Paint is a tricky thing to clean when you consider the fact that it’s supposed to stain surfaces. It can be concerning when you get it on something you’re not supposed to. Overall, it’s terrible when you get spilled paint on the carpet.
The simple desire of wanting a new paint color in a room with carpets can lead to a whole host of trouble. And sometimes, no matter how much you prepare, accidents happen, and you’re left with a mess that you need to figure out how to clean up.
Don’t worry, though, because there are ways to get paint out of the carpet. To understand how to remove paint stains, you need to know what specific type of paint you spilled. It should be either oil-based or water-based. Both come out in different ways.
Here’s what you should do when you get spilled paint on the carpet:
1. Preparation
No matter what type of spilled paint is on the carpet, there are a few things to do first.
First, you should blot up any remaining wet paint on the carpet. Whatever you do, do not rub or scrub the paint. Doing this will worsen the stain, either rubbing it in deeper or spreading it around the carpet. All you need to make are small blots.
And if there’s no wet paint, blotting with a wet paper towel or cloth is still a good idea.
Next, use a knife to carefully scrape as much dry paint as possible. Blotting with hot water might help loosen the paint, making this process easier. After scraping off pieces of dry paint, vacuum up everything loose.
2. How To Clean Water-Based Paint
There are many different types of water-based paint, like acrylic and latex. These are much easier to clean than oil-based paints, so you don’t need to worry significantly about this kind of spilled paint on the carpet.
First, pour hot water mixed with mild dish soap into the stain. You can let it sit for a little bit so it’s absorbed fully.
Next, you may be able to use a scrub brush here if the stain is absorbing the cleaner. Again, be careful with scrubbing. Botting might be a better idea, but scrubbing can be effective.
If the stain is still there, try blotting some rubbing alcohol onto it. Make sure it won’t damage your carpet: test a bit of it out on an inconspicuous spot before applying it to the stain.
3. How To Clean Oil-Based Paint
If your paint isn’t water-based, you are in for a more difficult task. It is much harder to clean oil-based paint. Don’t worry, though, because there are still things you can do, even with this type of spilled paint on the carpet. Essentially, you need to apply some harsher chemicals.
Before using these chemicals, always look into the proper safety precautions. They should be on the bottle. Be careful, and try testing these chemicals out on small parts of the carpet before applying them.
First, try a commercial carpet cleaning solution. These are, of course, designed to get stains out of your carpet, so they’re a good idea. Next, you can try a paint thinner, like turpentine. If you want something weaker and not dangerous, try spraying WD-40 on the paint stain.
After putting the chemicals on the stain, blot it out with a white cloth. Since these chemicals get dyes and colors out, you need to ensure your cloth is white so no pigments run into the carpet.
Conclusion
Getting spilled paint on the carpet is nerve-wracking, but it’s totally possible to get out. You just need to apply some of the techniques above.
If you’ve done everything and the paint stain still isn’t coming out, it’s time to call a professional carpet cleaner. Getting a [steam cleaning] done can do wonders for your carpet, and the combination of hot water and force is perfect for a paint stain.
On top of that, a professional will know other ways of possibly getting your stain out and can diagnose the issue more accurately. Our technicians can come to your Carson home and help you out.
After that, your carpet should look as good as new. Removing spilled paint on the carpet is doable and isn’t nearly as scary as it may seem at first.