It’s the moment you try so hard to avoid: a spill on the carpet. No matter how hard you try to avoid it, it’s eventually going to happen. Spills and messes happen, but you shouldn’t give up on your carpet just yet.

Sometimes, even the most complicated stains and spills can be removed from carpeting with the right cleaning tips. Are you wondering how to get paint out of a carpet? Spilled paint can seem like one of those things you’ll never be able to get out.

As soon as it happens, your heart drops. You already have it made up in your mind that you’re going to have to live with this paint stain for the rest of your carpet’s life, but not anymore. Continue reading the guide below to discover how to remove paint stains in carpet fibers with ease!

Here’s what you need to know.

1. Know the Type of Paint

Before you can begin to remove the paint from your carpet, you need to know what type of paint it is. Because there are several different types of paint, you need to make sure you use the removal method for the kind of paint it is. For example, there’s acrylic paint, latex paint, and oil-based paint.

If you’re not sure about the type of paint, then look at the paint container and figure this out before proceeding. If the paint stain is old, dried into the carpet, and there’s no way of knowing what type of paint it was, don’t panic.

You can still remove dried-on paint from the carpet following the tips given for dried paint.

2. Choose Your Method

If the paint is still wet and you’ve determined what type of paint it is, you can then choose your paint-removal method. Here are the different types of paints and the best method to remove each type.

Acrylic Paint

If there’s wet acrylic paint on your carpet, grab some paper towels, a mild dish soap, warm water, and a spray bottle. The first step after gathering all of your supplies is to blot the paint stain. Remove as much of the paint using a blotting method first.

Place one cup of warm water in a spray bottle and mix it with one teaspoon of mild dish soap. Once you’ve mixed up the solution, you can then spray the paint. Be sure not to use too much solution on the stain.

You don’t want to soak it in water. After you spray it, you can then blot the stain again. Continue blotting until the stain is removed.

Latex Paint

To remove latex paint from the carpet, grab white vinegar, a few cleaning rags, lukewarm water, a spray bottle, needle-nose pliers, and a wet vacuum. Your first step is to then blot the stain using a wet cleaning cloth or rag.

Mix a solution of half white vinegar and half warm water. You can add a teaspoon of mild dish soap into the mixture as well. You can also use a commercial carpet cleaning product if you have one nearby.

Spray the stain and blot it again until you can lift as much paint as possible. If there’s still more paint, you can spray the stain and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then, take the pliers and scrape the stuck-on paint off.

Use a wet vacuum to then finish cleaning the area.

Oil-Based Paint

For oil-based paint stains, you’ll need a putty knife, paper towels, cleaning rags or cloths, dish soap turpentine, safety goggles, and a steamer. When the spill is wet, take the putty knife and remove the paint by placing it under the stain and lifting.

Try to scrape out as much paint as you can. Don’t scrub the carpet with the knife. Only use it to scrape and lift the paint off.

If the paint begins to harden, you can use a steamer to soften it. Once it’s soft, take a paper towel and blot the stain. Then, take a cleaning rag and add a small amount of turpentine to it.

Use it to dab the stain. Be sure to use your safety goggles and gloves when completing this step. After this step, combine cold water with a small amount of dish soap and dab the areas again to clean the turpentine.

Once done, you can dry the carpet with clean paper towels or use a wet vacuum.

3. Act Fast When Wet

Your carpet isn’t water resistant hardwood flooring. Unfortunately, it will absorb the paint and other spills.

As soon as you see a spill happen on your carpet, you need to act fast. The sooner you begin to remove the stain, the easier it’ll be to do so. If you let the paint set into the carpet, it’ll become more difficult to remove.

Remember to always blot and never scrub. Scrubbing, as tempting as it may be, can cause the paint to spread even further into the carpet.

4. Don’t Give Up Once Dry

If you don’t notice a paint spill on the carpet until it’s already dry, then there are still a few methods you can use to remove dry paint on the carpeting. To remove dried-on paint, there are a few supplies you’ll want to gather.

Be sure to get your putty knife, needle-nose pliers, warm water, white vinegar, cleaning rags, paper towels, steamer, and some dish soap.

Use the carpet steamer to soften the dried paint. Mix 1/4 a teaspoon of dish soap with some warm water or use a 1/2 warm water and 1/2 white vinegar solution in a spray bottle. Spray onto the stain and allow it to sit for five minutes.

Use the cleaning rage to blot the stain. Take the putty knife or pliers to scrape off as much paint as possible. Bot again to remove more paint.

5. Contact the Professionals

When you’re unable to remove the entire stain using these methods, it’s best to contact professional carpet cleaners. Professional carpet cleaners will know the proper methods to remove certain types of paint from your carpet using professional equipment.

If the professionals are unable to remove the paint stain, then they might offer you some other options as well.

Do You Know How to Get Paint Out of a Carpet?

If you have a paint stain on your carpet, then you need to know how to get paint out of a carpet. Although removing dried-on paint might seem like an impossible task, it can be done following the tips listed here in this guide.

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