If you’re used to DIY work, and painting in particular, chances are you’ve already inadvertently stained the floor, your clothes, or even a piece of nearby furniture.
Often, you’re in a panic, wondering how you’re going to make up for the mistake. Fortunately, it’s often possible to remedy the situation. All it takes is a few good tips.
And here are just some of them to save the day during your next DIY session.
Our best tips for removing paint stains, according to product type
The tips below work for removing paint stains from most surfaces. However, some more fragile surfaces require special cleaning, which we’ll explain in the second paragraph.
1 – Cleaning oil paint
Oil paint is renowned for its resistance, and it’s true that stains of this type are more difficult to remove. But it’s not impossible to get rid of them. All you need is a magic product: turpentine.
Simply pour a little of this solvent onto the stains and leave for 1 hour, or a little longer if possible. After this time, use Marseille soap and rub with a soft cloth.
Rinse with clean water.
2 – Cleaning glycerophtalic paint
Glycerophtalic paint is a very sticky paint, which again can pose problems when it comes to cleaning stained surfaces. Here’s a highly effective way to get rid of it.
Wet the stain with boiling water to soften the paint. Then mix one part household spirit vinegar and one part white spirit. Soak a clean cloth in the solution and rub the stain.
Leave for half an hour before rinsing with clean water.
Good to know: if the stains are too heavy, don’t hesitate to scrape the surface to remove as much material as possible before cleaning.
3 – Cleaning water-based paint
Water-based paint is generally very easy to remove from a stained surface, even when the stain is already dry or old. In fact, the absence of fixative in this type of paint makes it much less messy.
To clean effectively, simply soak a cloth in rubbing alcohol and dab the stain with the product. Leave for a good hour and rinse with clean water.
The operation can be repeated on stubborn stains.
4 – Cleaning acrylic paint
Cleaning acrylic paint is a bit special. You need to proceed differently, depending on how long the stain has been there.
For fresh stains, pour boiling water directly over the stain and rub with Marseille soap until the stain has completely disappeared. Then rinse with clean water.
For stains that are already dry, first dissolve them by pouring rubbing alcohol directly on them. Then leave to act and wait for the stains to disappear before rinsing with clean water.
Our best tips for removing paint stains from different surfaces
Some surfaces require special cleaning. Here are some of our top tips for removing paint stains from all surfaces.
1 – Cleaning stained glass with paint
If painting a wall or even repainting your window frames has left a stain, this tip is for you! The main issue here is not to scratch the glass and end up with a bigger problem. Note that the same technique also works to remove paint stains from mirrors.
- Acetone: Acetone can be used to dissolve paint stains on glass. On vertical surfaces, soak a paper towel and place it on the glass for greater effectiveness. Finally, use a special glass cleaner to complete the cleaning.
- Household spirit vinegar: spirit vinegar can be used to remove paint from glass or mirrors. In this case, boiling vinegar is applied to the surface with a cloth or absorbent paper. After 10 minutes, the paint should be dissolved and you can finalize the cleaning with a clean cloth.
- Rubbing alcohol: this product can be sprayed directly onto paint stains. Simply leave to act for a few seconds, then wipe off with a cloth until the stains have disappeared.
2 – Cleaning a wooden surface stained with paint
Cleaning a paint stain on wood can be very tricky. The aim is to avoid damaging the surface during cleaning. Depending on the type of paint, different procedures are required.
To remove glycerol or oil-based paint from wood, you need to :
- Take a wooden spatula and carefully scrape the paint surface.
- Use a cloth soaked in soapy water and rub it in. If the result is unsatisfactory, add a few drops of white spirit.
- Rinse with clean water and leave to dry.
To remove water-based or acrylic paint from wood, proceed as follows:
- Rub the stain with soapy water and wipe with a dry cloth.
- Wood is generally stripped and dull under the stain. To restore shine, apply linseed oil.
Please note: water-based paint stains should be removed immediately. Oil-based paint, on the other hand, needs to be left to dry.
3 – Cleaning stained tiles or marble with paint
On this type of surface, we generally apply white spirit to a cloth and rub until the stains disappear, if oil or glycero paint is used. To finish, simply rinse with clean water. For water-based paints, soapy water is sufficient.
And now it’s your turn!
