Removing dried water-based paint from various surfaces

Water-based painting materials are especially often used for interior finishing work. When painting the ceiling or wallpaper, few people manage to do without accidental drips or stains on the floor and furniture, so every home craftsman needs to have in stock methods and means that allow him to quickly wash water-based or water-dispersion paint from any surface.

Water-based paint is a type of water-dispersion composition. Its peculiarity is that it is quite easy to wash it with ordinary water, which cannot be said about some other paints formed by dispersion. How easy it is to remove stains depends on the exact composition of the paint material.

Advantages of emulsion compositions

Water-based paint is an emulsion of water, dye and polymers that act as mixture stabilizers. The particles do not dissolve in water, as in a classic solution, but are suspended.

Water-based and water-dispersion paints are similar in that their main component is water. These finishing materials have the same scope of application and similar properties.

The emulsion composition has the following advantages:

• the mixture is absolutely harmless to human health;
• dries completely in 2–3 hours;
• there is no sharp specific smell;
• you can get the desired shade by adding pigment;
• easy to apply to the surface;
• instruments are washed with plain water.

Among the disadvantages of this painting material, it should be noted that it has a limited scope of application. It is only suitable for interior work, as it can dissolve when exposed to rain or snow.

However, it is precisely this drawback that can be considered as an advantage when a bucket of water-based emulsion is accidentally overturned on new linoleum or parquet. After all, it won’t be difficult to wash off water-based paint, especially if the stain appeared recently.

Removing stains with a spatula

Dried water-based paint can be cleaned off with any metal scraper or construction spatula. The method is suitable for removing paint material from hard surfaces that are difficult to damage with an iron object. This way you can remove stains from concrete and brick walls or completely remove the old layer if you plan, for example, to cover the walls with wallpaper.

Cleaning is carried out in several stages.

1. If you need to remove paint from the entire surface of the ceiling or wallpaper, cover the floor and furniture with plastic film or paper.
2. The old paint is moistened generously with warm water. To do this, you can use a roller, sponge or washcloth.
3. Wait 20-30 minutes until the layer is completely saturated with water and swells well.
4. Carefully remove particles of paint material with a spatula.

If it was not possible to clean the paint completely, you need to wet the surface again and repeat the procedure.

How to remove stains with soap solution

Dried stains remaining on wooden or plastic furniture and linoleum can be wiped off using a regular soap solution, which can be prepared using washing powder, dishwashing gel or laundry soap. This cleaning method assumes that the contaminated surface will be abundantly wetted with water, so it is not suitable for paper, cardboard and drywall.

Paint stains and smudges are generously moistened with soapy water and left to soak for 30-40 minutes, after which the blots are removed with the hard side of a sponge, the stained area is washed with clean water and wiped dry.

A soap solution is used to remove paint from parquet and laminate flooring. The main thing in this case is not to soak the stains for a long time, but to limit yourself to just a couple of minutes and immediately wipe the floor with a dry cloth.

Solvent cleaning

A fresh stain is much easier to remove than an old one. If the coloring pigment has seeped deep into the fibers, a solvent will help remove it.

As a cleaning agent you can take:

• acetone,
• White Spirit,
• formic acid,
• nail polish remover and other similar products.

You just need to treat the stain with a sponge soaked in solvent, and then wash the surface with clean water.

Chemical solvents can only be used on surfaces that are resistant to aggressive substances.

Using solvents, you can remove water-based paint from ceramic tiles, plastic, concrete, glass, wood, and metal.

Industrial products

Manufacturers of finishing materials have taken care not only of what to paint the surface with, but also of means for removing the coloring matter.In household chemical stores you can purchase special cleaning compounds and clean floors or furniture stained with water-based paint.

According to customer reviews, the most popular products are:

• "Usadba" (Russia);
• Set Boya Sokucu (Türkiye);
• DOCKER S4 and S5 (Germany).

Before using these products, you should read the manufacturer's instructions. Although the method is essentially the same for everyone: apply the product to the contaminated surface, wait 10-15 minutes, then rinse with clean water and wipe dry with a cotton cloth.

Such washes can be used for concrete, metal and wooden bases. Since industrial products have a gel-like structure, they are much easier to apply to a wall or ceiling than a soap solution.

Using a grinder

If a thick layer of old dried paint cannot be removed either with a soap solution or an industrial remover, you will have to remove it mechanically. To do this, you will need a sander or a regular drill with a paint stripper attachment.

All work with a grinding machine must be carried out wearing a respirator.

The cleaning method is suitable for wooden, brick and concrete surfaces. The entire area of ​​the floor, wall or ceiling is divided into small squares and the selected zones are treated one after another. After the paint has been removed, you need to ventilate the room, vacuum the furniture if it remained in the apartment, and do wet cleaning.

How to remove paint from different surfaces

The choice of means and method for cleaning surfaces from water-based paint directly depends on the composition of the material on which the colorful stains appeared.

• Linoleum. If paint has just been spilled on linoleum, it should be quickly collected with paper or an old rag, and then washed with any detergent. To remove old stains that have become embedded in the material, you will have to use solvents: gasoline, kerosene, turpentine.
• Parquet and other wooden coverings. To clean parquet, laminate, and wooden furniture, it is better to use professional paint removers. If you need to remove the old layer from the floor, you can use a grinder.
• Ceramic tile. Soak the stain with soapy water, remove it with a sponge and rinse the surface with clean water.
• Plastic. Paint stains remaining on plastic pipes after repairs can be washed with any detergent. If the stain does not come off the first time, wrap the dirty part of the pipe with a wet cloth and leave for 40 minutes.
• Glass. Dried paint material can be removed from a smooth glass surface with a knife blade or an iron sponge.
• Acrylic wallpaper. First, the area of ​​contamination is treated with a soapy mixture, being careful not to wet the wallpaper through. If the paint does not come off, you need to wait until the stain dries and scrape it off with a dull knife.

It is better to first test any product in an inconspicuous place, treating a small piece of the surface, and only after that proceed with general cleaning.

Some useful tips

Despite the fact that removing water-based paint does not seem too difficult, by listening to the advice of professionals on this issue, you can carry out the job of removing stains much faster and easier.

• When removing an old layer from a ceiling or walls using a solution, you need to treat a small area and only after it has been completely cleaned, move on to the next one.Otherwise, the paint will first swell, and then dry and stick even more to the surface.
• If there is any furniture left in the room being renovated, it is better to cover it with film or paper - then you won’t have to wash it.
• It is better to scrub off fresh, newly formed paint stains than old stains.
• Hair stained with water-based paint should be immediately washed with hot water and shampoo, without delaying this procedure for later.

Water-based paint is easy to remove from any surface, be it fabric, wood or paper. The main thing is to prevent the stain from drying out and take the advice of experts when cleaning this simple stain.