eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.
Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use † and Privacy Policy †. en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License. † requires javascript
Post this comment to my Facebook Profile
Anonymous said
on 1/13/2006 If you've just spilled paint on a carpet, don't panic - this is how most people make it worse.
First, how much paint is it? If it's just a drop or two, you might actually be better off letting it dry, then snipping it off the surface with scissors.
If it's more than that, you need to get as much paint up as you can before proceeding. Do this with a dust pan or similar scraper. If possible, you may want to lift the carpet off the floor and clean underneath.
What kind of paint is it? If it's latex (water based), the best thing to do on a bad spill is rent a steam cleaner. Keep the spill wet while you go to get it by laying damp towels and/or plastic sheeting over it. The Rug Doctor will take all the paint away, eventually. Be sure to clean the whole rug while you're at it, or you'll have a clean spot! If it's not water based paint, or renting equipment isn't feasible, use a wet/dry shopvac and flush with small amounts of the appropriate solvent while sucking it up with the vacuum.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 I was removing red latex paint from grey cloth car interior. I was sickened to find it, and believed that the paint had been there about 7 days (so it was dry). I sprayed Windex on it and it came right up! Thank you.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Simply work a little nail polish remover into the paint (I used my wife's make up pads). The paint comes up immediately!
Anonymous said
on 2/12/2007 I first removed as much of the wet paint as possible with a dry cloth, then I mixed dishwashing soap with warm water and started blotting the stain. After I got as much out as I could, I sprayed on Krud Kutter (which I purchased at my local hardware store). That stuff is amazing. I just followed the directions on the bottle and got the paint out.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 After using the liquid detergent and warm water (worked so-so) I took an all-purpose firm brush and did a thorough dry scrubbing in the affected area. This did a pretty good job.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 I had great success on cleaning up dried paint splatters on looped indoor and outdoor carpet. I used #60 grit sandpaper on a palm orbital sander and finished with a blotting agent -Goof Off. Tilting the sander up on the corner and lightly sanding the spot turned the dry paint to powder. I then vacuumed and blotted to finish.
Don't force the sander into the spot too hard or too long, heat can cause the fibers to melt!
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 While spraying water onto wet latex paint in your carpet, use a wet vacuum to pull the paint out of the fabric. Continue to spray the fabric with water as you vacuum. This method works every time. It is a good method for many kinds of stains, including pet accidents.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 This is what worked for me! I had wet, green latex paint on a tan carpet. I highly recommend this method.
Remove as much of the foreign material as possible by blotting with a white paper towel or scraping with a dull knife.
Apply isopropyl rubbing alcohol to a clean white cloth, white paper towel or cotton ball. If the spot extends deep into the pile, use a blotting motion until the spot is removed or no color is transferred to the cloth. Do not allow the alcohol to penetrate into the backing as this will destroy the latex bond. If the spot is on the surface only, rub in one direction at a time. Never us a circular motion to remove spot as this may destroy the texture. Stop if the spot is removed. If not, go to the next step.
Apply a small quantity of detergent solution to the spot. (To make the detergent solution mix 1/4 teaspoon of a hand dish washing detergent which does not contain lanolin or bleach with 1 quart of water; examples of safe detergents are Dawn and Joy.) Use a blotting motion to work the detergent into the affected area. If the spot is being removed, continue applying detergent and blotting with a white paper towel until the spot is removed.
Rinse it with tap water using a spray bottle, and blot to remove excess moisture.
Spray it lightly with water, but do not blot this time. Apply a pad of paper towels and a brick and allow it to dry.
If there is still some stain on the carpet and blotting is not removing it, then moisten the tufts in the stained area with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Let it stand for one (1) hour. Blot and repeat until the carpet is stain free. Light will cause peroxide to change back to water so no rinsing is necessary. Apply a pad of paper towels and weigh it down with brick.