Green Living Works!

Paint is notorious for containing harmful volatile organic compounds that are not only harmful to the environment, but they also let off harmful vapors. Fortunately, many green builders and decorators have found deliverance from VOCs by using milk paint. Milk paint is an organic material that can give surfaces a unique translucent finish. Milk, obviously, is the principal ingredient, which serve as a binder for pigments, similar to the way polymers do in latex paints.

Here’s how to make your own milk paint:

• Combine 1 quart of skim milk (at room temperature) with the juice of 1 hydrated lime (a.k.a. Builders Lime)
• Refrigerate overnight to allow it curdle
• Strain with cheese cloth or a mesh screen
• Add 4 tablespoons of dry color pigment or use other sources of color (e.g., seeds, turmeric, chalk, etc.) and stir until the pigment is evenly dispersed
• Make sure to use your paint quickly before it spoils

The above recipe is enough to cover a large piece of furniture. The sour smell from the milk will fade as the paint dries. For more information click here.