although there are various other "paint thinners" on the market. Mineral spirits are sometimes used instead of turpentine because it is less toxic and less flammable. However, mineral spirits are still toxic so be very careful when handling it.
Turpentine
Turpentine is often used as paint thinner. It is highly flammable and should be stored far away from combustibles and oxidizing agents. It can also damage a person's respiratory and kidney system as well as cause skin and eye irritation. You must wear gloves and eye wear when handling turpentine.
Acetone
Acetone is a relatively safe paint thinner because this product has a lower toxicity level than other thinners. But you should not breathe in it or ingest it because it can cause respiratory problems. Acetone is good for thinning resins.
Toulene
Toulene is a paint thinner and is found in rubber, fingernail polish and adhesives. Is comes from the tolu tree. It can make you confused, dizzy and weak if you inhale too much of it and it can result in far worse damage if exposure is high, including unconsciousness, kidney problems and death.
Denatured Alcohol
If you are painting with shellac you can use denatured alcohol as a thinner, but it won't work on other coatings. Denatured alcohol is pure ethanol that is not fit for drinking because solvents such as ethyl acetate or methanol have been added, which makes the pure alcohol unfit for consuming. Denatured means that the ethanol is poisoned or spoiled, notes Fischersci.com.
Vapor Exposure
When you use paint thinner, you will be exposed to vapors that can be dangerous to you. Threshold Limit Values or TLV is the maximum concentration of these vapors in air that if breathed by a "normal" person, and that excludes small children, people with disease and pregnant women, in the course of a 40-hour work week that does not result in long term ill effects. If the vapor concentration exceeds these levels it is damaging to your health.
Hazardous Waste
Do not pour paint thinners down the drain because this will contaminate the groundwater and the environment. Take your unused paint thinner to a hazardous collection site. Paint thinners are hazardous waste.
