How to Remove Paint From Clothes

Paint has the power to beautifully transform a room, but the transformation usually isn’t so beautiful when the color is on your clothes instead of your walls. Fortunately, there are ways to successfully remove paint from clothes when you’ve ended up with colorful stains.

Each stain is unique — you may find that yours require extra steps and effort or that they resist everything you throw at them. But before you give up and throw any stained garments away, try the following tips and instructions for removing paint from clothes.

How to Remove Fresh Paint From Clothing

No matter how careful you are, paint always seems to find its way onto your clothes. Luckily, this doesn’t mean you have to throw away your favorite pair of jeans or that old t-shirt you love. If you can catch the paint while it’s still fresh, you may be able to remove the paint in a few simple steps.

Water-Based Paints

Water-based paints include finger paints, acrylic craft paints, poster paint and indoor and outdoor latex paints. Water-based paints are more prone to splashing due to their watery consistency.

If you notice water-based paint on an item of clothing, follow these steps to clean the stain before it dries:

1. Carefully remove any excess paint.
2. Cover the stain in hot water.
3. Use laundry detergent or a mild dish soap to spot treat the stain, scrubbing with a soft brush if necessary.
4. Wash the item as usual.
5. Look to see if any paint remains, and repeat steps one through four if it’s still visible.

Depending on the severity of the stain, it may take a few rounds of treatment to remove it completely. It’s crucial to keep your clothes out of the drying machine until the stain is completely gone — the heat from the machine will set the paint stain in place.

Oil-Based Paints

While oil-based paint stains are a bit trickier to remove, you have a much better chance if you catch them while they’re fresh. When you find a fresh oil-based paint stain on your clothes, follow these steps as soon as possible:

1. Scrape off any wet or excess paint.
2. Use a clean rag to dab or blot paint thinner onto the stain.
3. Rinse the area and spot treat the stain with a mild dish soap or detergent and a soft-bristle brush.
4. Wash your clothes as usual.
5. Repeat steps one through four as needed until the stain is gone.

If your clothing needs multiple rounds of treatment, it’s essential to use a clean rag each time you blot the stain with paint thinner. Using the same part of the same rag will keep spreading the stain around.

As with water-based paints, you’ll only want to machine dry your clothing once the stain is completely gone.

How to Remove Dried Paint From Clothing

While it’s best to treat a stain when it’s still fresh, sometimes you may not notice a stain until it’s dried. This doesn’t mean your clothes are ruined forever, though — there’s still hope you can remove the stain! Once you know if the paint was water- or oil-based, use the following guides to remove dried paint from clothes.

Water-Based Paints

When it comes to water-based paints, the process for removing dried paint from clothing is very similar to the method for treating fresh paint stains above. However, you’ll need some extra time to loosen up the paint, so removing these stains from your clothing will take longer.

Follow these steps to remove dried water-based paint:

1. Use a brush, dull knife or spoon to scrape off as much paint as possible.
2. Soak the stain under warm water.
3. Use a clean rag to blot the area with warm water and detergent.
4. Continue to rinse and blot the stain until no more paint comes off.
5. Treat the area with a stain remover and wash as directed.

If the stain persists after you’ve completed the steps above, try blotting it with hairspray, rubbing alcohol or non-acetone nail polish remover. Just be sure to rinse the stain under warm water to remove any residue before putting the item in the washing machine.

Oil-Based Paints

Dried oil-based stains take paint removal for clothing to a more challenging level. You’ll need to be pretty aggressive with these stains and use harsher chemicals to get them out.

The following steps can help you remove dried oil-based paint from your clothing:

1. Turn your clothing item inside out.
2. Use paint thinner or turpentine on a clean rag to remove as much paint as possible.
3. Rinse with warm water.
4. Apply laundry detergent directly to the stain and allow the garment to soak in hot water overnight.
5. Hand-rinse the garment, then wash it as usual.
6. Check for any remaining stains.
7. If necessary, apply stain remover and wash again.
8. Only machine-dry the item once you’ve removed the stain completely.

Removing this type of stain may take some patience, but if you’re determined to save your favorite pair of jeans or that new top you love, this process is worth the effort.

Preventing Stains in the Future

Now that you know how to remove paint from clothes, you can tackle your next home renovation project without worrying about ruining your clothes. However, you’ll enjoy yourself a lot more if you can avoid having to remove any paint stains at all!

If you need to paint your home yourself, it’s best to purchase clothes made for painting, like painter’s pants or overalls. There are even more protective options, like an industrial coverall, which zips up to cover your whole body. Not interested in buying painter’s clothing? Wear old clothes that you won’t mind throwing away if they become stained.

Sometimes, paint stains can occur even after you’re done painting. Always make sure to inform everyone in your household of any areas with wet paint and give the area ample time to dry.

The best way to prevent paint stains is to hire someone else to paint for you. You’ll get a beautiful, professional finish while you and your clothes stay far away from the paint. If you’re not doing the painting yourself, there’s no need to worry about paint splashes or any other accidents.

Contact Rent Painters to Handle Your Painting Needs

Avoid paint stains altogether by hiring Rent Painters to tackle your paint jobs. We offer both interior and exterior painting services. Sit back and relax while professional painters transform your space. Just provide the paint you want to use, and the team will bring all the supplies they’ll need.

With two- to three-year warranties and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, Rent Painters gets the job done right every time. Use our online estimate calculator to receive a quick and free quote today.