Acrylic paints are quite easy to use, but accidents can happen. And there’s no worse tension for someone like me, who sometimes paints just for fun than to accidentally spill paint on your clothes. The good news is that, no matter how badly it may have dried, you often can save your clothes by following a simple guide for the effective removal of acrylic paint from fabric.

1. Act Fast-Time is of the essence.

The first and most important rule when working with acrylic paint is to move fast. Acrylic paint dries very quickly, great for painting but awful for clothing. Once it sets, it forms a plastic-like coating which becomes even harder to remove. The sooner you move after you notice a spill, the better. The longer it sits, the harder it’ll be to clean.

2. Scrape off excess paint 

Clean as much of the paint off first as possible. Scrape what you can off with the blunt side of a spoon or knife or the edge of a plastic card.  Do not rub the paint further nor spread it out, but try to lift it off from the fabric surface.

3. Cold Water Rinse

Once you have removed the excess paint, take the soiled fabric and hold it under cold running water. Be sure to rinse from the back side of the stain rather than on the front. This will force the paint out of the fabric instead of pushing it deeper into the fibers. Here you have to get as much paint removed as possible before applying any cleaning agents.

4. Add Dish Soap or Laundry Detergent 

After rinsing the stain add a little dose of dish soap or laundry detergent right to the stain. As we can be reminded now, dish soap is great for its own sake because it breaks oils and paints. Be gentle with rubbing the soap into the material with your fingers or even with a soft brush in a circular motion, much like your toothbrush, to work out the solution in the fibers.

5. Wash and Redo

Wash the clothes again in cold water after scrubbing out the stain with soap. Test for remnant paint in the stained area. If it shows, redo the step.

6. Removing Chalk-like Acrylic Paint: Alcohol or Nails Polish Remove

Do not worry if the paint has already dried. It can be removed even after drying. Try soaking a cotton ball or a clean cloth in rubbing alcohol or acetone-based nail polish remover then dab gently onto the paint stain.

Let it soak for a few minutes to let the solvent break up the paint.  Then apply a toothbrush or similar soft brush to work the area. You should see the paint soften and ease out of the fabric. Use cold water to rinse the fabric and repeat as needed. Just be careful that alcohol and acetone can, on occasion cause damage to certain fabrics, so be sure to test in a small unseen area first.

7. Commercial Stain Remover

Commercial stain remover could be very useful for particularly tough stains or delicate fabrics, like silk or wool. Commercial products such as Shout, Zout, or OxiClean are advertised to remove tough stains, so it is possible to follow the product label instructions in whatever different applications may be required from the fabric.

8. Wash Clothes

After application of treatment to the stain, put the clothing in the washing machine, and use cold water. Cold water is required to ensure any paint left on the fabric will not set with hot water. Run a cycle on your washing machine and check out the garment to see if the stain is removed.

9. Air Dry It

Wait until you are certain that the stain is removed. Nothing must be allowed to dry over the remaining paint in the dryer because any remaining paint will attach permanently to the fibers so that it cannot be removed in some way afterward. Let it dry naturally.

Conclusion

Acrylic paint does not have to ruin your clothes. Acting quickly, using the right products, and repeating the cleaning cycle can ensure that your favorite garment stays safe. Start by scraping off any loose paint and then rinse off the mess with cold water, before using dish soap, detergent, or commercial stain removers. To break down a dry paint stain, you can rub it loose with some rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover.