good morning, I am emptying a workshop and have a quantiy of finishes and chemicals to get rid of, namely spirit based polishes and stains, oil based varinishes and stains ( a total of approx 20 litres mixed,) sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide ( 10 litres ) 10 litres ammonia, small quantity nitric acid, remanents 20 small tins furniture wax and quarter full rubble sack of mixed earth and spirit powder. Trying to be responsible I want to do this legally. Local tip offically wont take it, informally they say " bring it down" I dont feel comfortable doing this. Had 2 quotes of around £600 to offically dispose of this stuff but baulking at the cost. Anyone got any bright ideas for disposal of this?!
disposing of chemicals and finishes
- Thread starter Matt@
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Stigmorgan
Established Member
Hydrogen peroxide is a great cleaner/disinfector, I've even used small amounts of it to deal with problem algae infestations in my aquariums.
It's great for disinfecting your kitchen white goods, especially dishwashers and washing machines.
Whereabouts are you?
It's great for disinfecting your kitchen white goods, especially dishwashers and washing machines.
Whereabouts are you?
Anything spirit based or that will evaporate well pour into a large open tray, put it out in the sun and let it evaporate. That will reduce the overall volume that you have to deal with.
Sodium hydroxide straight down the drain (it is drain cleaner).
Ammonia down the drain (it is a cleaning product).
Hydrogen peroxide is a bleach. That can go down the drain.
Neutralise the nitric acid with the sodium hydroxide (buy some pH strips and err on the alkaline side) and use the sodium nitrate produced as fertilizer.
As a general strategy type 'xxx disposal' where xxx is the chemical name into Google and see what it says.
Sodium hydroxide straight down the drain (it is drain cleaner).
Ammonia down the drain (it is a cleaning product).
Hydrogen peroxide is a bleach. That can go down the drain.
Neutralise the nitric acid with the sodium hydroxide (buy some pH strips and err on the alkaline side) and use the sodium nitrate produced as fertilizer.
As a general strategy type 'xxx disposal' where xxx is the chemical name into Google and see what it says.
I didn't want to suggest mixing the nitric acid and the sodium hydroxide together as it is a pretty vigorous reaction! If you go this way just make sure you make weak aqueous solutions of both before mixing.
Cabinetman
Established Member
And of course the Amonia was used to turn Oak a nice shade of brown, which it was discovered was the cause of brown Oak beams etc in French stables, Amonia in the horse urine.
Ian
Ian
Mrs C
Established Member
Someone on this board may be able to make use of any spare finishes and stains. Why not try putting them on the for sale bit and see if anyone wants them for local collection?
I used to use ammonia to age my copperwork, to give it the green verdigris coating, so it should be of use to someone.
I’m not sure your water company would recommend you ‘just poring them’ down the drain etc ….probelms can occur
naughtymoose
Established Member
Take EVERYTHING to the tip. That is what it is there for. They will dispose of it all in the correct manner.
Your local recycling centre can be quite difficult with chemicals etc …..I’ve turned up with a butane blowtorch canister ….‘can’t take that sir’ - I’ll chuck it in the hedge was my response and he replied ….well just this time 
I do not think I said to do so all at once on the same day. Like I said, research the issue. Suitably diluted, they are not harmful.
If he was on his own eco-biodigester sewage system, sure, it is not a wise move. But on a shared sewer in a residential street the flow rate (and thus dilution) is huge.
Think back to your school days in the chemistry lab. Every desk in mine has six glass bottle on it: nitric acid, sodium hydroxide, ammonia, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid and lime water. Once our experiments were done, every one in the 30 strong class poured the results down the sink and rinsed the apparatus.
Every hairdresser in the country puts hydrogen peroxide down their sinks.
It is because it is a 'gas bottle'. If you puncture it and flatten it, it becomes 'scrap steel'. We had the same on a building site with empty line marker paint cans. They had to go in the hazardous waste at enormous expense. We found a company selling a machine, a bit like a can crusher, that safely punctured and squashed them so they could go in the steel skip. Paid for itself after a month.
thetyreman
Established Member
wear a mask gloves and goggles if dealing with ammonia, it's nasty stuff, get a whiff of it and it will almost knock you out.
