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First things first, is the paint even still good? If you recently bought it, chances are it’s fine. Storage has a lot to do with how long paint will keep though. If you have a water-based or latex paint, these can usually last for about 10 years. Solvent or oil-based paints will typically out last those by another 5 years. HOW TO CHECK IF IT'S STILL GOOD: Latex - First, smell it. If it smells rancid, it’s gone bad. Does it look like it separated? If it does, remove the thin skin layer on top, and try to mix it back together. Make sure there are no hard spots on the bottom or the sides. If the paint blends back together and looks like the correct color, it should be fine. However, you can always test it by brushing some onto a piece of newspaper to be sure. If it comes out lumpy or rough looking, you should dispose of it. Oil-Based - As we said, storage is everything. As long as it was sealed properly and wasn’t exposed to extreme temperatures, this paint isn’t as prone to going bad as latex is. If it hasn’t been moved for awhile, there’s likely to be a thin skin coat across the top of the paint, which will need to be removed before you try mixing it back together, just like with latex. Ok, so your paint is still good. What are you going to do with it? You can check out this blog we wrote about uses for leftover paint for some ideas. Keep in mind, the options are limitless though. You can find some more great ideas here at HGTV DIY Projects.

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