It takes just a millisecond to brush up against a freshly painted wall, only to find a stain on your clothes later. Your best outfit ruined?
And if you’re doing the painting and you’ve dressed in old clothing just in case, you might still find a blotch of paint somewhere that you wish wasn’t there. Meeting a paint stain just seems unavoidable.
Regardless of how the stain got there, it might seem like a pretty tough job to get rid of it. So, how to get paint out of clothes?
The cleaning rule of thumb applies – the quicker you get to it, the better! Work as quickly as possible to prevent the stain from drying and hardening. You’ll get the best results removing a stain while it is still wet.
However, when dealing with a paint stain, it is important to know whether the paint is water-based or oil-based. Water-based paint is easiest to remove from clothing. While dealing with oil-based paint stain can take more work, it isn’t impossible to remove.
Here are some easy, tried-and-true methods you can use to get paint out of your clothes.
Contents
Water-Based Paints
Method 1: Use Warm Water and Laundry Detergent
Step 1. Turn the fabric stain-side down and flush with warm water
- Flip the fabric over so the paint stain is facing down.
- Over a bowl or in a sink, use a forceful stream of warm water to wash away as much paint as possible.
Alternatively, you can soak the stained area of the fabric in water for a few minutes to make the paint damp.
Step 2. Dilute the detergent with warm water
- Pour 2 tablespoons of liquid laundry detergent in a bowl.
- Add 1 cup of warm water to it.
- Mix them together well.
Step 3. Soak the fabric in the solution for 10 minutes
- Soak the stained fabric in the detergent solution for 10 minutes.
Step 4. Gently rub the stain out
- Gently rub the stain with your hands to loosen it.
- Rinse it off.
- Rub and rinse again as needed, until the entire stain is gone.
Method 2: Use Rubbing Alcohol
Things you’ll need:
- Rubbing alcohol – 1 cup
- Cleaning brush
Step 1. Pour rubbing alcohol into a bowl
- Pour about 1 cup of rubbing alcohol into a bowl.
Step 2. Soak the stained fabric
- Dip the stained area of the fabric in the rubbing alcohol to break down the dried paint.
Step 3. Scrub and rinse the stain
- Rub the stained area with a cleaning brush until the paint starts to come off.
- Rinse with water to clean off any residue.
- Finish with a final wash in detergent and water, then dry it as usual.
Alternatively for wet paint stains, blot the stain with rubbing alcohol. Use a toothbrush to scrub the stain off. The bristles of a toothbrush will provide the abrasiveness and precision needed to remove a wet stain. Scrubbing away at the stain should produce results within a minute of exertion.
Method 3: Use Hair Spray
Things you’ll need:
- Hair spray
- Cleaning brush
Step 1. Squirt the hair spray on the stained fabric
- Liberally spray some hair spray on the paint stain.
Step 2. Scrub the stain with a cleaning brush
- Scrub the stain with a cleaning brush.
- Repeat until the stain is removed.
Step 3. Rinse with water
- Run the fabric under water to clean off any paint residue.
Method 4: Use Ammonia and Hydrogen Peroxide
Things you’ll need:
- Hydrogen peroxide – 1 cup
- Ammonia – 1 cup
- Salt – a handful
- Water
- Cleaning sponge
Step 1. Soak the fabric in water for 5 minutes
- Soak the stained part of the clothing in cold water for 5 minutes.
- Make sure the fabric is thoroughly saturated with water.
Step 2. Wring out any excess water
- Wring out any excess water from the soaked fabric.
Step 3. Mix hydrogen peroxide, ammonia and salt to form a cleaning solution
- Pour 1 cup of ammonia into a bowl.
- Add a handful of salt to it.
- Add 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide to the mixture.
- Mix the ingredients well.
Step 4. Dip a sponge in the solution and scrub the stain
- Saturate a sponge in the homemade cleaning solution.
- Scrub the fabric with the sponge to lift out the stain.
- You will see immediate results as the stain fades away. Repeat until the stain is gone completely.
- Finish with a usual wash with detergent and water, then dry as usual.
Oil-Based Paint
Method 1: Use Turpentine
Another effective method for removing oil-based paint stains is using turpentine. Turpentine solidifies the stain, thus allowing most of the stain to easily peel off.
Things you’ll need:
- Turpentine
- Cleaning brush
#For Wet Paint Stains
Step 1. Saturate the stain with turpentine
- Place the stained side of the fabric facing down in a bowl so that the stain lies at the center.
- Pour turpentine over the fabric so that the stained area is saturated.
Step 2. Soak for 1 hour and clean with detergent
- Soak the fabric in turpentine for 1 hour or until the paint comes off.
- Give it a final wash with detergent.
#For Dry Paint Stains
Step 1. Position the stained area of the fabric in a bowl
- Place the fabric stain-side down in a bowl.
You can use a knife or a sharp object to scrape off the dried paint before soaking it in turpentine.
Step 2. Pour turpentine over the stain and let it soak
- Pour turpentine over the stain, enough to saturate it.
- Let the fabric soak in the turpentine for 3 to 4 hours or until the paint comes out.
Step 3. Scrub with a cleaning brush
- Rub off any remaining residue with a cleaning brush.
- Finish with one final scrub and rinse with laundry detergent.
Note: Be careful while using turpentine. It may cause the color of the fabric to fade.
Tips
- As paint dries quickly, the quicker you deal with a paint stain, the more likely you are to successfully remove it.
- Unless it is a grease stain, cold water is best for removing the stain.
- Prior to using a paint thinner like turpentine on a piece of cloth, test it on a small area first. It might cause the fabric to lose color.
- Before beginning any stain-removal technique, thoroughly read the cleaning instructions on the piece of clothing. The fabric might be delicate and require dry cleaning.
- Follow safety measures and wear gloves, as some detergents might cause an allergic reaction or have an adverse effect on your skin.
- To prevent paint from getting on your clothes, wear an extra piece of cloth on top, such as an apron.
DURING THE SPOTTING, IT IS BETTER TO KEEP AN ABSORBENT UNDERNEATH THE STAINED MATERIAL. NEUTRALIZE THE MATERIAL WHERE NECESSARY OTHERWISE MATERIAL LOSES ITS STRENGTH. SPOTTING TABLES ALONG WITH STEAM GUNS CAN BE USED TO REMOVE STAINS.
Thankyou piyadasa panagoda for a precautionary tip, we appreciate your contribution for other user’s help.