House painting is one of the fun activities you can engage in, but it can also be messy. Everyone loves the fun activities, but no one wants to deal with the resulting mess. The good news is you will learn how to remove both oil-based and water-based paints from your carpet.
There are many reasons why you might be painting. It could be for natural landscapes, redoing your walls, or many other things requiring painting. During all of these activities, it is inevitable to experience paint spills. Knowing this beforehand will help your preparation better.
Without a doubt, it is pretty challenging to clean off the mess of painting, especially when you are dealing with oil-based paints. However, you can easily clean off any spill from oil-based paint with the right tools and techniques. In this article, you will learn everything about cleaning oil-based paintings.
How to get oil-based paint out of carpet?
What is an Oil-based Paint?
Oil-based paints are colors made with oil solvent as the base. These solvents are often organic compounds. They are insoluble in water which means they do not dissolve in water. Their inability to dissolve in water is what makes them hard to remove. Water-based paints, on the other hand, can be easily removed because they dissolve in water.
Often, the mineral turpentine serves as the solvent for most oil-based paints, which is why it is used as the main material for removing them. The basic principle of cleansing paints is to dissolve them in their most soluble solvents and wipe them off the carpet.
Cleaning Tools and Agents for Paint Cleaning
Before you proceed to learn how to remove paint stains from your carpet, it is needful you get used to some of the tools and agents needed for the entire process. The good news is that you can get these materials around, and you might already have them in your home. Immediately there is a spill; get these materials and start working.
1. Turpentine
Remember, we discussed earlier that turpentine is the major solvent for oil-based paints. For obvious reasons, it is also the most standard agent for cleaning oil-based paints. It is a fantastic ingredient to have at home. It readily dissolves your paint, thus making it easy for cleaning to make your carpet spotless.
2. Rubbing Alcohol
Isopropyl rubbing alcohol is widely used to clean paints and stains on carpets. It is easy to get one. It is widely available in grocery stores. Ensure you have one before embarking on your painting work. Moreover, do not dilute the rubbing alcohol before using it. You can use it by applying it to a towel and then using the towel to wipe your carpet.
3. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a popular tool among professional carpet cleaners. They use it to remove the toughest stains from carpets and upholstery. You can get hydrogen peroxide in either a grocery store or a pharmacy. It should contain an optimal of 3% hydrogen peroxide.
To use hydrogen peroxide, mix it with warm or cold water. Avoid using hot water to get the best effect. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful bleaching agent. Therefore, be careful of the surface you use it on. You can use it to remove all kinds of oil-based paints like acrylic and enamel paint stains.
4. Citrus Solvent
The citrus solvent is another effective alternative for removing oil-based paints. You can get it at your grocery stores, drug stores, and hardware shops. Do not dilute before use, and also ensure that it doesn’t touch the backing of your carpet. You can apply it on a towel and use it to clean your carpet.
5. Dry Cleaning Solution
A dry cleaning solution is a commercially made carpet cleaner. It is designed for use across different surfaces, including carpets, wooden floors, upholstery, etc. Ensure your cleaning solution is flammable to avoid any risk. You can get it at your grocery store, and do not dilute it before use.
6. Vinegar
Vinegar is a moderate acid used to clean light carpet stains. Vinegar is most effective when you want to clean very recent paint stains. However, it is ineffective in the cleaning of dried oil paint. Vinegar is available at your local grocery store.
7. Detergent
Yes, don’t be surprised to see detergent. Detergent is also an effective agent to clean both water-based and oil-based paints. Detergent is readily available in every home. You can use any detergent available, whether dishwashing detergent or soapy water.
8. Water
Water is an essential; ingredient of all kinds of cleaning. When you are done doing most of the cleaning and scrubbing. You need water to rinse your carpet.
9. Towels
Towels are essential tools for removing paints off your carpet. Ensure the towels are clean and colorfast. Paper towels are also good alternatives.
10. Vacuum Cleaner
A vacuum cleaner is ideal for stain removal. However, if your vacuum cleaner is designed only for dry surfaces, do not use it until you have removed the stains. If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner, you can use a towel as an alternative.
11. Spoon
A spoon can be very instrumental, especially when the paint spill is much. In such a situation, it is not wise to use towels immediately. You can use spoons, preferably big ones, to scoop the pain before using other tools and agents.
Step-by-step Procedure to Remove Oil-based Stains from Carpet
Now that you have a good idea of the materials for carpet cleaning let’s get into the specifics. Here are easy steps to follow to get oil-based paints out of your carpet.
Step 1
Use a big spoon to scrape excess paint from the surface of your carpet. This step is necessary if you have a large spill. Start scraping from the edges towards the center to avoid increasing the circumference of the spill. After this, you can use your vacuum cleaner to blot up the excess stains. Once you have scraped enough, you are ready for the actual cleaning.
Step 2
Start the paint removal using any suitable cleansing agent like turpentine, rubbing alcohol, citrus, etc. Regardless of the solvent you use, it should get the oil-based paint out from the carpet. The reason for this is simple. The oil paint removal agent will dissolve the paint, thus removing it from the carpet.
Step 3
In some cases, there might still be some stains on the carpet. A detergent solution is always instrumental in such cases. Therefore, spray liquid detergent on the stained areas of the carpet and let it soak for at least 5 minutes. Then, use a clean towel to wipe the stain off the carpet.
Step 4
Step three should result in a clean carpet. However, if you are dealing with tough stains, use hydrogen peroxide, turpentine, or ammonia, to get rid of them. Use these paint removal agents with care and according to the guidelines above.
Step 5
Once you have performed all the steps above, your carpet should be free from stains. Therefore, use a hard bristle brush for a final clean and rinse the surface with warm water. After that, use a vacuum cleaner to dry your carpet or use any other suitable means to dry it.
The entire process of cleaning and drying your carpet can take several hours into days. However, once all the tools and materials you need are readily available, you are good to go. Moreover, it is advisable to address oil-based paints immediately it spills. You save time when you immediately do the cleaning.
How do you get paint out of the carpet after it dries?
You might be thinking it is too difficult to get rid of dried paint. Well, you’re mistaken. Though it takes more effort than recently spilled paints, following the guidelines in this article will help you navigate the entire process in the most convenient way.
If you are dealing with dried water or acrylic paint, you can opt-in for soapy water, dishwashing liquid, or mild detergent. However, if you deal with dried oil-based paints, you can still use oil paint removal agents like rubbing alcohol, acetone, turpentine, etc.
Gently apply some rubbing alcohol on a clean towel and wipe the stained carpet until the paint is completely wiped out. After this, use soapy water to clean the carpet and rinse well with water. You can use pretty much any paint removal agent that will dissolve the oil-based paint for the initial cleaning.
Moreover, avoid using bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide to avoid decolorating your carpet. Therefore, when you finish with the cleaning and rinsing. Dry your carpet using a vacuum cleaner or any suitable method.
How to get oil paint out of carpet without turpentine?
As we discussed earlier in this article, there are different kinds of oil paint removal agents that you can use for cleaning your carpet. Turpentine is just one of them. It is indeed a long list that includes rubbing alcohol, acetone, citrus solvent, vinegar, dry cleaning solution, and so on.
Like turpentine, each of these materials is also readily available. Some are more readily available than turpentine itself. Therefore, if you face difficulties getting turpentine to wipe off paint stains from your home, choose any available alternatives in your local grocery store.
Hydrogen Peroxide is a great alternative, but it is often used most among professionals. The reason for this is the fast-bleaching property of the agent. If not handled properly, it can result in damage to your carpet. Hydrogen peroxide does the work pretty fast, but consider using other alternatives too.
The process for using turpentine is the same as that of other paint removal agents. Therefore, the guidelines above will be helpful for the cleaning process.
How to clean water paint from carpet?
The focus of this article has been about oil paints, and we have done great justice to that. Now, let us talk a bit about water-based paints. Water-based paints are paints whose base solvents are made from water. You might be dealing with water or acrylic paints. Guess what? The process is the same with oil paint stains.
Most oil-paint stain removal agents will work with acrylic paints. All you have to do is follow the procedure above, and you won’t have any problem wiping off those stains from your carpet.
Wrap-Up
Carpets are beautiful furniture at home, and a little paint stain can ruin the beauty. Without a doubt, paint removal is a pretty tricky process, but it can be less complicated by using the right tools and following the best procedure.
Therefore, to protect your carpet from early damage, treat all stains as urgently as possible. It would be best if you didn’t wait till later before cleaning them. This approach will make your carpet last longer and save you money from getting a new one.