We here at Damn Good Doormats are eco-conscious. We don't want our company to be the source of pollution to the planet. To that effort, we use the renewable resource of sustainable coir (coconut husks) for our mats, ship carbon neutral, sweep up our coco fibers and donate them to a local mushroom farmer and now we flocculate. Science is fun! We remove all the paint solids from our waste water before disposing. We thought it would be a complicated and expensive process, but it's not and we will show you how!

**This is for water based paints only!

Here's what you'll need:

granular aluminum sulfate- this is the stuff that makes Hydrangeas turn blue, you can buy it at any garden store.

powdered lime-  again, a common garden additive

A Filtration system- This can be as small as a bucket and a large coffee filter, but I clean ALOT of water- 5-10 gallons at a time. I use two plastic totes, one has a hole cut in the bottom (use a sharp mat knife or jigsaw) and small metal window srceen over the hole. I took two paint stirring sticks and screwed through the frame of the window screen to the sticks on the bottom to hold it in place. Then I caulked with silicone around the screen to prevent leaks. You'll see I then screwed two 2x4's to the bottom of the top tote to hold it over the bottom one. I use a reusable grocery bag as my filter, it's sturdy, but allows water to seep through. When it dries out, just shake it out to clean and use again.

STEP 1- Measure your chemicals.

For every gallon of water use 1/2 T Aluminum Sulfate and 3/4 T Lime.

Put them in separate jars, add water & shake to dissolve.

STEP 2- Add Aluminum Sulfate to water- stir in thoroughly

STEP 3- Add Lime- stir in thoroughly, now you sit back & watch the magic! You'll see clear water coming up to the top as the solids sink. If you don't see the water separating, do steps 1 & 2 again.

STEP 4- Filter. Just pour it in and leave overnight.

STEP 5-  This is the awesome waste cake you are left with!

STEP 6- Safely dispose of your clean water!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Hop on over to our Hippy Home section and find the perfect doormat for your own green house!