How to Remove Fabric Paint From Clothing

It is easy to remove fabric paint from clothing with a few household items. Liquid hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol and hair spray are used to effectively dissolve the paint and lift it from clothing. Because fabric paint is designed to adhere to fabric, it takes a little more elbow grease to remove it. This method works best on small areas, and may be labor intensive for very large areas of fabric paint.

Things You'll Need

• Liquid hand sanitizer
• Rubbing alcohol
• Small mixing bowl
• Cotton cloth
• Dull knife
• Hair spray

Instructions

1. Combine 1 tbsp. of liquid hand sanitizer with 1 tbsp. rubbing alcohol in a small mixing bowl.

2. Soak a portion of clean cotton cloth in the solution for several seconds. Rub the fabric paint vigorously with the soaked cloth to weaken the paint.

3. Use a dull knife to scrape the fabric paint from the clothing. It may not all come off just yet, but the bulk of it should be removed.

4. Spray the remaining fabric paint with hair spray, and allow it to sit for three to five minutes. Any brand hair spray can be used effectively.

5. Place the clothing in the washing machine, and launder normally. Dry on medium high heat, if possible. The fabric paint should be completely gone after the clothing is dry. If not, reapply hair spray, allow it to sit for an additional one to two minutes, and launder again. Repeat until no more fabric paint is visible.

Tips & Warnings

• If the fabric paint is dry, you may be able to peel most of it off without damaging the clothing. Try this first, and then apply the treatment above to remove any fabric paint residue.

• Avoid using a sharp knife to scrape the fabric paint from clothing. This could tear, cut, or otherwise damage the garment. Perform a test for color fastness before spraying hair spray onto a garment. Apply a dab of hair spray on the inside of the clothing, where it won't be seen. Wait a few minutes, and check to make sure the color hasn't faded. If it looks the same, proceed with the treatment.