Sometimes, the idea of “the entire world is your canvas” can be taken a bit too literally. Thus, some artists end up painting almost everything at their disposal, and this doesn’t exclude kitchenware.
However, painting kitchenware may not be a good idea. Most paints tend to wear off as they come in touch with food and beverage. The pigments may even enter your system.
Let’s say you’ve painted your favorite mug with acrylic colors, and now you see the paint has worn off in certain parts. It’s natural for you to ask; Is It Safe to Eat Acrylic Paint? Well, should you really even consider eating acrylic paint? (the answer is no, and, why?) This article will answer that question.
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Is Acrylic Paint Safe?
Is acrylic paint toxic? Yes, it is. There are acrylic paints that are made with non-toxic pigments. However, that doesn’t mean that they are safe to eat, especially when it comes to young children.
Even if acrylic paint ingredients are non-toxic, they may be harmful to our internal organs. Even if consumed in small quantities, they may lead to weeks of health issues. Point is, you can’t really tell as it depends on the specific paint you ingested and the amount of it.
Some people think that they lead to skin and respiratory irritation if they come in skin contact, but speaking from personal experience, that’s highly unlikely. There are multiple reasons why these are considered unsafe.
Toxicity
The main reason why you shouldn’t consume acrylic paints in any manner is their toxicity. There are a lot of acrylic paint brands that come with harmful heavy metals and organic chemicals like methyl ethyl ketone. These shouldn’t be consumed at any cost.
Then again, there are brands that are labeled safe to use, usually the non-toxic acrylic paints. Even in these cases, you’ll find a warning label on the product packaging requesting you not to apply the paint on areas that’ll come in direct contact with food and drinks.
This only means one thing, labeled toxic or non-toxic, acrylic paint is not perfectly safe to eat. Let along with eating. You must wash these paints off with soap and water once you’re done using them. Once acrylic paint dries, it can be tough to wash off.
Taste
Another major factor is the taste of acrylic paint. There isn’t any acrylic paint on the market that isn’t bitter. No acrylic paint is organic or natural. All of them are mixtures of chemical ingredients. And no, it is highly unlikely you will be able to tell the difference between pigments.
If ever consumed, you’ll find a layer of acrylic paint on your tongue. This will keep you from tasting food properly, and it’ll also make your tongue feel heavy.
Digestibility
If you’re thinking that you’ll be able to get away with a minor stomachache upon consuming acrylic paint, you’re wrong. Acrylic paints aren’t digestible at all, which means that even the slightest trace of paint will remain in your digestive system for a long time.
Worst case scenario, you’ll suffer from either diarrhea or food poisoning. Both of these conditions can last for weeks. In fact, some may even experience allergic reactions. So, we highly recommend avoiding them if possible.
Can You Make Acrylic Painted Kitchenware Food Safe?
Although we don’t recommend painting kitchenware with acrylic paint, there’s a way to make your kitchenware food safe.
To do so, you need to follow three simple safety tips. We’ll be discussing these steps in this section. If you integrate these steps into your painting project, you’ll have food-safe kitchenware!
Paint It
Firstly, you need to paint the kitchenware. We recommend choosing either ceramic or porcelain as these absorb acrylic paint the best. The other materials commonly used for making kitchenware aren’t as good for acrylic painting.
When you’re painting, there aren’t any restrictions. You can go all out with creativity when you start painting. However, once you’re done painting, you need to leave the paint to dry. Usually, you’ll need to let it dry overnight. This depends greatly on the temperature and humidity.
Keeping the object in a well-ventilated space and turning on the fan can speed up the drying process. Still, we don’t recommend turning the fan on right after you finish painting. Acrylic can get very runny in such cases, and your painting will be ruined completely.
Bake It
Once you’re done painting and drying your kitchenware, you’ll need to bake them. There are multiple steps to this process.
Firstly, you have to put the kitchenware in a microwave oven and bake it for two minutes straight. Once you’re done baking it, carefully take it out and let it rest. It usually takes these 10-12 minutes to cool down.
Make sure to wear gloves while taking the kitchenware out, or the paint may get smeared on your skin. Nitrile-coated gloves are highly recommended for this.
After it cools down, touch the kitchenware with bare hands and check if the paint is completely baked or not. If you can’t find dried paint, bake it for another minute.
Seal It
Baking helps in making the paint stick to the kitchenware better. However, it’s not enough to make it completely food-safe. This is why in the third step, you need to seal the paint. Sealing will help make the paint water-resistant.
There are tons of food-grade sealants on the market. These act as the top coat on the paint. One layer of these and the paint will be sealed completely.
After you apply the sealant, wait for two hours at least. Some sealants claim to work after an hour of application, but we’d still recommend you wait for at least a day before you serve any food or beverage in that kitchenware, making sure that the acrylic is not chipping or that there is any other issue.
Paint It, Bake It, Seal It. We are one stop away from becoming a Daft Punk song.
What to Do After Consumption of Acrylic Paint?
There are two things that you can do after accidentally consuming acrylic paints. Which path you’ll take depends solely on whether they were toxic or non-toxic paints.
You should consult a doctor immediately if you consume acrylic paints labeled toxic. Chemicals of toxic acrylic paint can react badly with your stomach juice, and these can lead to diarrhea and other long-lasting conditions. Cleaning your stomach with toxic cleaning chemicals may alleviate the situation.
On the other hand, if the paint was labeled non-toxic, then you must relax first. Panicking can make things even worse. So, calm down and gurgle out any remaining particle of paint using your mouthwash.
After that, drink a glass of water. If possible, eat some light food as well. This will help take all the remaining particles to your stomach.
Sadly, that may not end your problems. Once the particles reach your stomach, you must wait and find out whether they’re excreted or not. Acrylic paint particles can’t be digested. The only way of getting rid of them is to excrete them.
However, there’s no sure way of ensuring that. If they are excreted from your system, you’ll be safe. If they aren’t, you may experience an upset stomach for a few days.
Most modern acrylic paint pigments are non-toxic, so you shouldn’t worry too much. Still, make sure to check the label on the packaging of the paint.
Final Words
Is acrylic paint safe? Not at all. However, as you can see, paints with non toxic warning labels are much better in every way. So, next time you replenish your paint supplies, make sure you get non toxic paint. In fact, we’d recommend you to ensure that when you’re getting other types of paints such as oil paints.
Make sure you follow the mentioned steps for making the painted food safe. If you do end up consuming acrylic paints in small amounts, drink lots of water so that the harmful chemicals are washed to your stomach. Also bear in mind that there is also a chance for some people to be allergic to acrylic paint.
In case you end up consuming large amounts, consult a doctor. It will be a fun painting session as long as you maintain these simple rules.