How To Remove Paint Stains From Carpet

Paint stains on the carpet are a nuisance that can happen to anyone. Small repair work, tricks of children who painted with gouache or watercolor and went beyond the canvas, a drop of hair dye – all this often ends up on carpets. We will tell you in our material how and with what you can independently clean the carpet from various paints without spoiling it.

General guidelines for removing paint from carpet

The easiest way is to wash fresh paint off the carpet before it dries. Otherwise, it will harden and it will be very difficult to separate it from the pile.

1. A regular cloth napkin is best suited for removing any paint. Unlike paper, due to weaving, it collects paint more efficiently.
2. If the paint is thick (the consistency of sour cream), remove the paint with a spatula, the blunt side of a knife, or any other thin object.
3. Move from the edges of the stain towards the center. This way you will not increase its area.
4. If the paint is liquid, cover the edge of the stain with a rag: such a barrier will not allow the paint to spread too much over a large area.
5. Remove excess paint with light movements so as not to drive the paint deep into the pile and base of the carpet.

Please do not use aggressive products to remove paint from the carpet: acetone, white spirit, nail polish remover. They can discolor the carpet pile and even burn holes in it!

How to remove acrylic paint from carpet

Acrylic paint is a water-dispersed product based on polyacrylates. You won’t be able to remove it from the carpet with water alone, but you can do it without extreme means.

1. Blot excess paint from the carpet using a white cloth.
2. Apply 3% hydrogen peroxide to a white flannel or cotton cloth. Wipe the contaminated area. If necessary, repeat several times, each time using a clean part of the napkin.
3. Wipe the area to be treated with a cloth or sponge soaked in warm water to remove any remaining peroxide from the carpet.
4. Dry: Take a white paper towel and press gently onto the wet area, collecting excess moisture. Let the carpet dry naturally.

Note! Hydrogen peroxide can discolor colored and dark carpets. Test before use on an inconspicuous area. Peroxide is not suitable for cleaning silk and viscose carpets.

How to Remove Hair Dye from Carpet

Hair dye must be removed from the carpet as quickly as possible: otherwise, the fibers may become discolored (if you use lightening dye) or, on the contrary, acquire a new shade.

Shampoo method

To stop the chemical reaction, use water and shampoo (optimally for deep cleansing of hair).

1. Soak a sponge in warm water. Apply shampoo to it.
2. Rub the stained area until foam forms.
3. Remove the foam with a sponge, wash the stain with warm water to remove the shampoo from the carpet.
4. Dry the carpet using a white paper towel, pressing it lightly against the wet area. Let the carpet dry naturally.

Method using skin paint remover or makeup remover

If the colored pigment remains on the carpet, use a product to remove paint from the skin (remover, lotion – they are sold in hairdressing stores). An alternative option is a waterproof makeup remover (two-phase).

1. Apply the product to a cotton pad and rub until the stain disappears. As the disc becomes stained, turn it over or change it to ensure a clean section is used each time. It is important not to smear the paint even more!
2. Once the stain has disappeared, wipe the area with a damp sponge soaked in plain water.
3. Dry with a paper towel.

How to remove water-based or latex paint stains from carpet

Water-based and latex paints are water-based. In the first case, the composition includes coloring pigments and polymers, and pigment and vinyl particles are added to latex. But since in both cases the base is water, then, as a rule, there are no great difficulties in removing such stains.

1. Remove excess paint from the carpet using a white cloth.
2. Try washing the stain with a sponge dipped in warm water. If the contamination is fresh and small in area, in some cases it can be washed off without any means.
3. If the paint does not wash off with water, use regular dishwashing detergent. Mix 1 tablespoon of product with 1 glass of water, stir and apply to the stain.
4. Rub with a sponge until foam forms.
5. Wipe with a clean sponge soaked in water to remove any remaining detergent from the carpet.
6. Dry the carpet with a paper towel and let it dry naturally.

How to Remove Oil Paint Stains from Carpet

Oil paint is a suspension that contains vegetable oils and drying oils, a wax solution, natural resins, inorganic pigments and additives that increase the durability of the paint. It is not difficult to guess that it is impossible to dissolve such an “explosive” mixture with ordinary water.

Oil paint is dissolved with acetone and a solvent such as white spirit. But, unfortunately, treating carpets with such aggressive agents is dangerous: the fibers may simply not withstand the effects of chemicals, and you will get a bald spot or hole in place of the stain.

A safer way is to treat with glycerin .

1. Use a putty knife or the dull side of a knife to scrape off excess paint from the carpet. Try not to press too hard so as not to mechanically damage the pile.
2. Blot the stained area with a dry white cloth: it will pick up some of the paint.
3. Apply glycerin to a dry paper towel and blot the stain, moving from the edges to the center. As the towel becomes stained with paint, replace it to ensure you are always using a clean surface.
4. After the paint is removed, wash the carpet with a mild soap solution. To prepare it, mix 1 teaspoon of liquid soap or dishwashing detergent with 1 cup of warm water. Using a sponge, apply the solution to the area where the stain was and rub to form foam. Remove any foam and rinse with a clean, damp sponge.
5. Dry the carpet with a paper towel and let it dry naturally.

How to get rid of watercolor or gouache stains on a carpet

Children’s creativity often goes beyond the boundaries of a sheet of paper. If paint for painting – watercolor or gouache – gets on the carpet, do not rush to scold your child. These paints are the easiest to wash off the pile!

1. Remove excess paint from the carpet. It is enough to blot liquid watercolor with a paper towel. Thick gouache – collect with a teaspoon or the blunt end of a knife.
2. Prepare a weak soap solution: 1 teaspoon of liquid soap or dishwashing detergent per glass of warm water.
3. Using a sponge, apply the soap solution to the stain and rub until foam forms.
4. Collect foam. Rinse the stained area with clean water.
5. Dry the carpet with a paper towel or napkins and let it dry naturally.

There are some brands of gouache whose pigments are more durable. If you get exactly this one, treat the stain with a long-lasting makeup remover (two-phase). Afterwards, wash the treated area with soapy water according to the recipe described above.

How to remove paint from carpet if it has dried?

Old stains are harder to remove. To clean old paint, you will first need to soak the stain.

You can clean a dried stain of emulsion , acrylic or latex paint as follows:

1. Remove excess paint with the blunt side of a knife if possible. Don’t tear the pile!
2. Make a mild soap solution (1 teaspoon dish soap or liquid soap to 1 cup warm water) and apply to the stain. Leave for 10-20 minutes for the paint to soak.
3. Rub the sponge over the stain, moving from the edges to the center.
4. If the stain does not come off, take a clean sponge and use it to apply glycerin to the stain. Leave for 3 hours. Afterwards, try washing the paint again with soapy water.
5. Rinse the carpet with clean water and dry with paper towels.

In the same way, you can wash old stains from watercolors, gouache and hair dye.

If you don’t have glycerin at home, you can use a weak vinegar solution: mix 1 tablespoon of 9% vinegar with 1 glass of water. Apply to the stain, cover with a damp cloth or cling film to prevent the solution from drying out and leave the compress for 1-3 hours. Afterwards, wash with soapy water.

Dried stains of oil paint  are the most difficult case. If this problem happens to your carpet, try using turpentine. It dissolves fats, oils and resins well – everything that is found in oil paint.

1. Remove excess paint with the blunt side of a knife if possible.
2. Wet a white cloth with turpentine. Using a blotting motion, apply the turpentine to the paint. Rub the stain a little: the paint should begin to come away from the fibers. Remember to alternate sides of the napkin to ensure you are using a clean cloth each time. Otherwise, the paint will smear even more onto the carpet.
3. After most of the paint has been removed, wash the treated area with a soapy solution (1 teaspoon of dishwashing detergent or liquid soap per 1 cup of warm water).
4. Rinse the carpet with clean water to remove any residue and dry with paper towels.

On the Internet, on various sites and forums, you can find advice to clean carpet from paint using hairspray, nail polish remover, acetone, solvents or pure alcohol. Please don’t put your carpet through this torture! Aggressive agents can dissolve not only the paint, but also damage the carpet: leaving whitish marks, “burns” on the pile, or even holes.

Professional carpet paint removal

The most effective and at the same time safe way to clean carpets from various types of paint is professional dry cleaning. Based on the composition of the carpet, as well as the type of paint, the optimal processing method is selected. Home carpet cleaning is suitable for removing water-based paint stains from factory-made carpets . In this case, the extractor method is used , when the detergent composition is dissolved in water. The work is carried out at home and takes about 1 hour.

We recommend cleaning handmade carpets, delicate items – silk, viscose, as well as carpets that have been stained with oil paint or have a large area of ​​dirt . The technologist selects the optimal cleaning mode for each carpet. Products that cannot be wetted with water (synthetic, wool, cotton factory carpets) are washed on a specialized line. Carpets that are afraid of water are cleaned in organic solvents.

The effectiveness of Pro Carpet cleaning in removing paint stains on carpets of various compositions is shown in the table below.

Acrylic, water-based, latex paints, watercolor and gouache

Oil paints and hair dyes

As with other stains, the key to dealing with paint stains on your carpet is to act quickly. Try to remove excess paint according to the advice from the beginning of the article, and then immediately call a cleaning specialist. Stains whose “age” is less than 3 days are much easier to remove. 

We also do not recommend washing out the stain yourself with household cleaning products: during subsequent professional cleaning, they may cause an undesirable chemical reaction.