How to remove acrylic, oil and other types of paint from clothes?

At first glance, it may seem that you will never get rid of paint stains that have stained your jacket or trousers in your life. However, do not rush to panic and throw away the damaged item; Let's try to figure out how to remove paint from clothes. The main thing is to get down to business while it's hot, that is, try to remove the stain while it is still fresh and the paint has not had time to thoroughly set.

Determining the types of paints

First of all, let's do a little research and determine what kind of paint left such impressive marks on the fabric. The question is how to remove paint from clothes - what solvent should be used at home. All dyes can be divided into two groups: water-soluble and all others based on various solvents.

How to remove water-based paints from clothes?

Water-soluble - these are watercolor, gouache, tempera, water-based.

• Fresh watercolor and gouache stains You can try washing it in cold water and simple laundry soap. If the stains are old, you should repeat the procedure, after soaking the fabric for 15–30 minutes.
• Gouache, which contains an adhesive and oil base, may require more attention and time. It is not difficult to clean simple and thick fabric (a jacket or trousers, for example) using available home remedies. It is enough to prepare a solution of ammonia and oxalic acid, taken in equal parts. Second option: glycerin, ammonia and denatured (ordinary technical) alcohol. Soak the fabric in the solution for half an hour and wash off the paint.
• Tempera in its composition it occupies an intermediate position between water-based and oil-based paints, so it is better to remove stains from it in the same way as you get rid of oil.
• Water-based construction paint, which is an aqueous emulsion of pigment and small polymer particles, can be easily washed in soapy water. Washing work pants stained with water-based emulsion is not difficult.

Delicate fabrics - silk, cambric, velvet - are best cleaned using reliable household chemicals: Vanish, BOS.

Advice

Take precautions when you begin to remove the stain: place several layers of paper towel or loose cotton cloth on the underside. Treat the stained area with movements directed from the edges to the center, and not vice versa, to avoid smearing the stain. Don't expect the stain to disappear immediately; it must dissolve first.

Techniques for removing latex and acrylic paints

Latex and acrylic paints are also considered water-soluble, but if more than three hours have passed since the paint stain appeared on the clothing, then washing alone will no longer be enough. A fresh, just “shallow” stain must be carefully blotted with an absorbent material in order to get rid of the paint as quickly as possible, before it has time to be absorbed into the fabric.Removing dried paint will become more difficult.

To wash acrylic and latex paints, you should rub the stained fabric under running cold water, then load it into the machine along with an active detergent and select the longest mode with a temperature of no more than 30 degrees. If this does not help, scrub the unfortunate stain with a brush with washing powder applied to it and run it through the machine again.

Try to scrape off the dried paint or even remove it with a cutting tool if it is in a thick layer. Then you can start washing using the above method. In case of failure, all that remains is to resort to the help of “White spirit” or gasoline. These products tend to “mark” clothes with a persistent odor. To get rid of it, do not forget to rinse and ventilate the product thoroughly.

Oil and enamel paints are the worst

Let's see what you can use to remove paint from clothes, clean trousers or a raincoat. Strong agents are not suitable for any type of fabric. Therefore, whatever you choose, you should first make sure that the fabric will not be damaged. Make a test on an inconspicuous area of ​​clothing, on an inside pocket or some cuff of your pants. Artificial fabrics will require special care.

Algorithm for working on stains

1. Oil paint, if it remains crusty, should first be scraped off or removed in another way.
2. Then moisten the stain with gasoline or turpentine. Solvents 646 and 647 are also suitable. In difficult cases, you can remember acetone. You should buy specially purified gasoline at a hardware store, and not pour it from a car canister.
3. When the paint softens, remove it with careful movements using cotton and gauze swabs.
4. The color pigment is gone, leaving a dirty, greasy stain. Wipe it with ammonia solution or warm, heated glycerin. An option is dishwashing detergent that breaks down fats.
5. Now you can start washing (by hand or by machine, if you are not afraid of getting the chamber and drains of the machine dirty). Use regular powder, and if the composition of the fabric allows, add a stain remover.
6. Dried paint that has managed to be absorbed into the fibers of the material must be thoroughly softened - soaked in turpentine or kerosene for several hours or even left overnight. To do this, cover the stain with a swab soaked in liquid and plastic wrap. Of course, the fabric is laid on a clean absorbent surface. To completely clean the stain, we use the techniques described above or enhance them by using a brush with vegetable oil. After the complete disappearance of the coloring pigment, it will be necessary to remove the remaining traces of fat in a well-known way.
7. Enamel paints are considered the most durable. They can be affected in the same ways, using the most aggressive means: acetone, various solvents, turpentine. But don’t get too carried away, so as not to dissolve the fabric at the same time and erase its design.

Oil paint is more difficult to remove than acrylic paint, and this is not always possible. The catch is that even if you manage to remove the substance itself, a greasy stain may remain. But you shouldn’t give up: you can both clean clothes from paint stains and eliminate oily marks.

• Refined gasoline effectively combats this type of pollution. White spirit will also work. The paint mark must be treated, then moistened with preheated glycerin. You can also use an ammonia solution.Then wash the affected item with laundry soap.
• A mixture of gasoline and acetone also works well on oil paint. They are taken in equal quantities and the stain is treated towards its center. If it does not disappear, then you should try ammonia. After you manage to wash it off, you need to wash the item with laundry soap.
• Another answer to the question of how to wash paint is kerosene. It should be applied to the desired area, left for a minute, then try to clean with a cloth on which ammonia has been applied. Repeat until there is a result.
• Turpentine can also help. It is applied to the stains and wait until the paint softens. Afterwards these places are treated with a soda solution.
• A mixture of purified gasoline, turpentine and alcohol is also effective. Using a cotton swab, moisten the dirt and then clean it with a knife. The fresher the stain, the easier it is to deal with it. If it is old, then the solution should be left on it for a couple of hours.
• A time-tested remedy is ordinary vegetable oil. It softens the paint well, but it is a slow process. The desired area will have to be thoroughly rubbed with a brush. In the end, only a greasy stain will remain; it can be washed off with laundry soap.

Advice

It is important to use purified gasoline for cleaning. Otherwise, you can create an even bigger stain.

Individual items of clothing

Oil and enamel paints are quite corrosive, and it is worth considering how to remove paint from clothes made of various materials.

• A leather jacket or trousers must be “saved” using vegetable oil: olive, castor or sunflower. Do not skimp on the oil, often change the cotton swabs you use to remove the paint, and everything will work out.Greasy marks from the jacket can be removed with ordinary laundry soap or dishwashing liquid.
• You should also remove stains from wool items in the same way. The remaining traces of fat should be covered with starch or talc, press this layer with a press, and when dry, clean it with a brush and wash it.
• Thin silk is treated with warm alcohol, then washed with soap and salted water.
• To wash white cotton fabric, first prepare a paste of white clay and gasoline and leave it for two or three hours. As soon as the gasoline evaporates, remove the slurry and begin washing. You can add stain remover or the already mentioned bleaches to the water. Another original way: prepare a mixture of a planed piece of laundry soap, one tablespoon of soda and a liter of water. Dip the soiled fabric into the boiling liquid for 10 seconds, then wash it with stain remover.
• Wipe your denim jacket or trousers well with gasoline or kerosene and then put them in the wash.

It is most often possible to wash off paint of one type or another without negative consequences for your favorite things. The main thing is not to try everything, but to choose a product depending on the substance on which the coloring composition is created.

Basic Rules

To avoid having to throw away your suit, you should follow a few simple rules.

• If possible, paint removal should begin immediately after the incident. The earlier the better. It will be easier to wash off the stain before the paint has completely saturated the fabric. After drying, there is a higher risk of not saving the clothes.
• It is advisable to know what kind of paint the outfit was damaged by. Depending on the type, different methods are used.In one case, plain water is enough to remove the mark. In other cases (for example, to wash off water-based paint), it is hardly possible to do without a solvent. What the outfit is made of also matters.
• In order not to spoil the fabric, manipulations should be carried out from the inside out. Place napkins on the front side to absorb the solvent and remaining dissolved paint.

How to clean watercolor, gouache or acrylic paint?

If the incident happened with watercolor or gouache, then the answer to the question of how to remove the paint is very simple. These species are water-soluble, so they can be removed with water. If the stain has not yet dried, it is enough to rinse it well under running cold water. After this, soak briefly and wash as usual. Most often this is enough. If the trace is old, you may need to repeat it several times.

Water-based paint is somewhat more difficult to remove. It is acrylic compounds that usually have to be removed if you sit unsuccessfully on a freshly painted bench. It is also used for repairs, so it is useful to know how to remove this type of paint.

If the stain is completely fresh, you should first rinse it with cold water. Then wring out the item well and load it wet into the washing machine. Add washing powder and select the longest wash cycle. Repeat if necessary.

Acrylic paint is not always easy to remove. If after two cycles in the washing machine the dirt is still there, then you need to pour a small amount of powder on it and rub it with gentle movements. A toothbrush works well for this purpose. After this, you need to start the machine again, but at the highest temperature.

If it was not possible to wash the acrylic paint in this way, then you should use a stain remover or bleach. You can prepare the solution yourself. To do this, add a tablespoon of salt to 3 cups of water and two each of vinegar and ammonia. Soak clothes in one of these products for several hours, then wash. This method will certainly help clean up the traces of water-based paint.

If the paint is latex, you should use alcohol to remove it. It should be applied to a small piece of cloth and rubbed onto the affected area. When the fabric gets dirty, it needs to be changed. After the procedure, the suit should be washed.

How to save clothes made of cotton, silk and wool?

If trouble occurs with cotton clothes, then you should try the following method. For one liter of water you will need a small spoon of soda and a piece of laundry soap, previously planed. The mixture should be brought to a boil, cool slightly and the affected areas should be immersed in it for a few seconds. Repeat as many times as necessary for the contamination to completely disappear. If streaks appear, the item should be soaked in warm water with bleach before washing.

The question may arise: how to remove paint from silk? This type of fabric must be handled with care. Laundry soap will help, they need to rub the stain thoroughly. Then heat the alcohol in a water bath, moisten a rag and wipe the desired area. When the paint comes off, you need to blot it with hot water, press it with a napkin and sprinkle it with talcum powder.

If you are wondering how to clean wool clothes, this can again be done with soap. Rub the stained area and then place it in boiling water for a few moments.Most likely, to wash it, you will have to repeat it several times.

It's useful to know how to scrub off paint if necessary. While it’s easy to deal with water-soluble ones, you’ll have to work hard to remove acrylic and façade ones. But there are ways to save clothes. After using special products, the outfit should be rinsed thoroughly. It is best to dry in the fresh air to remove the smell.