Spray paint is a fast and easy way to complete projects. Sometimes when working on a home project you may make a mistake and paint something you didn’t intend to. Other times you may have to deal with vandalism and clean up somebody else’s mess. Cleaning up spray paint and really be a pain—but follow this guide and you’ll have a much easier time.
Removing Spray Paint from Skin
The most likely scenario is that you accidentally got a little paint on your skin when you were working with it. We’ve all been there before. Scrubbing away at your skin for half an hour won’t do the trick. The first thing you need to do is to figure it if the spray paint is water-based or oil-based. The process will be a little different for each one, so read the back of your can and figure out what you have.
Water-Based Paint
- Wash the affected area under warm or hot water and gently rub a small amount of liquid dish soap in a circular motion over the paint-stained area.
- Use a toothbrush and gently scrub the paint on your skin. Rinse with water when complete.
Oil Based Paint
- Oil is best removed with more oil. You can use essential oil, baby oil, olive oil, coconut oil or whatever else you have.
- Use the oil like a soap and rub it over the stained skin lathering it in
- Rinse and repeat if necessary
- Wash your skin with soap after all the paint is removed
Removing Spray Paint From a Car/Vehicle
You may find yourself in a scenario where you have to remove paint from a car. Hopefully, it was an accident, instead of somebody intentionally damaging your property. There are a number of methods you can use to remove spray paint from your vehicle. Here we will cover just one way, but if this method isn’t working for you, follow this guide for more great options.
- Fill a bucket with warm water and soap
- Wet a clean cloth (rag or towel) in the soap bucket and gently scrub the paint in a circular motion.
- Repeatedly rinse off the cloth to keep it clean.
- After all the paint is removed wash the affected area again
This method works well when the paint is still fresh. If it’s over 24 hours and the paint has been sitting a long time, follow the guide we mentioned earlier which has 6 ways to clean a spray paint damaged car.
Removing Spray Paint from Plastic
Cleaning paint off of plastic can be an absolute pain, but with a little nail polish remover, your life will be much easier (you can also try an oil like in the skin method).
- Take a small amount of nail polish remover and rub it on the painted surfaces with a paper towel.
- Gently rub in a circular motion until the paint starts to fade
- Repeat as necessary
Removing Spray Paint from Glass
Glass can be a tough one. Depending on the kind of glass, you don’t want to scrub too hard and risk breaking it.
- Boil 3 tablespoons of water with 3 tablespoons of white vinegar
- Dip a clean rag or cloth into the mixture
- Gently rub the painted area. Be careful not to scratch the glass
- Repeat as necessary
Removing Spray Paint from Wood
If you’ve accidentally damaged your wood with spray paint during a project (or have to remove graffiti) follow these simple steps:
- Take acetone solvent (you may also use an acetone-based nail polish remover) and apply it to the painted area. Allow this to sit for a few minutes
- Add a small amount of acetone solvent to a clean rag or cloth
- Start to scrub away the paint with your rag. You can grab a new rag if the one you are using becomes too dirty
- Repeat steps 2-3 until the paint is removed
- Wash the area with water to remove any solvent left after clearing the paint away
Removing Spray Paint from Brick, Cement, or Concrete
If somebody tagged the side of your house, driveway, or sidewalk, removing the paint can be a difficult process. You may have to use a chemical paint stripper. Really tough jobs may require a power washer. But first try this:
- Make sure any dirt is removed from the area (sweep if you are cleaning a driveway or sidewalk)
- Apply a chemical paint stripper to the area.
- Allow the paint stripper to sit on the affected area for the amount of time it states on the directions. It could be minutes or hours depending on the brand.
- Scrub the area with a wire scrub brush
- Repeat as many times as necessary
- Thoroughly rinse and wipe down the area to remove any of the paint stripper after all the paint is removed.
Removing Spray Paint from Carpet
Accidents happen, we know that. Removing paint from a carpeted area can be a stressful experience. But follow these tips to make it easier:
- Take a bucket and fill it with warm water and a small amount of dish detergent (you may use a paint thinner if this is not working)
- Wet a sponge or cloth into the bucket
- Blot the painted area with your sponge or rag (if you scrub you may spread the paint, so it is best to use a blotting motion)
- Repeat as necessary
- Rinse the affected area with water after all the paint is removed to clear away any leftover soap or paint thinner
Removing Spray Paint from Clothes
Another common accident that many have when working with spray paint is getting it on their clothes. This is why we always recommend using an old shirt when working with paint. But if you accidentally get it on a shirt you want to keep clean, do this:
- If the stain is thick, first scrape away as much of the paint as possible
- Put a small amount of nail polish remover (if this is not working use a heavy-duty paint remover) onto a cloth
- Blot the paint on the affected area to remove as much of the paint as possible
- Place the clothes in the laundry and wash
- If this isn’t working you may try a specific clothes destaining product.
Conclusion
Removing spray paint can be a difficult process, but by using the right process you can make it much easier. Follow the steps outlined in this guide and get to cleaning those tough stains.
