# Paint Removers (DD-642)

> Methylene chloride (dichloromethane) was long the main ingredient in fast-acting paint strippers. It is a small, very volatile molecule that soaks into a paint film, swells and softens it, and loosens it from the surface so it can be scraped off. It's also acutely dangerous. Its vapor builds up quickly in enclosed spaces, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has documented dozens of deaths, many of them workers refinishing bathtubs. EPA put the figure at at least 88 people since 1980. EPA banned methylene chloride in consumer paint and coating removers from November 22, 2019. On April 30, 2024, it finalized a ban on all consumer uses and most industrial and commercial uses under the Toxic Substances Control Act, with consumer uses phased out within about a year and most commercial uses within two years. EPA also lists liver harm and several cancers among the risks. Acetone is a different kind of solvent. It evaporates very fast and dissolves some finishes, such as lacquers, many adhesives and nail polish, but it doesn't lift tough cured coatings as well, which is why it's often mixed with other solvents. It's highly flammable. The footage shows stripper being brushed onto painted metal and the paint bubbling off.

- Department: Science (also Tech)
- First published: 2025-08-24
- Last updated: 2025-08-24
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/paint-removers/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **Nov. 22, 2019**: The U.S. ban on methylene chloride in consumer paint and coating removers takes effect
- **April 30, 2024**: EPA finalizes a ban on most uses of methylene chloride

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=paint-removers

## Quick facts

- **DD-642-F01**: EPA banned methylene chloride in consumer paint strippers in 2019. _(Write-up · Exhibit C (The 2019 ban))_
- **DD-642-F02**: EPA's 2024 rule bans most uses of methylene chloride. _(Write-up · Exhibit D (The 2024 rule))_

## Write-up

Two solvents, very different risks. Methylene chloride strippers are banned for U.S. consumers.

1. **How strippers work**: Methylene chloride soaks into the paint film, swells it, and loosens it from the surface.
2. **A deadly vapor**: EPA counts at least 88 deaths from acute exposure since 1980, many of them bathtub refinishers.
3. **The 2019 ban**: Consumer paint removers with methylene chloride couldn't be sold in the U.S. after November 22, 2019.
4. **The 2024 rule**: EPA then banned all consumer uses and most commercial and industrial uses, phased in over about two years.
5. **Acetone**: Acetone evaporates fast and dissolves some finishes, but it's highly flammable and weaker on tough coatings.

## Related case files

- [Static Spray (DD-051)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/static-spray/): How a tough coating goes on in the first place
- [Spray Foam Fun (DD-750)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/spray-foam-fun/): Another workshop chemical
- [Varnish Vanishing (DD-431)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/varnish-vanishing/): I linked more paint removal

## Reel vs. record

- **Out of date**: in the U.S., methylene chloride consumer paint removers have been banned since November 22, 2019. EPA's April 30, 2024, rule bans all consumer uses and most commercial ones, so it's no longer the active ingredient in 'many commercial paint strippers' going forward.
- **Missing hazard**: EPA says at least 88 people have died from acute methylene chloride exposure since 1980, many while stripping paint or refinishing bathtubs. That's the 'different profile' the Reel doesn't explain.
- **Note**: 'Breaking down the chemical bonds': methylene chloride mainly soaks into, swells and softens the paint film and loosens it from the surface. It doesn't chemically break the binder down.
- **Note**: 'Less aggressive' acetone: acetone is less toxic in this use, but it's highly flammable and works on fewer coatings, so it's often blended with other solvents.
- **Wording**: 'powerful organic solvents' fits both, but they act differently. Methylene chloride lifts cured coatings, while acetone mostly dissolves lacquers, adhesives and some paints.

## Video: Paint Removers: Two Solvents, Very Different Risks

- Duration: 22.3 s · Published: 2025-08-24
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DNwgPHb4pAG.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? Methylene chloride and acetone are powerful organic solvents often used in paint removal, though with very different profiles. Methylene chloride is the active ingredient in many commercial paint strippers, penetrating and breaking down the chemical bonds in resins and binders so paint can be scraped away, while acetone is a fast-evaporating, less aggressive solvent that dissolves certain paints, varnishes, and adhesives. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: What is another name for methylene chloride?**  
A: Dichloromethane. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (How strippers work) · Federal Register (May 8, 2024): Methylene Chloride; Regulation Under TSCA; Federal Register (Mar 27, 2019): Methylene Chloride; Regulation of Paint and Coating Removal for Consumer Use)_

**Q: When did the U.S. ban methylene chloride in consumer paint removers?**  
A: After November 22, 2019. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (The 2019 ban) · U.S. EPA: Final rule on regulation of methylene chloride in paint and coating removal for consumer use (2019); Federal Register (Mar 27, 2019): Methylene Chloride; Regulation of Paint and Coating Removal for Consumer Use)_

**Q: When did EPA finalize its wider methylene chloride ban?**  
A: Under TSCA. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (The 2024 rule) · U.S. EPA (Apr 30, 2024): EPA finalizes ban on most uses of methylene chloride; Federal Register (May 8, 2024): Methylene Chloride; Regulation Under TSCA)_

**Q: Which kind of work is linked to many methylene chloride deaths?**  
A: Vapors build up in enclosed spaces. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (A deadly vapor) · U.S. EPA (Apr 30, 2024): EPA finalizes ban on most uses of methylene chloride)_

**Q: What is a key hazard of acetone?**  
A: Acetone is very flammable. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Acetone) · Federal Register (May 8, 2024): Methylene Chloride; Regulation Under TSCA)_

## Sources

- [U.S. EPA (Apr 30, 2024): EPA finalizes ban on most uses of methylene chloride](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-finalizes-ban-most-uses-methylene-chloride-protecting)
- [Federal Register (May 8, 2024): Methylene Chloride; Regulation Under TSCA](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/05/08/2024-09606/methylene-chloride-regulation-under-the-toxic-substances-control-act-tsca)
- [U.S. EPA: Final rule on regulation of methylene chloride in paint and coating removal for consumer use (2019)](https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/final-rule-regulation-methylene-chloride-paint-and)
- [Federal Register (Mar 27, 2019): Methylene Chloride; Regulation of Paint and Coating Removal for Consumer Use](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/03/27/2019-05666/methylene-chloride-regulation-of-paint-and-coating-removal-for-consumer-use-under-tsca-section-6a)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Paint Removers." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-642, last updated Aug 24, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/paint-removers/