Yahoo Movies How to Get Paint Out of Carpet (and Avoid a Costly Replacement)
No matter if you're working on a home improvement project or have a budding Picasso on your hands, paint drips and spills are sure to follow. But don't panic, many paint stains—both oil and water-based—can be removed from carpet with a bit of patience and a few cleaning supplies.
The stain removal steps and supplies depend on the type of paint and whether the paint is still wet or has dried. Let's start with water-based paints like acrylic latex, finger paints, and watercolors, then walk through the steps for removing tricky oil-based paints. Here's exactly how to get paint out of carpet so it looks brand new.
RELATED: The Easiest Way to Remove Stains From Every Kind of Carpet
How to Get Water-Based Paint Out of Carpet
What You'll Need:
Dull knife or old credit card
Paper towels or white rags
Dishwashing liquid
Soft-bristled brush
Clothes steamer
Vacuum
Follow these steps for a fresh paint stain:
Lift away the wet paint: Ideally, you'll catch the paint stain while it is fresh. Use the dull edge of a knife or the edge of an old credit card to lift away the paint. Never rub the stain with a cloth or paper towel because that will just push the paint deeper into the carpet fibers.
Blot, blot, blot: Use a wet paper towel or white rag to blot away the paint that remains on the surface of the carpet. Keep moving to a clean area of the towel as the paint is transferred. Don't stop blotting until all of the paint is gone.
Follow these steps for a dried paint stain:
Reconstitute the dry paint: Mix a solution of hot water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid in a small bowl. Dip a soft-bristled brush—an old toothbrush works great—in the solution and saturate the dried paint stain. Let it sit for about five minutes to soften the paint.
Scrape and blot: Once the paint has begun to soften, use a dull knife to gently scrape away the paint from the fibers. Blot with a wet paper towel or cloth as the paint releases. Apply more of the hot soapy solution with the brush as needed. Keep working until the paint is gone. Remember, no rubbing or the paint may smear.
Add more heat: If the hot water solution doesn't soften the paint, hit the stain with a blast of steam from a handheld clothes steamer. Do not place the steamer nozzle or a hot iron directly on the carpet because that can melt the fibers. Continue slowly scraping and blotting until the paint is gone.
Dry and vacuum: Once the paint is removed, allow the carpet to air-dry and then vacuum well to lift the carpet fibers and capture any loose paint particles that remain.
How to Get Oil-Based Paint Out of Carpet
Oil-based paint is much more difficult to remove from carpet fibers. Follow the same steps whether the stain is fresh or dried.
What You'll Need:
Dull knife
Paper towels
White cotton rag
Clothes steamer
Paper clip
Paint solvent or turpentine
Dishwashing liquid
Soft-bristled brush
Vacuum
Follow These Steps:
Lift and blot wet paint: If the paint drip is wet, use a dull knife to lift it up and away from the carpet. Use a blast of steam from a clothes steamer to keep the paint moist as you lift away paint and blot the area with a wet paper towel. Straighten a paperclip and use it to separate carpet fibers as you continue blotting with clean paper towels.
Scrape and blot dry paint: If the oil paint is dry, use a dull knife to gently scrape away as much of the paint as you can from the fibers. Use a wet paper towel or vacuum to pick up the flakes of dry paint.
Treat with solvent: After lifting or scraping, read the fine print on the paint label and use the recommended solvent (mineral spirits, paint thinner, turpentine). If there isn't one indicated, opt for turpentine. Be sure to test the solvent on an inconspicuous area of the carpet to make sure it doesn't cause a color change. Place a dab of the solvent on a white cotton rag and blot the stained area. Work slowly and move to a clean area of the rag as color is transferred. Blot, blot, blot—never rub.
Clean and rinse: Once you have removed as much of the paint as possible, mix a solution of hot water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Dip a soft-bristled brush in the solution and gently scrub the area where the paint solvent was used. Use a clean rag dipped in water to "rinse" the area and then blot away the excess water with paper towels.
Air-dry and vacuum: Allow the carpet to dry and then vacuum to restore the pile.
Note: If the latex or oil paint spill is large, it may be impossible to remove all traces from the carpet. Try calling a professional carpet cleaner to help. If all else fails, consider cutting out the ruined area of the carpet and piecing it with remnants or cover the stain with an area rug until the carpet can be replaced.
