How to Remove Paint From Clothing? Methods That Work on Every Stain

I know removing paint from any clothing is a difficult task without damaging it. But here today, we will tell you how to remove paint from clothing, exactly how you want.

Because it can be a difficult task to do but with the right way it becomes easy and doable.

When I first started looking to remove paint from my jeans, I came to know that the paint type matters too and…. I had NO idea what I was dealing with. I just saw blue paint splattered all over my favorite pair of work jeans and thought, “well, these are ruined.”

But they weren’t.

And that’s what I want to share with you. Because I’ve messed up many clothes over the years, tried about every method you can think of, wasted money on products that didn’t work, and figured out what gets painted OUT without destroying the clothes. And for this knowing how to remove paint from clothing is a must.

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How to Remove Paint From Clothing?

The success of removing paint depends entirely on three factors: what type of paint got on your clothes, how long it’s been sitting there, and what your clothes are made of.

I learned this the hard way when I tried using the same method for acrylic craft paint that I used for latex wall paint. 

Fresh paint is best here. You catch it early, and you can get most of it out with just warm water and some scrubbing. But dried paint…. that’s where things get tricky. And I mean really tricky.

The other thing I wish someone told me is that DO NOT put your stained clothes in the dryer. Heat SETS the paint permanently into the fabric. I lost a good shirt that way because I thought, “oh, most of the stain is out, it’ll be fine.”

It was not fine.

The heat basically baked that remaining paint right into the fibers, and no amount of scrubbing afterward could save it. So yeah, learn from my mistakes here.

Things to Remember Before Starting to Remove Paint

Before you even START trying to get paint out, you need to know a few things. And I mean really know them, because skipping these steps is how you end up with worse problems than you started with.

First thing…. check what kind of paint you’re dealing with. Is it water-based paint like most wall paints and craft paints, or is it oil-based paint which is more stubborn. The paint can tell you, but if you don’t have the can anymore.

Second, look at your garment care label. Because some fabrics can handle hot water and tight scrubbing. Others, like silk or certain synthetics, will get damaged faster than the paint comes out. 

Third, test whatever cleaner you’re using on a hidden spot first. Inside them, inside the pocket, somewhere you won’t see if it causes color bleeding or damage. Give it a few minutes, rinse it, see what happens. This two-minute test saved me from ruining clothes many times.

Also, figure out how old the stain is. Fresh paint responds to different treatments than dried paint. If the paint is wet, it is good for you. If it’s been sitting there for days or weeks, then you’re going to need some patience and multiple attempts.

And remove as much excess paint as possible BEFORE you start with any cleaning products. Use a spoon, a dull butter knife, whatever. Scrape off what you can. Because if you start rubbing cleaner into a big glob of paint, you’re pushing it deep into the fabric fibers.

Different Types of Paint and How We Can Remove It from Clothing

So here’s where things get specific, because not all paint is created equal. And what works perfectly on one type may do nothing for another type. So, knowing how to remove paint from clothing and we are talking about different types of paint so here it.

Fresh Water-Based Paint

This is the easiest situation you can be in. If you catch water-based paint while it’s still wet….then it is the best.

Last month I got white latex wall paint on my work pants while doing a ceiling. And I immediately noticed it and here’s what I did:

First, I grabbed a paper towel and blotted up as much wet paint as I could. And I mean BLOTTED, not rubbed. Rubbing just spreads it around and pushes it in deeper.

Then I went straight to the sink, flipped the fabric inside out, and ran warm water through the back of the stain. The water pressure does a lot of the work here, just flushing the paint particles out.

After that, I squirted some liquid laundry detergent directly onto the stain. The cheap stuff works fine. I used my fingers to work it into the fabric, rubbing the material against itself gently and then rinsed again with warm water.

The stain was almost gone.

I repeated the detergent step one more time to be sure, then threw the pants in the washing machine with my regular load. When they came out, they were clean.

Fresh water-based paint is forgiving as long as you act fast. The water in the paint hasn’t evaporated yet, so the paint particles haven’t bonded to your fabric fibers. 

Latex Paint

Latex paint is the same as water-based paint, most latex paints ARE water-based. This is what most people use for interior walls.

The removal process is the same as what I described for fresh water-based paint IF you catch it early. But where I ran into problems was with DRIED latex paint.

I had this pair of jeans that got splattered with beige latex paint. And I didn’t notice until later that night when the paint was dry and hard.

This is where I went with the rubbing alcohol method.

Here’s what worked: I laid the jeans flat with paper towels underneath the stain. Then I poured rubbing alcohol and it was all the isopropyl alcohol you get at the drugstore.

I let it sit there for like a minute to really soak in. The alcohol softens the paint polymers and breaks down what’s making the paint stick together and stick to your fabric.

Then I took an old toothbrush and started scrubbing. You gotta put some muscle into it. The paint started flaking off and the alcohol turned cloudy as it picked up the color.

I kept adding more alcohol, kept scrubbing, and slowly but the paint spots started disappearing. It took around 15 minutes of work for several spots.

After I got as much as I could with the alcohol, I rubbed in some laundry detergent, rinsed with warm water, and washed the jeans normally. They came out clean, but there was a bit of discoloration.

The rubbing alcohol method works, but you need patience and elbow grease.

Acrylic Paint

Acrylic paint is what you find in craft supplies, art projects, kids’ paint sets. It’s water-based like latex, but it’s got this synthetic polymer thing going on that makes it water-resistant once it dries.

I’ve dealt with acrylic paint many times and mostly because I do some DIY projects. Fresh acrylic comes out just like fresh latex like warm water, detergent, rinse, done. 

But dried acrylic is something different.

The rubbing alcohol method I described works here too, and it’s the best. But I’ve also had success with something else when the alcohol wasn’t doing the work….

I made this paste using dish soap, baking soda, and a splash of rubbing alcohol. Mix it right in a little bowl until it is like a thick paste consistency.

Then I applied this paste directly onto the dried acrylic paint spots, worked it in with my fingers, and let it sit for like 10 minutes. The combination of the dish soap breaking down the paint, the baking soda acting as a gentle abrasive, and the alcohol loosening things up and it works well.

After letting it sit, I scrubbed with a toothbrush, rinsed, and repeated, it takes two or three rounds.

Oil-Based Paint

Oil-based paint is where things get serious because this is STUBBORN.

Oil-based paints don’t respond to water or regular detergents because, well, oil and water don’t mix. You need solvents.

I got oil-based paint on a work jacket, it was dark brown paint from staining some wood furniture. 

For oil-based paint, you need paint thinner, mineral spirits, or turpentine. These are the same solvents you use to clean your brushes after using oil-based paint.

Safety first though, do this in a well-ventilated area. Open windows, maybe even do it outside. These solvents have strong fumes and they’re flammable, so keep them away from any heat sources.

Here’s the process I recommend you to follow:

I put a bunch of paper towels under the stained area of the jacket. Then I poured a small amount of paint thinner onto the stain from the back side. Not too much, enough to saturate the area.

The paint thinner started breaking down the oil paint. I could see it getting softer, then I blotted, not rubbed with clean paper towels. The paint started transferring onto the paper towels.

I kept doing this…. pour a bit of thinner, let it work for 30 seconds, blot it up. Replace the paper towels underneath as they get saturated with paint. 

After most of the paint came off this way, I rubbed some dish soap into the area. Dish soap is designed to cut through grease and oil, so it helps remove the oily residue left behind by the paint thinner.

Then I washed the jacket in the washing machine by itself, just in case and then it worked. Oil-based paint requires solvents.

Dried Paint

I’ve kind of been talking about dried paint throughout this thing, but let me be clear about the general approach for ANY dried paint.

Step one is always mechanical removal. This means scraping and picking off as much dried paint as you can before you use any chemicals.

I usually use the edge of a spoon. Sometimes a butter knife because you want something that won’t cut or tear your fabric, but that has enough of an edge to get under the dried paint and lift it.

On tough fabrics like denim, you can be aggressive with this. On thinner fabrics, you should be gentle.

I scrape and scrape until I can’t get any more paint off. Sometimes a lot comes off, sometimes a little. But what comes off now is less that you have to dissolve chemically later.

Then you figure out what type of paint it is and proceed accordingly like rubbing alcohol for water-based, paint thinner for oil-based.

Here’s something I learned…. really old dried paint may not come out completely. 

I had paint on a shirt that I didn’t work on for like three weeks. By then the paint had bonded to the fabric. I tried everything like alcohol, vinegar, special stain removers, multiple wash cycles.

I got MOST of it out but there was still a faint shadow of the stain left. At that point I had to decide if the shirt was wearable or not.

Different Types of Methods to Remove Paint from Clothing

So apart from the specific paint-type methods I covered, there are different cleaning products and techniques people use. I’ve tried all of them at this point.

Let me break down what works the best on how to remove paint from clothing based on my experience.

Use Laundry Detergent

This is your first line of defense for fresh water-based paint. And it works great for that purpose.

I always keep liquid laundry detergent handy when I’m painting now. The second I get paint on my clothes, I hit it with detergent and water.

The way I do it: remove excess paint by blotting or scraping. Rinse the stain with warm water from the back. Squirt detergent directly on the stain and I use a decent amount, like a tablespoon or so. Work it in with my fingers, rubbing the fabric against itself. Let it sit for a few minutes if I have time. Rinse with warm water, then check the stain and repeat if needed.

For fresh stains, this works most of the time. For dried stains…. not so much. Detergent just doesn’t have the power to break down dried paint.

But here’s a trick you can use, after you’ve used alcohol or another solvent to loosen dried paint, THEN hit it with detergent before washing. The detergent helps remove the residue and any remaining color.

Dish Soap

Dish soap is good for a couple of specific situations.

One, it’s great for fresh paint like laundry detergent. I think it works better sometimes because it’s designed to cut through grease, and paint has oily components even in water-based formulas.

Two, it’s NECESSARY after using paint thinner or mineral spirits on oil-based paint. The dish soap removes the oily solvent residue. If you don’t use dish soap after paint thinner, your fabric will have this oily feel to it and it may stain from the thinner.

I’ve also used dish soap in combination with other things like the paste with baking soda and alcohol. The dish soap helps everything work together.

Rubbing Alcohol

I’ve talked about this one already because rubbing alcohol is the most effective thing I’ve found for dried latex and acrylic paint.

But let me be specific about what to buy. You want 99% isopropyl alcohol if you can find it. The drugstore near me has it, sometimes labeled as “rubbing alcohol” and sometimes as “isopropyl alcohol.”

The 70% is more common because it works, but not as well. The extra water in it dilutes the effectiveness.

I pour it directly from the bottle onto the stain, let it soak for a minute, then scrub with a toothbrush. Keep adding more alcohol and keep scrubbing until the paint breaks down. And it can take a while. 

Baking Soda and Vinegar

People talk about baking soda and vinegar for everything, like the favorite cleaning combo.

For paint stains, it’s okay but not amazing in my experience.

Here’s what I’ve tried: make a paste with baking soda and a little water. Apply it to the stain, let it sit, scrub it with a brush. The baking soda acts as a mild abrasive.

Then rinse and apply white vinegar. Let that sit for a few minutes. The vinegar is acidic and helps break down paint.

Rinse everything out, apply detergent, wash normally.

Does it work? Sometimes. On light stains or on stains that have been partially treated with something else, it can help finish the job.

But for a dried paint stain, I don’t think baking soda and vinegar will do the work here. So,go with rubbing alcohol.

Paint Thinners

I covered this in the oil-based paint section, but paint thinners and mineral spirits are what you need for oil-based paint. 

The paint can tell you what solvent to use. If it says “clean up with mineral spirits,” then that’s what you need for the paint stain too.

Use them carefully. Ventilation is important and test them on your fabric first because some synthetic fabrics can be damaged by solvents.

Pour a small amount on the stain, let it work for 30 seconds to a minute, then blot it up. Repeat until the paint is gone.

Commercial Stain Removers

There are specific products made for stain removal, and some of them do work well for paint.

OxiClean is the most common one. I’ve used both the powder that you add to your wash and the spray bottle version.

Here’s the thing about OxiClean and products like it: they’re oxygen-based stain removers. They work by breaking down stain molecules over time. They’re GREAT for organic stains and for lifting residual color after you’ve loosened the paint with alcohol or thinner.

But as a standalone treatment for dried paint, it does not do so much. 

What I do is this: after I’ve treated a paint stain with alcohol or thinner and gotten most of it out, I spray it with OxiClean Max Force or any other stain remover I have. Let it sit for like 30 minutes, then wash the garment with some OxiClean powder added to the wash water.

This combo approach works well for making sure every last bit of stain comes out.

I tried once to use OxiClean on a dried acrylic paint stain without doing the alcohol treatment first and it didn’t work. The paint was too bonded to the fabric.

There are also specialty products marketed specifically for removing paint from fabric. I tried one called “1000+ Stain Remover” that someone recommended. It worked well on acrylic paint, and it didn’t damage the fabric too.

Conclusion

Look, removing paint from clothes isn’t a tough thing to do but knowing how to remove paint from clothing does play an important role in this, and it requires you to know what you’re working with and to act appropriately.

Fresh paint is easy because you can catch it fast, use water and detergent. But with the dried water-based paint, rubbing alcohol is the best thing you can do. Scrape first, soak with alcohol, scrub hard, and be patient.

Oil-based paint is where you need solvents. Paint thinner, mineral spirits, whatever the paint can recommend. Use ventilation, blot carefully, follow up with dish soap.

And anything you go with…. don’t put stained clothes in the dryer until the stain is COMPLETELY gone.

I’ve saved many clothes over the years using these methods. And I’ve lost some too, because I waited too long or used the wrong approach.

But now you know what I know. So you can save your favorite jeans or that good work shirt when you get paint on it by knowing the right process of how to remove paint from clothing.