Acrylic paints can be cleaned off glass much easier than you may think; in fact, many window-painting artists use acrylics for their holiday window decorations. Soften the dried paint with water; then scrape it off with a plastic gift card or a putty knife.
Things You'll Need
Butter knife
Paper towels
Warm or hot tap water
Plastic gift card or putty knife
White vinegar
Bowl or spray bottle
Lint-free cloth
Step 1
Pick at thick blobs of hardened acrylic paint with your fingernails or the edge of a butter knife. In some cases, the thickness of the paint makes it soft enough to pull off with ease, especially on a smooth glass surface.
Step 2
Fold a paper towel several times; then soak it with warm or hot tap water.
Step 3
Rest the wet paper towel over the dry acrylic paint for several minutes. If the paint is on a vertical surface such as a window, hold the wet paper towel in place for at least a minute or long enough to soften the paint.
Step 4
Remove the paint by scraping it with a plastic gift card or putty knife, depositing the rubbery paint shavings onto a paper towel. Wipe off the scraping device onto a paper towel as you work, so you can see the surface you're cleaning a bit better.
Step 5
Clean the glass afterwards with equal parts water and white vinegar; mix the liquids in a bowl and dip in a lint-free cloth to clean the glass. Alternatively, pour the liquids into a spray bottle for a speedier way to clean a large surface such as a picture window.
Tip
- If the paint is on a small, washable glass object such as a drinking glass, soak the glass in water and use a nylon scrub pad -- the type used when washing dishes -- to remove the paint. Pick up the paint bits and deposit them into the trash instead of allowing them to go down the drain with the water.
- Use a scrub pad instead of a scraper if the glass surface you're cleaning is not smooth.
- If the paint is difficult to remove from a flat glass surface, use a razor-based sticker-removing tool or scraper to pry off the paint.