Getting Acrylic Paint Out Of Carpet – All You Need To Know

It can be annoying enough to get paint on your walls by accident. Acrylics on carpets can be a real pain to clean up, and we often end up making the area worse because we don’t know what to do.

This article will show you how to remove acrylic paint from carpets safely and easily.

Acrylic paint can be used on canvas, wood, metal, ceramics, and other surfaces. Because of the way that acrylic paints are made, it can be hard to get them out of fabrics and carpets. But it’s not impossible to learn how to get acrylic paint out of the carpet.

When used the right way, common household items can be used to get rid of the paint. Some of these cheap products are dish soap, white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and a few others.

We will show you different things you can do yourself to get dried acrylic paint stains out of your carpet quickly. After a paint spill, you can use these different ways to get either wet or dry paint out of your carpeted rooms.

A common misconception about cleaning acrylic paint is that you have to pay for a professional carpet cleaning to get dry paint out of the carpet fibers.

But we show that you can find the DIY cleaning method that works best for you by using the right cleaning products in the right way. A do-it-yourself carpet cleaner saves you money and lets you use everyday items to clean your carpet.

What is acrylic paint?

Before you can learn how to get acrylic paint out of a carpet, you need to know what kind of paint it is.

The pigment particles in an emulsion of acrylic polymers make up water-based acrylic paint. Any acrylic paint is made up mostly of three ingredients: pigment, binder, and vehicle.

• Pigment: The granular particles known as pigments are what give the paint its color. They are ground into extremely small particles that do not dissolve but instead stay suspended in the paint. Organic, inorganic, natural, and synthetic pigments are all possible. When applied to a surface, they have little to no affinity for it.
• Binder: The material that retains pigment in place when the paint dries is known as a binder. After the water has evaporated, the acrylic polymer that serves as the binder for acrylic paint creates a film. Since acrylic paint is made of chemicals, it is harder to get a paint stain out of fabrics or carpeting.
• Vehicle: The term “vehicle” describes the area of paint that carries the pigment and binder. Water-based acrylic is carried by water, and when it mixes with the binder, it forms a polymer emulsion. Once the water has been removed from the system by evaporation or absorption, the paint dries and forms a stable clear polymer film with colored pigment particles trapped within it.

Let’s look at the best way to get acrylic paint out of the carpet.

How to get acrylic paint out of a carpet while it’s still wet?

Acrylic paints are usually washable, but they still have chemicals in them. If you get paint on your carpets and don’t clean it up right away, it can stain, dry out, and damage the fabric. Some carpet fabrics are thicker than others, which means that your paint will go straight into the fibers.

Here are two quick and safe ways to get acrylic paint out of carpets. The best results come from using both methods while the paint is still fresh on the surface. These won’t work on clothes that have already been dried.

Method One – Soap and Water 

This is how to get paint off of your carpet while it is still wet. Some carpet or rug fabrics may work better with this method than others.

You’ll need:

• Dish soap
• Paper towels
• A spray bottle
• Warm but not hot water

Method:

• Use paper towels to soak up the paint on the surface
• You shouldn’t rub the paint deeper into the fibers.
• To do this right, press down on the area each time with a clean sheet. You shouldn’t move the paper towel.
• Next, spray the area lightly with a mix of dish soap and water in your spray bottle.
• About a teaspoon of soap should be used for every cup of water.
• Now, you’ll use your paper towels to wipe the area again. Taking up any color from the soapy water that has come off.
• Repeat these steps until all the paint is gone.
• If you use too much water or soap solution on a spot, the carpet can dry with a stain over that spot.
• Make sure to use paper towels to dry the area well when you’re done.

Method Two – Vinegar  

This is a different way to get rid of wet paint or the next step after using water and soap. Vinegar is a safe and effective way to get paint out of carpets, and sometimes it works even better.

Needed:

• A spray bottle
• Warm and cold water
• White vinegar
• A sponge

Method:

• Fill the spray bottle with warm water and vinegar. This solution should work well with a ratio of one to ten. Before you use it, make sure to shake or mix it well.
• Spray your mixture over the paint mess to start. Then, use a paper towel to wipe it up, just like in the first method.
• Don’t rub the spot, because you don’t want to spread the stain.
• Repeat this step until there is no more paint on your carpet.
• Now, wet the area with your sponge that has been dipped in cold water.
• This will clean the fabric and make it waterproof.
• Depending on the fabric and how bad the stain is, you may need to repeat the steps a few times.
• If you’ve made a mess that won’t go away, you might need heavy machinery to help you clean it up.

Hiring a steam cleaner or carpet cleaner could make getting stains out of your carpets or other fabrics easy and quick. Most of the time, these are easy to use and work much better on paint spills and other tough stains.

How to get acrylic paint out of the carpet after it dries?

Now that we know how to get wet acrylic paint out of carpets, let’s look at how to get dry paint out. Once the paint has dried, there are a few interesting ways to get it out of the carpet, but it can be hard to tell which one will work best.

The last thing you want to do is try out harsh chemicals or solvents on high-priced carpet fabrics. This could be worse than the paint that just got everywhere.

Because of this, we made a list of the different ways to clean dried acrylic paint off the carpet. With the help of a steam cleaner, you can do these things. These machines help break up the paint so it’s easier to remove, and they are gentle enough not to hurt the materials.

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Method One – Rubbing Alcohol or Acetone

Acetone is good at getting rid of colors, paints, or stains from surfaces, as we know from using it to remove nail polish at home. Similar to how rubbing alcohol works.

Pure acetone or alcohol solutions can be scary to use on carpet fibers because they are not the most gentle chemicals. But if you are careful and use them in the right way, they can be a good way to get rid of dried paint.

You must have:

• Acetone or rubbing alcohol
• Putty knife
• Toothbrush
• Eyedropper or syringe
• Paper towels
• Warm or soapy water
• Spray bottle

Method:

• Use your knife to try to get as much paint off the carpet as you can. You can clean the area with a vacuum cleaner before moving on.
• Test a small area of your material to see how it reacts before you start with the chemicals.
• Use your eyedropper or syringe to put a small amount of acetone or rubbing alcohol on the remaining spill. This will keep the chemicals from getting to the bottom of your carpet.
• Start at the edges to keep your spills from running or getting bigger.
• Do not rub your carpets with acetone or other chemicals.
• Let this sit for a few minutes so the paint can really stick to it. You might see that the spill is getting bigger or getting worse. This is normal. The alcohol is bringing the paint to the surface of the fabric.
• You can gently scrub the surface of your spill with your toothbrush. You should see that all the loose pieces are falling off.
• Use the tool to get as much as you can off.
• Now, use your paper towel to soak up the rest of the liquid.
• You can put on more chemicals if you need to, and then you can just blot again.
• When you’re done, spray the area with soapy water and blot until it’s dry. This will remove the acetone from the area.

Method Two – Glycerin

Another worry is using oily substances when putting these on fabrics and materials. Oils can leave stains and sticky stuff on your carpets. If you use the method below, this shouldn’t happen. As long as you do it the right way afterward.

You’ll need:

• An old rag,
• A putty knife,
• Glycerin
• Paper towels
• Water that is warm or soapy
• A spray bottle

Method:

• First, pull off and loosen as much paint as you can with a pick.
• Use your knife to pick up any loose pieces from the stain. You can also use a vacuum to clean the area before moving forward.
• Once these are gone, you’ll know where to put most of your glycerin.
• Use the rag to spread the glycerin over the paint. Give the answer some time to work.
• The oil will make the carpet fibers smooth and help get the paint off.
• After a while, you can use paper towels to soak up the paint. Make sure you don’t add more paint to the area.
• Make sure to keep replacing paper towels that are getting dirty.
• Keep doing this until there is no more paint. It might take some time.
• Once you’re done, you should either use your soapy spray or a steam cleaner to clean the area. This will get rid of any oil or other residue that is still on your carpet.

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Method Three – Hydrogen Peroxide 

Hydrogen peroxide is a great cleaning product that can be used on many different surfaces around the house. We suggest that you only use this method on carpets with light colors because hydrogen peroxide could bleach your carpet. This cleaner contains chemicals that break down paint stains on your carpet.

You’ll need:

• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Cotton balls
• Paper towels

Method:

• Use a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide to wipe the paint.
• Wet a paper towel and dab the paint spot right away until it’s gone.
• You might have to do the steps more than once to get the stain out of the carpet.
• If you don’t have any other cleaning supplies and need to get dried acrylic paint out of the carpet, you can use hydrogen peroxide instead.

Method Four – Goo Gone

Goo Gone is a solution made to remove sticky residue and stains from almost every surface in your home, including acrylic paint on the carpet. Putting Goo Gone on dried paint before you scrape it off makes it much easier to get off.

Needed:

• Goo Gone
• A putty knife
• A quarter teaspoon of dish soap
• 3 cups of hot water
• Dry rags

Method:

• Spray the affected area with Goo Gone and let it sit for 15 minutes.
• Use a putty knife to scrape off as much of the dried paint as you can.
• Pour detergent and hot water into a spray bottle.
• Wet the area with the solution and dab it with a dry cloth to soak up as much dish soap as you can.

Getting acrylic paint out of carpet – useful tips

If you use the above methods and put in a little work, you should be able to get any acrylic paint stain off.

Here are a few tips from experts that will help you do well.

1. Blot, don’t scrub – Blotting helps get the stain out of the carpet, while scrubbing can push the paint deeper into the fibers and make it harder to clean.
2. Begin on the outside and work your way inside – Start blotting on the outside edge of the spill to help contain it and keep it from spreading to a larger area.
3. Use warm water – Warm water, instead of cold water, helps to break up the acrylic paint and get it out of the carpet fibers. Adding cold water helps it harden.
4. Vacuum steam it – Use a vacuum’s streamer attachment (see our reviews of vacuums here) to help break up the stain as you work.
5. Let air into the room – You might try a few different ways to get rid of the paint stain as you work on it. Make sure the area has enough air flow and that you take breaks as needed. Give the fumes time to go away between each solution before you try a new one.

How to clean latex paint out of carpets?

Even though it’s easier to get rid of a latex paint stain on a carpet than an acrylic paint stain, there are still steps you need to take to get it all out. The best way to clean water-based latex paint is with water and vinegar.

If the latex paint has dried on the surface, use needle-nose pliers to scrape off as much of it as you can. Use a wet/dry vacuum to pick up as many loose pieces as possible.

Put one teaspoon of vinegar into 32 ounces of water in a spray bottle, and then spray the spot. We suggest working the solution into the carpet with an old toothbrush and then blotting the stain with a dry paper towel.

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Frequently asked questions

Conclusion

Let’s face it: if you don’t mess up your carpet, someone else will.

Still, we’re here to make sure your carpet looks like it did when you bought it. The steps outlined above work well and have led to good results. Now that you know how to get acrylic paint out of the carpet, you’ll always know what to do if you ever spill acrylic paint on your carpet again.

There are a few different ways to get acrylic paint out of carpets and other fabrics. Luckily, vinegar or nail polish remover are common household items that can get rid of dried paint stains and can also be used for other cleaning tasks.

Some people don’t know, and many of them plan to get rid of their stained carpet or pay someone to clean it. Getting this information out there will help a lot.

After you clean up paint stains, you might find that the area of the carpet is brighter. This is the perfect time to clean the carpet without a machine and get the whole room back to normal.

You can make your own carpet cleaner at home with simple items that you probably already have.

Acrylic paints are made of chemicals and are hard to get out of carpets if the right ways to clean them aren’t used. But paint stains are easy to get rid of when you use active cleaning agents.

Here’s a question for you:

Have you ever spilled acrylic paint on your carpet by accident?

Did you use a method other than the ones listed above?

Tell us about it.