How to get paint out of clothes

When you love painting, but sometimes forget to put on some paint-friendly clothes, accidents can happen. If you should be so unlucky as to get paint on some of your clothes, then you need not despair; it is possible to get the paint out of your clothes again if you know the right method to go about it.

The easiest way to get paint out of your clothes depends on the type of paint you have used. It makes a difference whether you are dealing with water-based paint or oil-based paint. To make it a little easier for you, here are some tips on how to remove both types of paint from your clothes.

Removing from water-based paint

Water-based paint types include latex and acrylic paints, but some high-gloss paints are also sometimes water-based. If you are unsure about whether the paint is water-based or not, you can always read the paint label to find out.

Once you have determined that you are dealing with water-based paint, start by removing as much of the excess paint as possible. You then need to:

1. Rinse the stain with warm water

Turn your clothes inside out and point the opposite side of the stain upwards. Then rinse the stain with a strong, warm flush of running water. Try to wash away as much paint as possible.

2. Add detergent and warm water to the stain

You can then treat the stain with detergent; you can use e.g. Biotex or Neutral, but you can also easily use regular dishwashing liquid. However, it is always a good idea to test it out on a small corner of the stain to avoid any unwanted side effects.

3. Use a sponge or cloth

You can choose to use a sponge or cloth to rub the soap into the fabric. After scrubbing the soap into the fabric, you can use a sponge or cloth to dab out the paint. It may be necessary to repeat this process several times.

4. Use isopropyl alcohol for the more stubborn stains

If the method described above has not helped, then you can try using isopropyl alcohol on the stain. Here you simply dab the stain repeatedly with the liquid. You can also try nail polish remover, which is even stronger, but this may damage some types of fabric.

5. Pre-treat regular stains

If you have a regular stain remover that is suitable for the clothes, then you can also use this to pre-treat the clothes before washing it.

Removing from oil-based paint

If your paint is oil-based, then it may be a little harder to remove the stain entirely. However, it is not impossible, so here is another guide to removing oil-based paint stains from your clothes.

1. Read on the paint label

With oil-based paints, there is often a guide on the label or bucket on how to best remove exactly the specific type of paint it contains. However, if it does not have a guide, then you should start treating the stain before it dries.

2. Add rubbing alcohol, turpentine or the proposed stain remover on the stain

Place a few pieces of paper towel or cloth beneath the clothes and make sure the stain is facing down. You can then dab the stain repeatedly with a cloth or sponge dipped in one of the liquids mentioned above. You continue this process until the paint is gone.

It is important to be aware that some fabrics can not tolerate rubbing alcohol, so read the instructions before you start.

3. Scrub with detergent and leave it overnight

Cover the stain with detergent, then leave it in warm water overnight. The water should be the highest temperature that the fabric can withstand.

4. Scrub the stain again and wash the clothes in the washing machine

The next day, scrub the stain with detergent again and then wash the clothes like you normally would in the washing machine.