How to Tackle Paint Stains in Carpets

There are plenty of ways your carpets could end up with a bit of paint on them! Maybe your kids got a little too eager with their art projects, or maybe you repainted a room and forgot to lay down a tarp over your carpets. Regardless of the way the paint got there, there’s no need to panic! Removing paint stains from your carpet typically isn’t difficult. Here are some of our best tips for the job:

How To Remove Wet Paint

The way you tackle your paint stain depends on whether your paint is wet or dry. If you happen to discover the paint stain while it’s still wet, take action right away to start removing the stain.

First, gently blot at the stain while the paint is still wet. The most important thing to remember is to not scrub at the stain, as this can push the paint deeper into your carpets and damage the fibers. Instead, grab a cloth or paper towel and try to soak up some of the paint. Once its soaked, replace the towel with a fresh one to avoid spreading the paint. Repeat the process until there is little or no moisture left in the spot.

Once you have removed the wetness from the stain, take away the towel and leave the stain to dry overnight (do not use a hair dryer or any other aid to dry the stain, the heat will make it worse!). This might seem counterintuitive, but there isn’t much more you can do until the paint has dried.

Once the paint is dried, move on to the next step below.

Removing Dry Paint From Carpet

If the paint stain you are working on is completely dry, there are multiple methods you can try to remove the paint. Feel free to choose whatever method is easiest or is most convenient for you. Keep trying these methods until something works to remove your stain. 

1. Vigorously scrub the dry stain with an old rag. Make sure the spot is completely dry or you could worsen the stain. If the paint is fully dry, it should start to fleck off of the carpet fibers. Once you’re done, be sure to vacuum up all of the paint flecks from your carpet. 
2. Use a knife or razor blade to pick chunks of dried paint off of the carpet fibers. Be cautious not to damage or cut the carpet fibers. This particularly method should only be done by an adult comfortable using a knife. 
3. Gently dab nail polish remover onto the stain. Dousing the area with too much remover can damage the carpet backing and adhesive, so make sure to only use a small amount of remover at a time. You might have to change rags and repeat the process a few times. Once the paint is gone, use a damp rag to clean up as much nail polish remover as you can.
4. Use WD-40, which comes in a spray form and works well at breaking down tough stains (like dried paint). To use, spray the affected area with the WD-40 then let it sit for about 25 minutes. Then, gently dab the area with a cloth, and rinse it with water to completely remove the WD-40. 
5. Call a local carpet cleaner. A professional carpet cleaning company will be able to remove tough stains that DIY cleaning methods can’t. If you can’t get the stain out don’t want to try to tackle it yourself, give your local carpet cleaners a call. 

 

San Juan Chem-Dry is happy to assist you with removing any stains you might have in your carpets. If you’re in the Farmington, NM area, give us a call!