How to Get Acrylic Paint Out of Carpet – 4 Effective Methods

How to get acrylic paint out of carpet

If you’re looking for how to get acrylic paint out of carpet then it’s your lucky day. So you managed to avoid getting your carpet stained with acrylic paint while painting your interior but unfortunately, it didn’t work. You spotted a few paint stains on your carpet and I know how it feels.

Carpet stains can be very challenging, while some can be easily tackled, a few can be a nightmare and difficult to clean.

That said, it is advised to tackle acrylic paint stains as soon as they spill on your carpet while it’s still fresh and wet. No matter how freshly painted your house looks, a stained carpet doesn’t fit in. Now let’s dive into how to get acrylic paint out of carpet.

Materials Needed

  • Spoon or dull knife
  • Steam vacuum attachment
  • Warm water
  • Clean absorbent cloth
  • Toothbrush
  • A clean bowl or bucket
  • Liquid soap
  • Extra Cloth and paper towel for blotting
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Acetone
  • Vinegar

The Basics

Just in case you don’t know, acrylic paint dry by evaporation and this type of paint becomes water-resistant upon drying. It is composed of pigments suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion.  Acrylic paint is a latex-free paint, hence, a good choice for anyone experiencing latex allergies.

First of all, you need to remove excess paint from the surface of the carpet. You can either have fresh acrylic paint on your carpet or dried paint, so I’ll give a firsthand step for both

How To Get Fresh Acrylic Paint Out Of Carpet

Use a spoon to gently scrape the paint off the carpet, you can also use a dull knife or paint scraper in this case. Get a rag to wipe the spoon or knife in between scrapes, repeat this step until you’ve removed enough acrylic paint from your carpet.

How To Get Dried Acrylic Paint Out Of Carpet

Get a soft brush and scrub the paint from the surface of the carpet, a toothbrush can come in handy here. Use a dustpan to collect the loosen pieces of paints scrubbed off from the carpet.

You can also spray a lubricant such as WD-40 on the dried paint and let it sit for about 30 minutes. This will help soften the paint and make removing it much easier.

Goo Gone and Goof Off are great alternatives too. If using a toothbrush tends to be difficult, then a knife and any of these mentioned cleaners will help.

Blotting The Paint Off

After removing excess paint following the method depending on the state of your paint above, get a clean absorbent cloth to blot the remaining wet paint from the surface of the carpet.

Use this cloth to blot the wet paint starting from the edges, continue blotting until you’ve absorbed enough liquid and make sure to change each decolorized spot in the process. To avoid pushing the paint deeper into the fibers of the carpet, ensure you are blotting and not rubbing the paint. 

This procedure may not completely remove the acrylic paint from the carpet but it’s essential, yet effective. If this process doesn’t completely remove the stain, proceed with the methods below.

How To Get Acrylic Paint Out Of Carpet

Using Soapy Water And Vinegar

Step 1

For every cup of water, use a teaspoon full of liquid and mix the solution in a bucket. You can alternatively fill the solution into a spray bottle.

Step 2

Spray the solution on the stain if you’re using a spray bottle. If you went for the bucket then soak a sponge into the solution and dab it on the surface of the stain until it is completely covered with the soapy solution.

Get an absorbent cloth and blot the area, repeat this step until you’ve removed enough acrylic paint from the carpet.

Step 3

This is where vinegar comes into play. Mix a reasonable amount of vinegar into a bucket of water enough to clean the stain.

Before you proceed, make sure to test the vinegar in an inconspicuous area of the carpet. Vinegar is acidic and some carpets can react to it.

Soak a sponge into the solution and gently dab the surface of the stain until it’s completely covered with the solution.

Pat an absorbent cloth on the surface of the carpet to absorb enough liquid then use a sponge and clean water on the area. Finally, blot dry with a clean absorbent cloth.

Using Acetone And Spot Cleaner

Since some carpet fibers can be sensitive to chemicals, don’t forget to test an inconspicuous

area of the carpet, you can alternatively use an extra piece of your carpeting if you have one. Simply mix Acetone and spot cleaner and apply it on the carpet, let it sit for five minutes then clean with a steam vacuum. Check if there’s any damage done on your carpet by these chemicals.

Step 1

Soak a cloth with acetone and blot the acrylic paint stain with it. When the cloth is soiled with paint, change the cloth area to a clean spot and continue blotting.

Ensure not to pour acetone directly on the carpet to avoid it from leaking down to the button of the carpet.

The main purpose of acetone is to lift the paint to the surface of the carpet for removal so don’t worry if the stain tends to appear worse.

Acetone has a characteristic pungent smell and it is advised to use a facemask, glove and also ensure proper ventilation when using this chemical.

Step 2

Spray the stain with a spot remover, Formula 409 stain remover is going to work perfectly in this scenario.

Work the surface with a toothbrush, use a side by side and circular motion until a cleansing foam is formed on the carpet, allow the foam to sit for five minutes.

Step 3

Lift the stain and solution with a steam vacuum and repeat the entire method until there’s no more paint stain on the carpet.

Using Rubbing Alcohol and Glycerin

Step 1

Soak the paint stain with rubbing alcohol by dipping a cloth into the alcohol and blotting it on the surface of the acrylic paint. Allow to sit for about 15 – 20 minutes, this is enough time to loosen the paint from the carpet.

Step 2

Get a piece of clean dry cloth to dab the paint stain and clean with a steam vacuum attachment.

Step 3

Get a dry cloth or a dry paper towel and soak it with glycerin. Blot the paint stain with the cloth or towel until the paint stops coming up. Allow glycerin to sit on the area for a few hours.

Step 4

Blot the area clean with a solution of liquid soap and a clean cloth. You can alternatively blot the area with acetone and finally steam vacuum the area with a steam vacuum attachment. Repeat the entire process if there’s still a slight sign of acrylic paint on the carpet.

Keep your carpet stain-free, we’ve got some closely related carpet cleaning tips, do check them out below.

How To Remove Acrylic Paint From Carpet: Final Tip

If you choose to steam clean your entire carpet after taking the paint off, then check out a detailed guide on how to steam clean a carpet.

After successfully removing acrylic paint from your carpet, it doesn’t end there. You need to dry your carpet and here’s a good reason, a wet carpet can attract dirt or even result in the growth of mold.

How do you avoid this? Get a dry absorbent cloth and dab the carpet to get enough moist off from the carpet. Then get a fan and face it on the wet surface, this should take about 30 minutes for the wet surface to dry depending on its radius.

Also, vacuum the carpet to restore its fibers to their original state, you can alternatively use a soft toothbrush to ruffle the surface of the carpet.

Conclusion

Let’s face it, if you don’t make a mess on your carpet, someone else will. Nevertheless, we’re here to make sure your carpet is as good as new. The steps provided above are effective and have produced excellent results. Now you know how to get acrylic paint out of carpet, so in case you inevitably spill acrylic paint on your carpet again, you’ve got the solution at the tip of your finger.

There are a few out there who aren’t informed, many are planning on discarding their stained carpet or paying for a cleaning service. Sharing this information will go a long way.

If you have any questions regarding removing acrylic paint from carpet, don’t hesitate to drop them in the comment box below.

Here’s a question for you, have you accidentally stain your carpet with acrylic paint before? Did you use a different method from the methods states above? Do share it with us.

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