How to Remove Paint from Clothes
Getting paint on your favorite shirt spells disaster, and would definitely make any person cringe in horror. Paint adheres very well to fabric, and can be tricky and difficult to remove. If you have this problem, don’t worry; there might still be a way to save your precious fabric. Here are a couple of methods on removing paint from clothes, depending on the type of paint.
Removing Latex Paint
If it’s latex paint you’ve got on your clothes, you can breath a sigh of relief. This type of paint is water-based and can be removed if you immediately dunk it or put it under lukewarm water. The paint will wash out without much difficulty. If you aren’t able to get it to a water source in time, though, here’s what to do.
What You’ll Need:
Scrub brush
Hairspray or alcohol
Scissors or tweezers
Warm water
Laundry soap
Procedure:
Use your fingernails and try to get out some of the paint.
Get some hairspray and spray it all over the fabric, saturating the stain completely. Let the garment soak for an hour or more. If you don’t have hairspray at home, just use regular Isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Cheap or expensive brands would work fine.
The paint on the fabric will soften from the alcohol mixture. Use a small pair of scissors or tweezers to pull softened pain from the clothing. Be careful not to rip it.
Repeat the two previous steps until most of the paint is gone.
If any paint remains, scrub it using a scrub brush.
Wash the garment in warm water and laundry soap. Dry completely.
Removing Oil-Based Paint
If it’s oil paint you’ve got on your clothes, then washing it won’t be enough. Oil does not mix well with water, only causing the paint to turn gummy. You need to try more drastic measures than just using water, alcohol and soap.
What You’ll Need:
Oil-based liquid dish soap
Hand sanitizer
Butterknife
Rubbing alcohol
Toothbrush
Nail polish remover
Paint thinner
Procedure:
Apply an oil-based liquid soap to the stain. If it’s not oil-based, then chances are this won’t work. Let it sit for several minutes, then scrub with a toothbrush or your fingernail, until most of the paint comes off. Rinse the fabric and see if there’s an improvement. Repeat a few more times, if needed.
If the soap doesn’t work, try using a hand sanitizer instead.
Rub some alcohol or nail polish remover on the stain using an old toothbrush. Massage it in the mixture, then start scraping the paint off, using a butter knife.
If the stain still refuses to budge, rub on some paint thinner. This will cut through the oil very well. The only problem with this is it will take some of the fabric’s color away, too. Apply it in small amounts and test on an inconspicuous part of the cloth first.
Wash the clothes when the paint is completely gone. Remember, never put the fabric in the dryer, unless the stain is really gone, otherwise, the paint will just set in the clothes.
Paint on your clothes can be cumbersome, but don’t worry. By following either of these two methods, you can surely get rid of this dilemma with ease.