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Cleaning up Antifreeze

To dispose of antifreeze and reduce the amount of damage it does to the environment, is to take your car to an auto service center that has an antifreeze recycling machine. Or a designated re-cycle facility.

Cleaning up Antifreeze

If there are no antifreeze recycling machines in your area, then flushing it down the drain is the next best step, though it is illegal in some areas and can still cause pollution. You should call your local waste water treatment facility to determine if they can accept antifreeze. If they can, then you can flush anti freeze diluted with water down your drain one gallon at a time. The best time to flush the diluted antifreeze is usually during the week, when the sewage system is in full use so that the antifreeze can be passed through the system quickly.  If you have septic systems do not flush down the drain.

Additionally, some landfills or garbage transfer stations accept non hazardous antifreeze, in most cases this information can be found online on the company or government websites.

If you have spilled antifreeze do you best to collect as much as possible using towels and or mop and water and dispose the collected antifreeze diluted with water as stated above.

Additional Information

Antifreeze should not be poured down storm drains, into rivers or on the ground.

Store Antifreeze in a closed container away from animals, as they can be attracted to its scent.

Do not mix antifreeze with any other waste product that is thrown in the trash.

Use only properly labelled containers to reduce the possibility of mixing chemicals.

Cleaning up Antifreeze?

How to clean an oil spill in the garage

how to clean oil from garage floor with kitty litter
Kitty litter to clean oil spills

Its a good to have a bag of cat litter in your garage…even if you don’t have a cat. Its great for any kind of spill or oil leak. Just cover spill leave for a day or so and sweep up.  Repeat the process if necessary.

For stubborn stains you may have to use a regular detergent and warm water and scrub with a deck brush and rinse.  You can upgrade to a commercial degreaser (found at hardware store or any janitorial supply store).  TSP (found at hardware store) is also a strong cleaner that can be effective.  Never mix chemicals.

Dusty garage? or drywall dust in your home….

If you have a super dusty or dirty garage floor or you have done some drywall repairs in your house the drywall dust can get everywhere.  The one product you need to help knock down the dust is sweeping compound. You spread on the floor and then sweep the sweeping compound attracts the fine dust or drywall powder and prevents it from going airborne.  The truth is unless you have a high filtration vacuum it is likely better to use sweeping compound.  Sweeping compound can be purchased at hardware stores or any janitorial supply store.  The more common type is oil based sweeping compound but you can also buy wax based sweeping compound, its the perfect solution for super dusty floors.

paint brushes

Cleaning brushes can be a pain but it will save you money to not have to buy brushes every time you have to paint.

Latex Paint

Wash immediately after painting with warm soapy water. Do not soak overnight. Comb and straighten bristles before storing.

Oil Paint

Clean immediately after painting using a solvent (paint thinner) or cleaner recommended by the manufacturer. Do not soak overnight. Comb and straighten bristles before storing.

If I am in a hurry and can’t clean the brushes I wrap them tightly in a plastic bag and place it in the freezer. This prevents the paint from drying out before I have to use it again.

Expanding Foam

General Info:

Expanding Foam comes in an aresol can, which reacts to air when it is sprayed, expanding and hardening into a solid foam. This product is most commonly used for form fitting unusual shaped objects for shipping, filling cracks in exterior walls for insulation and to prevent access by pests.

Tools & Chemicals:

Acetone, an old rag, pecut strips of cardboard or small pieces of wood, tools.

Technique:

  • If this foam ends up where you don’t want it, act immediatley! When this stuff cures it is absolutley permanent, forever and ever, until the end of time. Take the small pieces of cardboard and scrape off any excess. Throw this piece of carboard with the waste foam away now, put it down and you will get foam everywhere!
  • Be sure the area is well ventilated and there are no open flames! Pour some acetone onto the old rag. Using the rag, wipe away any residue that the cardboard did not remove. Use caution as acetone will damage some painted and plastic surfaces.
  • Throw this old rag away once you have used it!
  • If the foam has hardened, which means it has cured the only means of removal is mechanical (cutting, grinding, scraping).
  • Use whatever tools are nessecary to remove the excess foam, it can be cut, ground down, sanded filed, scraped, and the remaining residue can be removed with a wire brush. These actions are also likely to damage the surface that the foam is on.
  • There is no way to remove ‘fresh’ or cured foam from clothing. It is permanent.

How to dispose of empty aersol cans

General Info:

These disposal methods are commonly accepted, however your local government may have specific instruction and bylaws for safe disposal. To be certain of any restriction contact your local government or waste disposal utility.

Technique:

  • Throw out with the regular trash. Never throw into a fire, or incinerate.

How to dispose of empty aersol cans

General Info:

These disposal methods are commonly accepted, however your local government may have specific instruction and bylaws for safe disposal. To be certain of any restriction contact your local government or waste disposal utility.

Technique:

  • Throw out with the regular trash. Never throw into a fire, or incinerate.
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