Can I use paint that has mold growing on its surface for touch ups?

Question

The paint is 4 months old. I opened the can of paint. It had mold growth on the surface. I must not have sealed it properly. I stirred it up not thinking about a problem with using it. OOOPS! Now the mold is mixed throughout the paint. Can I still use it without worrying about causing mold where I touch up? I'm afraid if I buy a new can of paint, the color won't match exactly. Please help.

Answer 1

Woulld have been better to have taken the mold out cause now you have a lumpy paint situation. What you need to do now is strain it. Use a nylon stocking and pour the paint thru it into a temporary container. Wash out the paint can and put the paint back. Now you got the same color without lumps.
Now you can use the paint. What to do now. Cut a piece of wax paper(like the paper used for sandwiches) into a circle the same size as the inside of thepaint can. Now set it on top of the paint. Your paint is now in a custom made can exactly the right size. No air space for mold to form. Put the lid back on. and set it away someplace so it don't freeze. It will last for years. When you need to use the paint again just take the wax paper out.

Answer 2

Go right ahead. You could add a few drops of bleach or buy a anti-mold additive sold at paint stores. I figure that unless the place where the paint is gonna end up is conducive to mold, that the mold you have will fail to survive.

Answer 3

To some extent the answer depends on the kind of paint. A water based paint would possibly tolerate temperatures high enough to kill the mold.

In general considerable care should be taken to test this hypothesis and unless you are used to identifying volatile liquids (by odor) and know how to handle them it would be unwise and probably dangerous to try.

Do you know what the solvent is in the paint? If not take it to a recycling center as it is probably illegal and environmentally (your environment where you live) dangerous to dump it out.

If it is a water based paint and most decorating paints that are legal are these days (not to mention the ones that will grow mold probably have no organic solvents for the same reason it is environmentally dangerous to throw them out THE SOLVENTS ARE DEADLY POISON AND PROBABLY CARCINOGENIC [cancer producing at the molecular level{one drop in you one cancer to start with}] molds are living things too.

At this point if you can't figure out what to do next take the paint to a recycling center.

Answer 4

Too late, toss it out and get a new can of paint. Since the mold spores have already began to grow, there is a very good chance that since they are in the paint, that they will now be able to grow again.

Answer 5

Against popular belief, don't use bleach on mold. Studies show that bleach doesn't kill the mold, just makes it invisible. The best solution is steam. A portable steam cleaner kills mold and is non toxic. Then increase air circulation around windows wherever possible. open drapes, remove screens...etc. If you wipe down the built up moisture regularly, the mold won't grow.

Answer 6

chunk that paint and buy new.

HINT: if wall is sheet rock, go to an inconspicuous place (like a closet or corner at baseboard and trim a small chip of the existing paint. (1 inch x 1 inch ) Paint stores can match this by computer.

ALSO: Paint stores sell "Mildicide" additive.... protects paint against mold.


Be Blessed!

Answer 7

No! Get rid of the paint. It could be killing you and your family.

Answer 8

No, throw out this paint.

Answer 9

nope put it in the garbage

Answer 10

Please, don't paint. You'll spread it on the wall. Then you'll have a new problem.