# DIY Paint Thinner
The type of paint thinner you make and use depends a great deal on the type of paint you are using. Water based paints can be thinned easily with water, for example, requiring no special ingredients. However, other paints like oil and enamel based paints require stronger solvents to thin them out. One of the benefits of making your paint thinners is that they are not only safer for the environment and easier to dispose of, but they have fewer fumes and are less irritating to the user overall.
Things You'll Need
- Water
- Lemon or orange oil
- Linseed oil
- Rubbing alcohol
- White vinegar
- Dish soap
Instructions
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1
Mix 1/4 cup of lemon or orange oil with a cup of linseed oil to make an oil-based paint thinner.
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2
Mix in small amounts with your paint, such as a tablespoon at a time. Make more thinner as needed.
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3
Mix a few tablespoons of white vinegar or rubbing alcohol at a time to thin out acrylic paint. Acrylic paint rarely needs to be thinned, but if it's been sitting for a long time and has stiffened up due to water evaporation, you can reinvigorate it with a thinner.
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4
Mix 2 drops of dishwashing liquid to a quart of water without making it soapy. Add a few spoonfuls at a time to the acrylic latex paint to thin it out.
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