A Use For Those Holiday Popcorn Cans

[Straightliner59]

I was cleaning up some stuff with lacquer thinner, the other day, using some blue shop towels. After I tossed the towels, I noticed they were reeking, pretty seriously. I had an empty popcorn can sitting around, and thought it would make a good, mostly airtight container for solvent-laden cleaning rags. I tossed them in, closed the lid, and voila! No more fumes in the room!

[paul alflen]

yes , you need to put soiled solvent-laden rags in a sealed metal bin covered, so the fumes won't self-ignite when your not around.(please don't ask me how i know this!)

Edited January 11, 2021 by paul alflen
spelling

[Danno]

Be extremely cautious about using popcorn tins. Don't keep them in the house (or garage, or any other building you want to keep around).  I wouldn't be certain they seal airtight enough for storage of solvent-laden or impregnated rags. Depending on the fabric and the type of solvent, even a slight amount of oxygen can be a recipe for spontaneous ignition (fire). 

Best practice is to stretch out flat any cloth (rag) used for solvent (or any petroleum-based hydrocarbon or ignitable liquid, etc.) wiping, brush cleaning, spillage cleanup, etc., etc., in the open air and leave it until it has completely dried. Then dispose of it - and others - in a tightly sealed non-combustible container. 

Don't take chances with these things. Daniel's idea isn't bad . . . it's better than just tossing the rags indiscriminately . . . but be careful about "mostly airtight."  For safety, it needs to be "completely airtight."

I've investigated many spontaneous ignition fires with results from small (shed, garage or one-room) to medium (entire house gone) to large (entire commercial city block - fire started in a paint store back room).  Most were rags improperly discarded. 

Then there's hay fires, but that's a different subject unless you throw your solvent-laden rags into haystacks. ?

 

??  

[peteski]

That is an excellent advice.  Good way to get rid of the smell is to put them in your paint booth over the filter (if you have one) with the fan running. It will dry them out fast, and the fumes will be sent outside.

Edited January 12, 2021 by peteski

[Straightliner59]

1 hour ago, peteski said:

That is an excellent advice.  Good way to get rid of the smell is to put them in your paint booth over the filter (if you have one) with the fan running. It will dry them out fast, and the fumes will be sent outside.

That's what I used to do. Sounds like maybe I just ought to go back to that! ?

[peteski]

11 minutes ago, Straightliner59 said:

That's what I used to do. Sounds like maybe I just ought to go back to that! ?

I would recommend that over keeping rags soaked in flammable liquid in a can.  Much less dangerous.

[Straightliner59]

18 minutes ago, peteski said:

I would recommend that over keeping rags soaked in flammable liquid in a can.  Much less dangerous.

Well, you know. If you take it outside and empty it daily! Because who wouldn't do that?!?

[misterNNL]

On 1/11/2021 at 10:12 PM, Straightliner59 said:

Well, you know. If you take it outside and empty it daily! Because who wouldn't do that?!?

If you do indeed empty it outdoors please,please do not just dump it on the ground.

[Danno]

1 hour ago, misterNNL said:

If you do indeed empty it outdoors please,please do not just dump it on the ground.

Or dump it into a hay bale.

 

??

[NOBLNG]

I have a large open metal garbage can that i toss them in. If  I’ve used lots, or they’re really soaked, I burn them in the woodstove.

 

[misterNNL]

7 minutes ago, NOBLNG said:

I have a large open metal garbage can that i toss them in. If  I’ve used lots, or they’re really soaked, I burn them in the woodstove.

 

Attaboy !

[Capt. Speirs]

Ammo can

[peteski]

My friend who flies RC electric model airplanes stores the LiPo batteries in an ammo can (since they the batteries are sometimes known to catch on fire.).

[charlie8575]

I usually use paper towels and leave them near good ventilation.

Charlie Larkin