How to Get Acrylic Paint Out of Carpet – Our Top Tips

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Life has quite an interesting way of surprising us and keeping us on our feet. When everything feels just too perfect, we say to ourselves “Can I feel this great all the time”? If you have reached a stage in life where we can make even the most depressing of times some of the happiest, then you certainly are an enlightened being. Everything was going great for you. You gave your son his 1st arts and crafts set and within minutes of opening it, his newly fresh paints and brushes fell on the carpet and now there is both smile and sadness in the air. Let us welcome you to today’s carpet paint removal journey and get started.

Removing Acrylic Paints and Stains

Acrylic paints are water-based coatings which means they are all water-soluble. Our strategy for the removal of these paints will be liquids that are also water-soluble. The first step in our strategy is determining how long the stain has been left on the carpet and whether the paint is wet and fresh or if it has dried. Wet acrylic paint stains on your carpet are much easier to remove than dried paint. Both scenarios require a slightly different approach. Once you have figured out you are dealing with wet paint or dry paint, we can determine the following steps.

Using Cleaning Machines to Remove Acrylic Paint from Carpet

Both high-powered household vacuum cleaners and steam vacuum cleaners are essential pieces of equipment necessary to successfully remove stains from your carpet. I realize that simply buying a good quality machine for one-time use feels like a waste of money however many options are available, and, in most cases, you can find such machines available for rent such from your local home improvement store or local rental services. Research rentals of good quality vacuum cleaners as it’s a critical component of the job.

Trying to remove paint stains from your carpet without good quality vacuum cleaners is like trying to patch up your clothes without thread.

The Best Method for Removing Wet Acrylic Paint

Removing paint from your carpet is a process and no simple feat. It is not a job of quick results no matter how fast you work. If you are committed to removing your paint stains, then be prepared to spend a good portion of the day on your task. Do not forget to keep yourself hydrated and make sure your room is well ventilated. Below, you will find a list of the necessary tools and substances that you need to get acrylic paint out of the carpet. Each tool has a link that you can follow if you need to purchase them.

Substances to Get Acrylic Paint Out of Carpet

• White Vinegar
• Concentrated Carpet Soap
• Acetone
• Denatured 80 to 90% Rubbing Alcohol
• Liquid Glycerin

Note: The use of solvents on carpets can discolor existing colors on your carpet the way you bought them. To prevent discoloration, test a few drops of these solvents on a clean section of your carpet. Use your eye dropper to perform this task and make sure no discoloration happens. If so, simply ignore them on the instructional guide below.

How to Remove Acrylic Paint from Carpet: The Step by Step Process

Once you have gathered together all the tools and substances you need, you can get down to business. This process is quite a long one, but when it comes to removing paint from your carpets, you cannot afford to cut corners.

Step One: Remove excess paint from your carpet with your spoons. It is essential that you take care not to spread the paint around to other parts of your carpet while doing this. Wiping the spoon each time that you pick up a little more paint will ensure you are not making your life harder than it needs to be. If you are having difficulty with spoons, a butter knife makes an effective alternative.

Step Two: Fill up one of your plastic containers with two cups of hot water. Although you want the water to be hot, you do not want it to be boiling. To the hot water, add three tablespoons of concentrated liquid soap. Mix the two substances gently for a few minutes. Do not mix too vigorously, as you do not want any foam to develop on the surface, although a few bubbles are alright.

Step Three: Soak a clean rag into your soap solution and carefully pat it down on your paint stain area to gently wet it. Let the soapy water sit on the carpet for a minute to absorb into the fibers. With your new Blot cloth, start to gently pat down onto the stained area. Do not scrub the stain, as this will only push the paint deeper into the carpet fibers. Simply pat down the cloth and lift it up directly. Continue wetting the area, patting your stain up and down with a new blot cloth to maximize stain absorption. Repeat this process for 15-20 minutes until most of your stain is removed.

Step Four: After your soap and water treatment is completed, plug in your steam vacuum cleaner and go over the area for 30 seconds.

Step Five: The ingredient you need to use next in the process is white vinegar. Dilute one part vinegar to three parts of water in your plastic container and mix it. Using a clean rag, dip into your solution and begin wetting down your area again. Take a new blot cloth and pat the area back and forth to further remove your stain.

Make sure to rotate your cloth so that you are working with a clean area not putting paint stain back into your carpet.

Step Six: Continue patting down your stain with your vinegar solution for 5-10 minutes and again go over it with your steam vacuum cleaner for another 30 seconds.

Step Seven: Repeat the same methods using the following ingredients, (Rubbing Alcohol and Acetone). Use an eyedropper to carefully moisten the stained area with these solvents. Steam vacuum after each application.

Step Eight: The last ingredient you need to use is liquid glycerin. Carefully, spoon by spoon, spread it around so it remains only in your affected area and does not bleed out. Let it sit on your carpet for at least one hour, although two-three hours is optimal. After you have let the liquid glycerin sit, pat the area with a Blot cloth and vacuum steam as your finish.

To remove the stain 100%, repeat the entire cycle to ensure the full completion of your carpet paint removal.

The Best Method for Removing Dry Acrylic Paint

Getting out a paint stain that is already dry is significant and will take a lot more elbow grease. You will need a few extra tools to get started, compared to wet paint stains. After the first few steps, however, the process is exactly the same as it is to remove wet acrylic paint.

Step One: Start by breaking up the dried paint with your putty knife and your needle nose pliers. You can also utilize your hands, loosening, breaking off paint chips, and pieces with your fingers. Continue this process until all paint particles are removed to the best of your ability and vacuum. Only the actual stain should remain on your carpet.

Step Two: As you are now at the stage with only a minimal stain on your carpet you will proceed with following the same steps for the removal of wet paint in the same way and same order.

Note: Most carpets throughout the world and yours too, are petroleum-based. These synthetic carpets are produced and made from fibers created from petroleum oils. As a general guideline, these types of carpets are highly flammable, so bear in mind when removing a stain that even a spark can set your living room on fire.

Safety Precautions and Tips for Removing Paint

When undertaking a job such as removing a paint stain, it is essential that you take some safety precautions. We have several tips to help you protect yourself and your carpets from further damage. Before you begin, make sure your room is well ventilated or bring your carpet to a place of proper ventilation. Many of the ingredients give off unpleasant fumes that can be hazardous. Make sure pets and children are not present in the same carpet cleaning workspace for safety reasons. It is important that you wear gloves, eye goggles, and a mask throughout the whole process to protect your skin and eyes from potentially harmful chemicals.

Be sure to stay hydrated and go out for some fresh air during the process to avoid over-breathing fumes. Scrubbing is your enemy when it comes to removing paint spills from your carpet. Scrubbing will only deepen your stain. Instead, pat your area up and down repeatedly with absorbent cloth and solution. Removing acrylic paint from a carpet is a multi-staged pronged approach and requires a sequence of liquid applications for best success. Trust the process, removing an acrylic paint stain from your carpet requires a good deal of patience.

Letting Your Carpet Dry

You have cleaned your carpet by following all the steps above, but there are still certain things you need to pay attention to until your carpet is fully dry. There are a couple of dos and do not’s when it comes to drying your carpet after you have largely removed your stain. It is essential that you follow these steps, or else all you may undo all of your hard work.

Preventing Acrylic Staining on Your Carpets

In a world of convenience with the world’s resources at our fingertips, a pinch of preventive practices can go a long way. If we’re engaging in a creative activity, we must not forget to cover and protect the things that mean a lot to us, whether these be our dining table, carpets, lamps, or sofas. How much time would it take really to simply lay down a plastic sheet over our valuables when something creative is happening. So whether we were encouraging our friends to paint their walls a new color or watching the happiness of your child’s birthday painted face. A simple reminder that prevention is always better than cure. Here are three simple tips to protect your carpets when using acrylic paint.

• Tip 1: Cover or store away valuable possessions when hosting children, pets, a function, event, or gathering.
• Tip 2: Create a space in your home designated for creative activities only.
• Tip 3: Purchasing secondhand household items can be one of the best preventive solutions, especially ones that you are not too fond of.

It is likely that at some point in your painting journey, you will spill some acrylic paint onto your carpets. Fortunately, although the process is quite long, it is very possible to remove the stains. All you need is a little patience and a good amount of elbow grease!

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Know If The Paint Stain On My Carpet Is Acrylic Paint?

A simple test can be done with water to determine if your paint stain is indeed water-based like acrylic. Simply take an eyedropper, fill it with a little bit of water, and put a few drops over the stain. In the water beads up you have a problem as the paint is oil-based which requires a completely different process, if the water absorbs into the paint even a bit slowly, then it’s water-based acrylic paint.

Why Does Acetone Change the Color of the Carpet?

Acetone is a strong solvent that not only dilutes paint stains but also can dilute the dyes that exist in carpets. It is very important to test acetone on a small area of your carpet to make sure there is no discoloration otherwise avoid it.

Can You Remove Acrylic Paint Stains With One Ingredient?

While it’s indeed possible to remove a paint stain with just 1 ingredient the chances are slim unless it’s a very small spot of paint and still wet. Multiple ingredients are used to ensure that your stain is fully removed. With each ingredient having its special cleaning property, It is only recommended that the process is done in full combination.