How to Get Paint Out of Carpet: A Full Stain Removal Guide

Have you been playing around painting your window sills, walls, or skirting boards? Even if you've taken all the necessary precautions, your beloved carpet may end up suffering the consequences of your latest DIY project! We don't blame you. We know how great it feels to get hands-on, which is why we've created this guide with our top tips, tricks, and hacks on how to get paint out of your carpet. Ready for some stain removal action?

6 Things to Consider Before Removing Paint Stains

Paint stains on carpets are such a common thing! Before you get into rubbing and cleaning, check out these prepping tips:

Take a look at the specifications of the paint you've purchased to figure out its type. Is it water or oil-based? This will make a big difference as you won't be using the exact same products or solutions to treat the stains.
Don't let the stain dry! You need to act right after the spill. If the stain dries out, it's going to be harder to get rid of it.
Avoid starting with the heavier solutions and methods for cleaning as you can end up ruining your carpet. Go easy first and if it doesn't work, then move on to the next trick.
It's convenient to keep a carpet cleaning kit ready before you start painting. This way you'll be able to act quick. You should try to avoid running around the house looking for rags, paper, cleaning solutions, and whatever else you may need!
Keep in mind latex paints are water-based, which means they don't use solvents to carry the pigment. This makes latex paints easier to remove from carpets.
Regardless of how you end up getting rid of a wet paint stain on your carpet, start by using a paper towel -the ticker the better-, or a cleaning cloth to soak up the liquid. Just press it lightly on the stain. You want to blot, not rub! Rubbing will end up spreading the stain as the paint will penetrate deeply into the carpet's fibres.

Tools You'll Need to Remove Paint from Your Carpet

Absorbent paper
Cleaning cloth
Scraper
Pin or needle
Sponge
Brush
Plastic Container
Vacuum

Solution Nr 1: Hot Water and Dish Soap

Mix 1 cup of warm water with 1 teaspoon of dish soap to create a cleaning solution. Pour some of it into the stain and keep blotting. Once the soaking paper or cloth gets wet, use another one, as you should avoid transferring the moist back to the carpet.

Do this until no more paint is getting off the carpet.

This solution will work best on wet stains caused by water-based paint.

Solution Nr 2: Hot Water and White Vinegar

A household staple, the good ol' white vinegar comes to the rescue again! Mix 4 cups of water with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar. Alternatively, you can also add 1 teaspoon of dish soap. Just as you did before, pour some of the cleaning solution on the stain, blot, rinse with a bit of clear water, and repeat.

Be gentle as if you add too much water at once you'll end up having to rub too much -or will go through all your rags and soaking papers at once!

If you need to remove water-based paint dry stains, apply any of these cleaning solutions and let them sit for a few minutes. You can also use a sponge and a brush to help scrub the stain. Always move in a circular, controlled motion.

Solution Nr 3: Carpet Dry Cleaning Solvent

Used mostly for oil-based paint spills, a non-flammable carpet dry cleaning solvent can be a good ally to get rid of rebel stains! Keep in mind that dry solvents are not literally 'dry'. They are called like this just because they don't have water in their composition -these can be petroleum-based, and contain different chemicals. Using this type of product should be a last resort thing as these are strong chemicals. What makes them great for oily stains is how deeply they penetrate the fibres of your carpet, helping the stain dissolve.

You can purchase this at the supermarket or warehouse store. Make sure to read and follow the instructions thoroughly.

Solution Nr 4: Acetone

When it comes to getting paint off your carpets, the 'Acetone Solution' comes as the single-most controversial method. Just like on our previous tip, this should be your absolute last option as you are risking ruining your carpet. We'd recommend using this only on minor stains. Consider that not all carpets are created equally! Some are made of fibres that would decolorate when getting in touch with some types of solvents.

If you decide to go for it, drop a bit of the acetone on a cloth and press it gently against the stain. As you can tell, the way you'd apply the acetone is similar to how you'd work with water and soap solutions. The difference here is that you shouldn't go overboard using too much acetone!

Let the stain absorb the solvent and repeat the process, scrubbing in a circular motion. Try to avoid as much as possible rubbing the solvent on straight lines.

Solution Nr 5: Use a Steam Cleaner

If the stain has gone out of hand, you may need to go for a carpet steam cleaner. Make sure to follow the instructions, but essentially, you'd add some water and cleaning solution into the steam cleaner -and be good to go! This is a good method if you are working on dry stains as the steam will soften the paint on your carpet.

You can also grab a sharp object to break the stain and help the steamer.

Once your carpet is clean, make sure to vacuum. If the stain is still there, you can go at it again, following the same process.

How to Get Paint Out of Carpet: Final Touches for Rebel Stains

Before we wrap up, here are some final tips to help you:

Oil-based paint stains are quite thick, so before you apply products, you can try to remove some of the excess paint directly with a small scraper.
If you are working on dry stains, break the stain with the scraper of a small sharp object as much as you can, and then vacuum.
In a worst-case scenario where you can't get rid of the stain, try trimming the stain out -obviously, do this only it's a tiny stain. You must be extremely careful as you don't want to end with a bare patch of carpet!

We hope this DIY guide on how to get paint out of your carpets was useful. Next time you get into creating your very own Jackson Pollock work of art, make sure to protect your carpets like a pro!