How to get a paint stain out of clothes

How to remove paint from clothes

1. 1

   Scrape off wet paint, don't rub

   Lift any blob of paint with a dull knife or spoon, working from the edges toward the center. Don't wipe it with a cloth: that smears pigment over a wider area and drives it into the yarns.

   Why: Every bit you lift is paint that never has to be dissolved out of the weave.

2. 2

   Check the paint type

   Look at the can or tube. Latex, acrylic, craft and most interior house paints say "water-based" or "clean up with soap and water." Oil-based paint, alkyd enamel and varnish name a thinner such as mineral spirits or turpentine.

   Why: Water-based paint comes out with water and detergent. Oil-based paint only dissolves in its own solvent, so water alone won't touch it.

3. 3

   Water-based paint: flush from the back

   Turn the garment inside out and run water through the back of the stain while the paint is still wet, until the water runs clear. The American Cleaning Institute says to use warm water; Iowa State Extension suggests a cold soak or cool wash. Either works on wet paint; what matters is doing it before the paint dries.

   Why: Wet latex is still a suspension of tiny plastic particles in water. Flushing carries them out before they fuse into a film.

4. 4

   Oil-based paint: blot with the label's thinner

   Outdoors or by an open window, lay the stain face down on a pad of white towels and dab the back with the thinner the can recommends (turpentine if there's no label). Move to a clean part of the pad as paint transfers, then rinse.

   Why: The thinner redissolves the oil binder so the pigment can transfer into the pad below instead of spreading through the garment.

5. 5

   Rub in detergent and let it sit

   Work liquid laundry detergent or a little dish soap into both sides of the stain with your fingers or a soft brush, and leave it for a few minutes. For oil paint, prewash stain remover or bar soap also works.

   Why: Detergent surrounds the loosened pigment and any leftover solvent so they rinse away instead of redepositing.

6. 6

   Wash and air-dry

   Wash in the warmest water the care label allows, then hang the garment to dry and check it in daylight. Repeat the detergent step and wash again if you can still see color.

   Why: Dryer heat can fix leftover paint for good, and wet fabric hides faint marks.

Why paint gets harder to remove by the hour

Paint is pigment held in a binder that's designed to turn into a solid film. In latex and acrylic paint the binder is plastic particles floating in water. As the water evaporates, the particles fuse into a flexible film that no longer dissolves in water, and in fabric that film wraps around the fibers with the pigment locked inside.

That's why the guidance is blunt: the American Cleaning Institute says water-based paint can't be removed once it's dry, and Iowa State Extension says removal gets very difficult after 6 to 8 hours. Oil-based paint cures more slowly by reacting with air, but once hard it is also very difficult to shift. The paint stain overview covers how this plays out on other surfaces.

Which solvent your fabric can take

Thinners, turpentine, dry-cleaning solvent and acetone are all useful on paint, but not on every fiber. Acetone dissolves acetate, triacetate and modacrylic, which are common in linings and dressy blouses. Rubbing alcohol can damage acetate and acrylic unless diluted, and can fade dyes. Check the fiber content on the care label and test any solvent on an inside seam first.

By situation

Dried latex or house paint

Peel or scrape off as much of the surface film as you can. Iowa State Extension's method for partly set water-based paint: soak, apply a dry-cleaning solvent, rub in liquid detergent, wait 10 to 15 minutes, scrub under hot water, pretreat again and wash. Be realistic: the American Cleaning Institute and the University of Kentucky both say dried water-based paint can't be removed, so this works best on thin smears and stains that are only a few hours old.

Acrylic craft paint

Acrylic is water-based, so the wet-paint method applies. One craft-paint maker's guidance for its own acrylic is to rinse, pretreat with dish soap, wash in the hottest water the fabric allows, air-dry and repeat, and it reports success even on heat-set stains. Results depend on the product, so treat that as a reason to try, not a promise.

Paint on jeans

Denim is sturdy cotton, so it tolerates the scrubbing and hot-water step for partly dried paint better than most fabrics. Use a soft brush rather than a stiff one, and test any solvent on the inside of a hem first, because solvents can lift dye and leave a pale patch.

It already went through the wash or the dryer

A wash rarely removes dried latex and can spread loose flakes. If the garment has been machine-dried, scrape off what has loosened and try the solvent and detergent step once or twice, but expect a permanent mark on most fabrics.

White vs. colored clothes

Paint color is pigment, not dye, so bleach does little to it and can damage colored fabric. Use the same solvent and detergent steps on whites and colors, testing solvents on colors first.

Wool, silk, acetate and dry-clean-only items

Don't use thinner, turpentine or acetone on these fibers. Blot off wet paint and take the item to a dry cleaner the same day if possible, telling them whether the paint is water- or oil-based.

What not to do

• Don't let latex paint dry before treating it. Once the particles fuse into a film, water no longer dissolves it.
• Don't rub wet paint with a cloth. Rubbing spreads pigment and pushes it deeper into the yarns. Scrape, blot and flush from the back instead.
• Don't put solvent-soaked clothes in the washer or dryer. Thinners and dry-cleaning solvents are flammable. Rinse the item or let the solvent evaporate fully before laundering.
• Don't use the dryer or iron while any paint remains. Heat sets what's left so it can't be removed later.

Other methods that work

Acetone nail polish remover

Acetone dissolves some acrylic and oil-based paint films. Dab it on with a cotton ball from the back over a towel, then wash.

Caution: It dissolves acetate, triacetate and modacrylic fabrics. Test, ventilate, and keep it away from flames.

Rubbing alcohol on dried latex or acrylic

Often suggested for softening dried water-based paint. It's a traditional method with weak evidence: no extension guide confirms it for dried latex on fabric. Saturate the spot, wait a few minutes, then scrape and scrub.

Caution: It can fade dyes. On acetate, dilute it with two parts water. It's flammable.

Dish soap pretreatment

A few drops of dish soap worked into fresh water-based paint before washing helps lift pigment.

Caution: It helps mainly on wet or fresh paint, not on a cured film.

Stain still there?

A stiff or shiny patch is left after washing

That's the paint film itself. Flex the fabric and scrape off what cracks loose, then repeat the solvent and detergent step. If it doesn't soften, the paint has cured.

A pale ring appeared around the spot

The solvent or alcohol lifted some dye. Stop using it on that garment. This is why testing on a seam first matters.

You don't know if the paint was latex or oil

Start with water and detergent. If the paint doesn't soften or bead up after a few minutes, it's probably oil-based, so switch to a thinner.

Safety

• Use thinners, turpentine and acetone in small amounts with good ventilation, away from flames and pilot lights.
• Let solvent evaporate fully before washing, and never put solvent-damp items in the dryer.
• Never mix solvents with bleach or other cleaners.

Never mix cleaning products; see chemicals you must never combine.

Questions

Paint on other surfaces

• Paint stains: the complete guide
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• Paint on hair

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