Painting a house can be a great way to liven up the place and transform a room. It’s a low-cost, low-effort means of making your home feel nice and new. Unfortunately, paint sometimes ends up in places where you don’t want it, like your carpet. When that happens, it can feel disastrous, but it isn’t as horrible as it seems. Paint can, in fact, be removed from carpet, as long as you know a few tricks. If you get paint on your carpet, follow this guide to remove it safely.
Determine the Type of Paint
The base used to make a paint is going to determine which paint-removing process will work on it. The first step is to identify that base. Paints will be water-based, latex-based, or oil-based. You can look at the paint can (or container), and it will tell you which base is used in your paint. Once you have that answer, you can move on to the removal process.
Removing Water-Based Paint
Let’s start by looking at water-based paints. They are the easiest to clean. The paint is mixed with water, so you can dilute and wash it with water.
First, if the paint is still wet, you want to absorb as much of it as possible. Blot it with a paper towel or rag. Resist the urge to scrub — that will only push the paint deeper into the fibers. Blot until you cannot absorb any more wet paint.
If the paint is dry, you can make a mixture of hot water and dish soap to clean the mess. You want the water and soap in a one-to-one ratio. Apply the mixture to the paint, and let it sit for a few minutes to soften the paint. Once the paint is soft, blot it away. Again, avoid scrubbing. It will probably require several iterations of the process, but by soaking the stain and blotting it, you can clear away all of the paint.
When you are blotting the paint, pay attention to saturation. Eventually, the carpet will be soaked, and adding more of the solution won’t help. Blot away as much as you can, and then let the carpet dry a bit before continuing.
Removing Latex-Based Paint
Latex-based paint is going to be a little more difficult, but it is removed in largely the same way as water-based paint. The first step is still to blot away any wet paint when the spill occurs.
For paint that can’t be blotted, you will need to make a mixture of dish soap and water, but it will be a little different from the previous mixture. First, you want lukewarm water in place of hot water. The ratio is about a teaspoon of soap to a cup of water. Mix up your detergent and apply it to the carpet. Also, be sure you’re using a mild detergent. Some detergents are harsh and can damage the carpet.
With your solution applied, the latex paint will begin to dissolve. You can blot away as much of the solution as possible. When you’ve taken that process as far as you can, you’re going to let the area dry completely. The detergent mixture should break up the latex in the paint. Once it dries, you’ll be able to vacuum up what remains.
Once again, you might have to repeat the whole process a few times to get all of the paint. It’s just a matter of patience.
Removing Oil-Based Paint
Oil-based paints are the toughest. They are hard to break up, and they are very sticky. Still, you can beat them. The first step remains the same: blot away as much wet paint as possible.
When dealing with dry oil-based paints, you want to soften the area. A steamer is the best tool. Apply steam directly to the paint until it is soft. Once you can see that it has visibly softened, you can pick at it with a needle or pin to break up the paint and remove it. The process will be meticulous and time-consuming, but if you keep at it, you can get rid of the oil-based paint without damaging the carpet.
When the majority of excess paint is removed, you can try attacking the spot with a carpet cleaner. It can remove smaller oil-based paint deposits and save you a lot of time. Removing paint from carpet can take a lot of work, but you can succeed if you stick with it. Beautiful, clean carpet is welcoming and warm. If yours no longer gives you that inviting feeling, maybe it’s time for an upgrade. At Hiltons Flooring, our professional staff can help you with any and all of your carpeting needs. Contact us online or call us at 817-910-7758.
