How to remove acrylic paint from clothes? If it’s wet paint, rinse it under cold running water from the back of the garment. If the paint has dried, then the best way to remove the acrylic paint is with artist’s brush cleaner and restorer.
It’s the worst feeling when you get acrylic paint on one of your favourite garments, but there are a few different things to help get the paint out, so I’ll guide you through the ones I use
How To Get Wet Acrylic Paint Out Of Clothes
- Work Quickly – The sooner you can start working on getting the paint out, the more chance you will have of completely removing it.
- Don’t Use Hot Water – Hot water will do more harm than good, because it will set the stain.
- Rinse From The Back – First of all, from the back of the garment, rinse it under cold running water…It is better to do this from the back of the fabric because you are pushing the paint back out the way it went in, rather than rinsing it from the front of the fabric where you will be pushing the paint further into the fabric.
- Keep Rinsing – Keep rinsing it until you get as much of the color out as possible.
- Soak The Garment – If there is still some paint color on the fabric, you can soak the garment in a bowl of cold water for about an hour to see if any more will come out.
- Pre-treat The Stain – Once the water runs clear and you have got as much paint out as possible, you can pre-treat any remaining discolouration with a stain remover. This is my favourite one on Amazon, Shout Advanced Action Gel, it comes in a spray bottle, I’ve used it on so many different stains, not just acrylic paint and I love this stuff.
- Wash In The Machine – once you’ve rinsed and rubbed in the pre-stain gel, put it in the washing machine and wash at 30 degrees or less using a good laundry detergent.
- Don’t Dry In The Tumbler – if you dry it in the tumble, it will set the stain.
How To Get Dried Acrylic Paint Out Of Clothes
It is more difficult to get dried paint out of clothes, but all is not lost, as there are a few things we can do.
- Pick Off The Paint – remove as much of the dried paint as possible by picking at it with your finger nails or scraping it with a blunt knife.
- Soak In Brush Restorer – I use Winsor & Newton Brush Cleaner & Restorer... I’ve tried many different brands and cleaning agents, but this is the one I find works the best. Put some in a small bowl and then put the area of the garment with the acrylic paint on into it. (don’t soak the whole garment) Leave it to soak for about an hour and then scrape as much of the paint off as you can with a blunt knife (being carful not to cut the fabric)
- Add More Brush Restorer – the fabric will soak up the brush restorer very quickly, and there will also be some evaporation, so add some more to the bowl and soak it for a couple more hours and scrape again.
- For Stubborn paint leave overnight – If you find there is still bits of paint left, then leave it to soak overnight and scrape it again. You Should find that it will get it off.
- Wash In The Machine – Once you’ve scraped it all off, put it in the washing machine and wash at 30 degrees or less using a good laundry detergent.
- Don’t Dry In The Tumbler – if you dry it in the tumbler, it will set the stain.
There Are A Few Other Ways To Get Acrylic Paint Out Of Clothes
If you still want to try something else, then there quite a few other things that a lot of people have had success with, I’m going to put direct links to Amazon to make it easier for you to check them out.
Murphys Oil Soap – Honestly, this stuff is a must have in my house, it’s intended use is for cleaning wood floors, but it has so many different uses around the house… Especially in my art studio! I use it for cleaning paint off all the surfaces where I didn’t want paint (there’s a lot 😳 ) and it works wonders for getting acrylic paint out of clothes.
Rubbing Alcohol – soak the area in the isopropyl rubbing alcohol and use a toothbrush to loosen up the paint. (don’t use a toothbrush on delicate fabrics) Then wash in the machine at 30 degrees.
Dish Soap – just the regular type you probably already have, such as Dawn Dish Soap. Mix one part dish soap to one part cold water, apply it to the stain and rub it with a sponge… Then rinse and repeat until it is all gone.
Hairspray – I know it may sound a bit odd, but an alcohol based hairspray does often work. Spray the painted area, rub it with a cloth, and then keep repeating until it has all gone. Then wash the garment in the washing machine to get the hairspray residue out.
Why Acrylic Paint Is So Difficult To Remove From Clothes
Although acrylic paint is water based, when they dry they form a plastic layer, which is quite difficult to remove once it get embedded into the fibres .
Acrylic paint is made up of pigment suspended in polymers (plastic), so although acrylic paint is water based, when it dries, it becomes water resistant.
Then bring in to the equation the fact the we often use gels, mediums and pastes mixed in with the acrylic paint, it all makes it a pretty sturdy concoction to remove from clothes.
Different pigments will react differently on the fabric, some of the darker colors will dye the actual fabric, so you might be able to get the thickness of the paint off the garment, but it may still have dyed the fabric… and some are more stubborn to remove than others.
Sometimes, the dye that is left behind just will not be removed, especially if the fabric is particularly delicate where harsher treatments cannot be used.
Check The Paint Brand Website
If you know the brand of paint you need to remove from clothing, then check the website for that particular brand, and it will have specific details of how to clean up the paint recommended by the manufacturer.
Some Important Things To Remember
- Always be sure to test on an inconspicuous area first.
- Wear gloves when using any harsh cleaning solutions
- It’s not my fault! Although I have tried all these methods of removing acrylic paint from clothes, if your favourite top gets ruined, please don’t shout at me!
I do have sets of clothes that I use just for painting, my oversized shirts and joggers, or shorts when it’s hot, and of course my painter’s aprons, but sometimes when I’m in my studio and not ‘dressed for painting’ I can’t resist using my acrylic paints… And of course that is when I get paint on my favourite top.
How to remove acrylic paint from clothes? If it’s wet paint, rinse it under cold running water from the back of the garment. If the paint has dried, then the best way to remove the acrylic paint is with artist’s brush cleaner and restorer.
It’s the worst feeling when you get acrylic paint on one of your favourite garments, but there are a few different things to help get the paint out, so I’ll guide you through the ones I use
How To Get Wet Acrylic Paint Out Of Clothes
- Work Quickly – The sooner you can start working on getting the paint out, the more chance you will have of completely removing it.
- Don’t Use Hot Water – Hot water will do more harm than good, because it will set the stain.
- Rinse From The Back – First of all, from the back of the garment, rinse it under cold running water…It is better to do this from the back of the fabric because you are pushing the paint back out the way it went in, rather than rinsing it from the front of the fabric where you will be pushing the paint further into the fabric.
- Keep Rinsing – Keep rinsing it until you get as much of the color out as possible.
- Soak The Garment – If there is still some paint color on the fabric, you can soak the garment in a bowl of cold water for about an hour to see if any more will come out.
- Pre-treat The Stain – Once the water runs clear and you have got as much paint out as possible, you can pre-treat any remaining discolouration with a stain remover. This is my favourite one on Amazon, Shout Advanced Action Gel, it comes in a spray bottle, I’ve used it on so many different stains, not just acrylic paint and I love this stuff.
- Wash In The Machine – once you’ve rinsed and rubbed in the pre-stain gel, put it in the washing machine and wash at 30 degrees or less using a good laundry detergent.
- Don’t Dry In The Tumbler – if you dry it in the tumble, it will set the stain.
How To Get Dried Acrylic Paint Out Of Clothes
It is more difficult to get dried paint out of clothes, but all is not lost, as there are a few things we can do.
- Pick Off The Paint – remove as much of the dried paint as possible by picking at it with your finger nails or scraping it with a blunt knife.
- Soak In Brush Restorer – I use Winsor & Newton Brush Cleaner & Restorer... I’ve tried many different brands and cleaning agents, but this is the one I find works the best. Put some in a small bowl and then put the area of the garment with the acrylic paint on into it. (don’t soak the whole garment) Leave it to soak for about an hour and then scrape as much of the paint off as you can with a blunt knife (being carful not to cut the fabric)
- Add More Brush Restorer – the fabric will soak up the brush restorer very quickly, and there will also be some evaporation, so add some more to the bowl and soak it for a couple more hours and scrape again.
- For Stubborn paint leave overnight – If you find there is still bits of paint left, then leave it to soak overnight and scrape it again. You Should find that it will get it off.
- Wash In The Machine – Once you’ve scraped it all off, put it in the washing machine and wash at 30 degrees or less using a good laundry detergent.
- Don’t Dry In The Tumbler – if you dry it in the tumbler, it will set the stain.
There Are A Few Other Ways To Get Acrylic Paint Out Of Clothes
If you still want to try something else, then there quite a few other things that a lot of people have had success with, I’m going to put direct links to Amazon to make it easier for you to check them out.
Murphys Oil Soap – Honestly, this stuff is a must have in my house, it’s intended use is for cleaning wood floors, but it has so many different uses around the house… Especially in my art studio! I use it for cleaning paint off all the surfaces where I didn’t want paint (there’s a lot 😳 ) and it works wonders for getting acrylic paint out of clothes.
Rubbing Alcohol – soak the area in the isopropyl rubbing alcohol and use a toothbrush to loosen up the paint. (don’t use a toothbrush on delicate fabrics) Then wash in the machine at 30 degrees.
Dish Soap – just the regular type you probably already have, such as Dawn Dish Soap. Mix one part dish soap to one part cold water, apply it to the stain and rub it with a sponge… Then rinse and repeat until it is all gone.
Hairspray – I know it may sound a bit odd, but an alcohol based hairspray does often work. Spray the painted area, rub it with a cloth, and then keep repeating until it has all gone. Then wash the garment in the washing machine to get the hairspray residue out.
Why Acrylic Paint Is So Difficult To Remove From Clothes
Although acrylic paint is water based, when they dry they form a plastic layer, which is quite difficult to remove once it get embedded into the fibres .
Acrylic paint is made up of pigment suspended in polymers (plastic), so although acrylic paint is water based, when it dries, it becomes water resistant.
Then bring in to the equation the fact the we often use gels, mediums and pastes mixed in with the acrylic paint, it all makes it a pretty sturdy concoction to remove from clothes.
Different pigments will react differently on the fabric, some of the darker colors will dye the actual fabric, so you might be able to get the thickness of the paint off the garment, but it may still have dyed the fabric… and some are more stubborn to remove than others.
Sometimes, the dye that is left behind just will not be removed, especially if the fabric is particularly delicate where harsher treatments cannot be used.
Check The Paint Brand Website
If you know the brand of paint you need to remove from clothing, then check the website for that particular brand, and it will have specific details of how to clean up the paint recommended by the manufacturer.
Some Important Things To Remember
- Always be sure to test on an inconspicuous area first.
- Wear gloves when using any harsh cleaning solutions
- It’s not my fault! Although I have tried all these methods of removing acrylic paint from clothes, if your favourite top gets ruined, please don’t shout at me!