How to Remove Dried Latex Paint From Wood Stain

Even professionals drip, spatter or spill paint.

No matter how careful you are, painting can be a messy job. Paint can spatter, sprinkle, drip and spill on adjacent surfaces. Latex paint is easy to remove with a damp rag if you catch it while it's wet. Dry paint can be more difficult to remove. However, there are several options for removing dried latex paint from stained wood surfaces, such as trim, baseboards, and floors.

Instructions

1. Scrape excess dried latex paint from the wood stain using a plastic scraper, credit card, or even your fingernail. Avoid using a sharp metal scraper that could scratch or gouge the wood.

2. Saturate a kitchen scrub sponge with very hot water and scrub the dried paint. Get the wood surface very wet. The hot water will soften and lift the paint from the surface.

3. Add about a cup of ammonia to a gallon of hot water in a plastic bucket if the paint has been dry for a long time. Scrub the paint with the sponge until it starts to soften. The trick to using hot water, with or without ammonia, is to keep the surface wet while rubbing the dried paint away.

4. Apply denatured or rubbing alcohol liberally with a rag, if the hot water is not effective. Rub the paint, re-wetting it with the alcohol frequently. If you notice the wood stain color lightening, stop. The alcohol won't harm oil-based stain, but will remove water-based or latex stain along with the dried paint.

5. Remove the dried paint with a wet sanding sponge or wet-dry sandpaper if the wood stain is water-based. In that case, anything you use to remove dried latex paint will also remove dried water-based stain. Match the stain color and reapply stain to the areas you have rubbed down to bare wood.

Tips & Warnings

• Wrap a damp rag around the edge of a stiff metal scraper to work on stained wood edges adjacent to a wall or any hard-to-reach spot.

• Open windows or use a fan for ventilation to dissipate fumes when working with ammonia.

References

• House-Painting-Info: Getting Old Dried Latex Paint Off of Woodwork
• Painting and Decorating Concourse: Removing Latex Paint