Removing Dry Latex Paint from Carpet

Dec 22
12:12

2010

Jakob Barry

Jakob Barry

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Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Paint and carpets just don’t go together unless you’re taking an art class and intended to mix the two. In ...

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Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

 

Paint and carpets just don’t go together unless you’re taking an art class and intended to mix the two. In other words,Removing Dry Latex Paint from Carpet Articles if you dribbled paint on a carpet during a job or one of your children was working on a project and accidentally spilled water-based paint on the rug, there are ways to get it out without a permanent stain.

 

However, what if latex paint fell on the carpet and dried before you noticed or were able to deal with it properly? As is obvious there is little chance of finding a way to remove large spills but when it comes to smaller ones there’s a glimmer of hope.

 

Latex paint has a different chemical make than oil-based paint, which is much more difficult to remove from carpet, wet or dry.

 

What you’ll need: clean white cloths or a lot of paper towels, latex gloves, possibly goggles and a mask; a bucket, warm water; putty knife and other scraping tools.  

 

The first thing to do when it comes to dry latex paint is see how much of it you can scrape off. There are different tools you could use from screw drivers to putty knives. The most important thing, though, if you’re trying to save the carpet from the paint is don’t ruin the fibers in the process. Be careful, try and use precision, and have a great deal of patience.

 

Once you’ve exhausted this step there are several options.

 

  1. Test a water soluble paint remover on a small portion of the dry paint and blotch it with a white rag or paper towels. If it appears to work, continue but as with a wet spill, blotch the stain inward so it doesn’t spread any further out.  Do not scrub or rub the stain vigorously. By blotching, the paint will hopefully begin to soften and become mushy. As this occurs carefully removes as much as possible. If this works clean the area with a sponge, detergent, and some water.

 

  1. Purchase a can of DW40 and apply it to the dry paint generously letting it sit for about a half hour. Then blotch it like above. Once the paint has hopefully been removed clean the area with a sponge, detergent, and some water.

 

  1. There are several products on the market, which are worth trying. Just remember when using any chemicals to ventilate the space well and follow the directions of the bottle. If any smell remains from the use of chemicals you could use a mixture of 1 tablespoon vinegar with a half bucket of warm water.

 

Finally, in the worst case scenario where paint remains or a stain is evident it may be time to call a carpet cleaning professional.