My neighbour log house burnt to the ground because of this. They hired someone to refinish the logs outside. The contractor left the rag on the back deck on a sunny day.
It’s reccomended u dry them flat first unless you can place them in the bin without folds. I just dry them on the table by my painting splayed out flat but if you don’t have a dedicated space you can try to hang them somewhere like a drying rack or lay them out flat somewhere. It’s impossible to clean them but u can reuse the rags many times until they are more paint than rag and no longer useful.
This is true although it’s easily done while oil painting when cleaning a spill, using oil medium to clean brushes, or oiling out a painting. Also beginner painters tend to use a lot of oil medium to increase flow so it’s not uncommon for a painting rag to contain enough oil to be a hazard. :)
I would say that if u see someone clean up a big spill of oil medium like linseed and ball up the wet/ soaked rags into the garbage that is something to be concerned about.
You can get plastic palette knives that are inexpensive although (a little like plastic cutlery) they break a lot easier. Otherwise any old knife or even heavy card stock could be used if you are in a pinch.
When cleaning brushes to switch between colours or tidy up, we can use rags (or kitchen towel) to remove paint from the brush. If you produce large paintings, chances are your brushes will need to be large. This creates a need for more linseed oil, rags and solvents (though you can work with oils solvent-free). Over time the cleaning rags will become saturated with linseed oil, thus producing the fire hazard. Soaking them in water reduces the risk of spontaneous combustion. I hope your first painting is going well!
@@BaconPizza I recommend finding some beginner oil painting tutorials on RU-vid to teach you the basics of oil painting and the health and safety side to it, as it is more complex than other paint mediums that are cleanable with water. You can get water-soluable oils, these are really good for beginners as it removes the need for solvents. Please do not dispose of oil paint waste (on rags, or in solvent) down the drain or in household waste. These items need to be disposed of as hazardous waste properly. Be aware that all paint pigments (whether watercolour, acrylic or oils etc) contain some hazardous substances, such as cadmium. For this, protect your skin with nitrile gloves. If you're working with turpentine (which is not essential and is hazardous), remember to always work with windows open and don't allow rags to sit around in a place you hang out, otherwise you'll be breathing the fumes all the time, which is really bad for you.
