aMAIZEing: Bio-Based Paint Solvent & Stripper
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 10.26.06
If there's one thing TreeHugger knows, it's that there's a greener, more eco-friendly version of almost everything out there. From biodegradable bioplastic cutlery to organic wine, there isn't much that can't be done with a green twist. Today's example: paint solvent & thinner. While stripping paint isn't something many of us do every day, many conventional formulas are full of VOCs and ozone-depleting chemicals, and that isn't good for anyone, whether you do it once a week or once a year. This particular product, aMAIZEing, is made from 100% corn and soybean esters (grown in the US) and claims to do everything its chemical cousins can: lift from the surface, strip and remove adhesives, paint and more from concrete, masonry, wood, metal and a host of other surfaces. If it works as well as it claims, why would you ever want to use the chemical version again? ::aMAIZEing Paint Solvent via ::Apartment Therapy
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The MSDS for this product states:
NOTE: Material may be a skin sensitizer in susceptible individuals. The gloves listed below may provide protection against permeation. Gloves of other chemically resistant materials may not
provide adequate protection:
¦ Butyl Rubber
¦ Nitrile
The key is "derived from" biobased materials. Don't assume because these are from "natural" oils that you are automatically safer than with other stippers. These are potent esters which you much protect yourself from.