Home Remedies to Remove Paint From Clothes

Getting your clothes stained with paint should not automatically consign them to the garbage dump. A number of home remedies to remove paint from clothes can be used to save the stained garments.

To get rid of acrylic paint from your clothes, mix together 1 tablespoon of salt with 2 tablespoons each of white vinegar and ammonia. Dip a toothbrush into the mixture and scrub at the stain. When you have scrubbed as much off as you can, make up another, double batch of the solution and stir it into a sink full of water. Soak the clothes overnight in this. If the stains are not gone by morning, start over again with your toothbrush, and repeat the whole process as many times as it takes. Once is usually enough, however.

Alcohol is effective for paint removal of oil-based paints because, unlike water, it is non-polar. For this purpose, rubbing alcohol, hand sanitizer and even hair spray can be used, because of their alcohol content. Rubbing alcohol, for example, has a 70 percent alcohol content. Baby oil is another non-polar substance that may be used for paint removal. An old toothbrush may be used for this home remedy to remove paint from clothes.

Scrape off any excess paint, flush with warm water and then launder or dry clean immediately. You may have to repeat the process a number of times to completely get rid of the stain. If the latex paint has already dried, scrape off as much of it as you can, and then sponge it with turpentine or a dry cleaning solvent soften it up. Launder or dry clean the garment. You may have to repeat the process a number of times to completely get rid of the stain.

The solubility of water-based paint makes it easier to remove from your clothes. Immediately rinse away as much of the paint with warm water, and then sponge the stain with warm, soapy water. Rinse once more with water.

You can use home remedies to get rid of paint on leather or suede garments. First scrape off as much of the paint as you can. Next, dissolve some mild soap into lukewarm water and work it up into sudsy foam. Dip a sponge into the foam (not the liquid), and work it into the paint stain. Wipe off with a clean, dry cloth. Repeat until you get rid of the stain. Follow up with saddle soap or a leather cleaner and conditioner.

It is important to treat a paint stains immediately, particularly if the stain is caused by an oil or latex paint. This is because the paint tends to get adhered to the fabric fibers as it dries, becoming permanent. Always test your home remedy on a hidden area of your garment fabric first, if you are unsure of its effect of the fabric.