There’s nothing like getting the little ones involved in arts and crafts and enjoying them ourselves. The lovely pictures created not only light up the walls of their room and the front of your fridge, but they also provide memories for years to come. It also means paint everywhere. When it’s time to clean-up after your little Picasso creates his masterpiece, you're probably going to need a lot of paint thinner. Paint thinners are special solvents that reduce the viscosity of paint by dissolving it, making it perfect for both fine-nozzle spray applicators or dissolving paint on brushes. ( i.e., cleaning) But before you run down to the hardware store to get a jug, you need to know that there are different paint thinners for different kinds of paint. And what are those, you ask? We painted some nice pictures for our moms, cleaned the brushes, and found these to be the best paint thinners around. Sunnyside Odorless Paint Thinner Always Look On The SunnysideSunnyside’s unique formulation provides all the cleaning power you want in a paint thinner without the smell.Best Odorless ThinnerFind on Amazon Let’s face it: the worst thing about paint thinner is the smell. When you use it on paintbrushes, desks, or other surfaces, the smell can soak into porous surfaces and linger over time. Sunnyside uses a synthetic hydrocarbon formula that’s completely odorless but still works effectively for thinning oil-based paints, stains, varnishes, and primers. This makes it a perfect solution for indoor use especially, as well as in general for those with sensitive noses. It’s quite effective at dissolving grease and motor oil as well, so it’s good for those tough household jobs, especially in the garage. Pros: Works best with oil paints Strong child-proof safety cap Good with wood finishes Cons: Not for sale in California Not for use with latex paints Iwata-Medea Airbrush Cleaner Iwata Get SomeFor airbrushes, painting pens and other fine-detailed painting tools, Iwata-Medea has the perfect specialty paint thinner.Best Fine Detail Paint ThinnerFind on Amazon Working with a tiny airbrush is an entirely different experience than using rollers and large brushes. Iwata-Medea understands the special requirements for smaller tools, and has developed a paint thinner specifically for this kind of fine-detailed equipment. Whether you’re using watercolors, acrylics, dyes, inks or gouache, Iwata-Medea Airbrush Cleaner is perfect for all models of natural-haired or synthetic paintbrushes and airbrushes. It works especially well for the ultrasonic cleaning process required for technical pens. The formulation is environmentally safe and helps to prevent drying tips and enhance the overall paint flow of your device. Pros: Resealable tip Works on water-based makeup Highly effective on acrylics Cons: Powerful odor Can be a lung irritant MiracleWipes For Paint The Miracle of Modern ChemistryIf you’re tired of huge cans, tight lids and spilling paint thinner everywhere, MiracleWipes has a solution for you.Best For ConvenienceFind on Amazon Using paint thinner can be a mess and intrusive process. Most often, the product comes in large tin cans that are often heavy and have to be stored out in the garage. To pour out the liquid, you have to put a vice-grip on the plastic cap on top, and then pouring out the liquid is a hit-or-miss proposition that can leave your work space splattered with chemicals. Fortunately, there are MiracleWipes For Paint, a pre-soaked, dual-textured paint thinner wipe that cleans paints of all kinds. Safe for skin, brushes, surfaces, paint trays, clothing, paint buckets and more, each wipe is 12-inches across, like a large paper towel, assuring you of effective cleanup. Best of all, it’s not just safe for skin, it’s made for skin, so you can use it to clean paint off of hands and fingers. Pros: 100% money-back guarantee Contain moisturizers to prevent chapped hands Both soft and abrasive textures Cons: Not for use on textured wall Not effective on ceilings Nanoskin Fast Universal Remover Paint Removal Just Got SeriousFor removing two of the toughest paints around - enamel and urethane - Nanoskin has the secret formula.Best Alternative Paint ThinnerFind on Amazon The great thing about enamel paint is its durability. Also, the worst thing about enamel paint is its durability. Anyone who has spilled enamel paint or tried to clean their paintbrushes after putting on a coat of enamel knows it’s a tough chore. Nanoskin Fast Universal Remover takes this task on head-first with a powerful solvent designed not only for enamel but urethane as well. It’s also effective for clear coats, primers and seals. It’s a workhorse paint thinner for the thickest, oiliest paints on the market. It comes in a one-gallon container with a sturdy, childproof cap. Pros: Works great on spray equipment Effective on acrylic and oil paints, too Easy-pour spout Cons: Strong chemical odor Works best in cooler weather Frequently Asked Questions Is paint thinner flammable? Paint thinner is not considered flammable, but it is considered combustible. The difference is that flammable materials will easily catch on fire at normal temperatures. Paint thinner requires a flashpoint of 104 degrees Fahrenheit to catch on fire. Regardless, all paint thinners should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from other combustible chemicals or materials. What’s the difference between paint thinner and mineral spirits? Typically, the two terms are interchangeable, but there’s actually a difference between the two. There are no additives in mineral spirits. They are composed entirely of petroleum distillates; paint thinners, on the other hand, are usually blended with other chemicals or additives like benzene. Some people swear by mineral spirits as the best formulation of paint thinner, but depending on the type of paint you use and your predisposition to reactions to certain chemicals – you’ll probably need to find out for yourself. What’s turpentine? Is it also paint thinner? Turpentine is, in fact, a paint thinner. It is derived from the distillation of tree resins. Some people think that turpentine is the best paint thinner for oil-based paints. Regardless of which paint you use it for, please remember this: do not drink turpentine. An online search for turpentine may result in several organic turpentines that espouse their health benefits. Hopefully, you’ll also find the wide variety of studies that show drinking turpentine can lead to kidney failure, coma, and death. So, stick with wine for the Art Club drinks and leave the turpentine for cleaning the brushes.