You may meet a lot of disappointment if your painting project doesn’t turn out the way you want it to. Especially when you end up painting the things that you shouldn’t be painting. Yes, spilling a few drops of paint on your new carpet is sure to be a nightmare. In this article, we tell you how to get oil based paint out of carpet.
Before You Start
Simple carpet cleaning won’t always help, especially if the stain is stubborn. In fact, it is a good idea to cover the carpet area with newspapers before painting to prevent paint drops that may fall on the carpet. But, if the damage has already been done, you have no choice but to resort to damage mitigation methods to save your rug from getting permanent stains.
Before going for a carpet stain removal method, assess the damage to the carpet. Practical in your approach, attempting to remove the stains is a viable option only if the paint is a small portion of the carpet covering. In case you knocked down the entire bucket of paint on your rug, there is little you can do to save your rug.
In such cases, you should inquire if your home insurance company covers accidental damage from paint. In other cases, identify the type of coat to determine what kind of cleaning is needed to remove the stain from the carpet. You can determine the type of coat by reading the ‘brush cleaning instructions’ listed on the paint bucket.
Understanding Oil Based Paint Stains
Oil based coat is probably one of the most difficult cleaning problems any carpet owner can face. This is because when this kind of mess gets on your carpet, it’s really hard to remove. If you can’t remove it, your carpet is likely to be ugly and unattractive.
Another problem with cleaning oil-based paints is that the usual way of cleaning stains isn’t really effective. Water is usually used to remove common stains, but this will not work as oil is not water soluble. This added challenge can really frustrate homeowners, but it shouldn’t be enough reason to give up on your rug just yet.
How to Get Oil Based Paint Out of Carpet
- You need a special solvent, such as turpentine, white spirit or methylated spirits to remove these stains.
- If you’ve spilled the paint recently, blot the excess paint with a damp cloth or paper napkin. For paint that has already dried, read below for instructions.
- If the stain does not dissolve you should let it soak for a few minutes.
- Continue to blot with a napkin or a damp cloth. Do not rub the stain, always use blotting motions to get rid of the stain. Make sure not to spread the stain and aggravate the damage.
How to Remove Dried Oil Based Paint from Carpet
- Try to scrape the dried paint off with a dull knife or other such items.
- Once, you’ve removed the excess paint, blot the stain with turpentine, white spirit or methylated spirits to remove these stains. If the stain does not dissolve you should let it soak for a few minutes.
- Do not rub the stain, always use blotting motions to get rid of the stain. Make sure not to spread the stain and aggravate the damage.
Here’s a short video showing how to get oil based paint out of carpet:
That was all on removing oil-based paint from the carpet. Remove the paint from the carpet with extreme care, as there is often a chance of damaging the carpet.
If the area occupied by the stain is too much, use a special rug cleaner depending on the type of your rug. Rely on professional help if your rug is quite expensive.
