How To Remove Acrylic Paint From Carpet And Upholstery.

Oh no! You’ve let your little darlings loose with the paints, and now it’s everywhere! If only you knew how to remove acrylic paint from carpet, upholstery, and clothes! Well, guess what, you’re in luck; getting acrylic paint on a carpet doesn’t mean they are ruined forever. I’ve been there and done that, so I’m going to share with you some tips so remove wet paint and dried paint from your soft furnishings!  

Firstly, don’t panic! It happens to the best of us no matter how well you have prepared the area, kids and paint get everywhere to the odd big, or small spillage is inevitable.   

Let’s start by saying that the quicker you manage to remove the stain, the better when removing acrylic paint. So, try to work as quickly as possible to remove as much of the wet paint as you can.  

How to remove wet acrylic paint from carpet 

  • Using a spoon, spatula, or knife, remove the wet acrylic paint as carefully as you can from the carpet.  
  • Work in a horizontal motion to prevent the paint from being pushed further into the carpet pile.  
  • Be careful not to spread the paint any further than the border of the stain.
  • The next step is to choose any one of the methods below to remove the remainder of the acrylic paint.  

How to get dried acrylic paint out of carpet. 

Sometimes you might find some old paint lurking behind the sofa of somewhere that you didn’t know your kids had been, and it is dried, formed lumps, and caused a deep-set paint stain. So now you’re wondering how do you remove acrylic paint from carpet when it’s been there for days. don’t worry, even dried on acrylic paint is still removable with the right technique 

  • Using nose pliers or tweezers, remove as much of the solid lumps of paint as possible. 
  • Using a putty knife, work at the remainder of the dry paint to try to work it loose. 
  • Work in a horizontal motion, so you don’t push any paint into the carpet’s fibers.  
  • Use an old toothbrush to break down any remaining lumps of dried paint until you have a crumbly texture. 
  • Vacuum up the remainder of the paint you have just removed. 

Now you are ready to try any of the methods below.

✔︎ Before trying any of the methods, please be aware that the paint stain may look worse than when you began, but this is perfectly normal.

✔︎ Please make sure that you try the method on an inconspicuous piece of carpet first.

✔︎ Remember to keep using a clean cloth when removing the paint to prevent transferring more paint onto the stain.

✔︎ Please read our disclaimer before following any of these methods.  

This post contains affiliate links, and The Organizer UK may earn commissions for purchases made through the links in this post. For more details, see here. Thank you so much for your support! 

How to remove acrylic paint from carpet  

getting acrylic paint out os carpet

Method #1: Dish soap and warm water  

You will need:  

  1. Create a warm soapy water solution by adding a teaspoon of dish soap to every cup of warm water until you have enough solution to clean the area. 
  2. Put the solution in the spray bottle and shake well. 
  3. Spray the affected area with a small amount of the solution. 
  4. Then blot the area with a wet paper towel, being careful not to rub at the stain.  
  5. Keep blotting at the stain with clean, wet paper towels until the stain has gone.  
  6. Repeat this process until the stain disappears. 
  7. Blot the area with a dry paper towel and allow to air dry.  

Method #2: Vinegar and cold water  

You will need:  

  1. Create a solution of 1 part distilled white vinegar with 10 parts of cold water.  
  2. Put the solution in a spray bottle and shake well.  
  3. Spray the affected area.  
  4. Blot the stain with a sponge dipped in the solution. 
  5. Rinse the area with a clean sponge and cold water. 
  6. Repeat the process until the stain goes.  

Method#3: Alcohol and glycerin

You will need:

  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Glycerin
  • Paper towels
  • Toothbrush
  • Clean white cloth   
  1. Soak the stain with rubbing alcohol.
  2. Allow it to sit on the stain for at least 15 -20 minutes.
  3. Blot the stain with a dry paper towel to remove as much of the alcohol as possible.  
  4. Apply a few drops of glycerin to the remaining stain. This will help break down the stain further.
  5. Allow the glycerin to sit on the stain for a couple of hours.  
  6. Gently rub the stain a little bit with a toothbrush to help break down the paint. 
  7. Blot at the area with a dry cloth to remove as much of the paint and glycerin as you can. Remember to keep using a clean cloth when removing the paint to prevent transferring more paint onto the stain.  
  8. If you feel you are not happy with this method’s results, you may move on to method #4, “how to get acrylic paint out of carpet with acetone.”  

✔︎ Rubbing alcohol is also a great way to remove nail polish from carpet. I tried it on red nail varnish on a beige carpet, and it worked a treat! 

Method #4: Acetone and spot cleaner  

You will need:

  1. Using acetone, drip a few drops onto the stain using a pipette. 
  2. Leave the acetone to work for at least 10 minutes.  
  3. Blot the area with dry paper towels to remove the worst of the acetone.  
  4. Repeat the process.  
  5. Using a spot cleaner like this one you can gently start cleaning the remainder of the stains staying within the area, being careful not to go over the stain ring. 
  6. Blot gently with a dry cloth.  

✔︎ After you have tried any of these methods, you can finish off your carpet cleaning with a steam vacuum to remove any chemical and paint residue. Follow the steam vacuum instructions, repeat as many times as necessary until the stain has gone.  

✔︎ If you feel that any of these methods have been unsuccessful, you could contact a professional carpet cleaner who will help you to remove the stain.  

✔︎ Now you’ve read all about how to remove acrylic paint from carpet, why not read how to remove stinky carpet smells from your home in this post.

✔︎ Sign up for our newsletter and never miss another post. Leave your email address below for more weekly cleaning tips! 

Frequently asked questions and answers 

What are the best ways to remove spray paint from my carpet? 

Spray paint can be removed from carpet using a small amount of paint thinners.
● Just add a small amount of the white spirit to a clean white rag and blot at the stain.
● Using a fresh piece of cloth each time to prevent transferring the paint back into the carpet.
● Clean the area afterward with warm soapy water, 
then blot the stain dry with paper towels.  

How do you remove bleach stains from your carpet? 

When a carpet is bleached, it means that the color has been stripped from the carpet fibers. The damage to the carpet is irreversible, I’m afraid.
My advice from here would be to contact your insurance company to see if they will replace the carpet under your policy cover. 

How do you remove a red wine stain from a white carpet? 

The age-old question! First of all, don’t drink red wine if you’ve got white carpets!
But on a serious note:
● Blot as much of the red wine up as you can using paper towels.
● Blot at the stain until your paper towel is almost dry.
● Add one tablespoon of dish soap and one tablespoon of white vinegar to two cups of warm water.
● Blot at the stain with a sponge until it is gone.
● Blot up the excess liquid with dry paper towels. 
● Review and Repeat the process if necessary. 

How do I remove foundation from a carpet? 

The process is the same as in method #1 when we learned how to remove acrylic paint from carpet.
●Use a spoon, butter knife, or spatula to remove the excess makeup while still wet.
● Then follow the steps in method #1 above. 

Will this post show me how to remove acrylic paint from fabric? 

We discussed the four methods to remove acrylic paint from carpet in this post.
The methods we discussed are also suitable for removing acrylic paint from upholstery and fabric.
Choose which method you prefer and go for it.
Make sure you test in an unnoticeable area first! 

Can you advise me how to remove paint from carpet? 

● If your paint is water-based, a solution of dish soap and warm water will remove the stain.
● If your paint is oil-based, you may need to soften the paint with a steamer, then pick away at the paint with a needle until you have worked it free from the carpet fibers. 
● If the stain is large, you may be better to contact a carpet cleaning company to remove the stain for you.

I need to know how to get acrylic paint out of couch cushions after my daughter dropped her paint brush!  

Follow any of the methods above to remove acrylic paint from your couch.
Remember to do a spot test first in an out of sight area! 

My spouse wants to know how to get acrylic paint out of wood doors. 

Oh, those lovely kid’s fingerprints all over your beautiful wooden doors! To remove acrylic paint from wood, follow the steps in method #1 above.
Read this post to read how to clean wooden doors properly.

How can I remove Citadel paint from carpet? 

Citadel paint is basically acrylic paint, so you can follow any of the steps above to get your Citadel paint carpet stain clean! 

What are the steps in the process how to remove acrylic paint from canvas? 

You can try any of the methods above to remove acrylic paint from canvas. Read more here.

Now you’ve learned how to clean acrylic paint off carpet, why not read about how to get rid of stains in car seats!  

how to get acrylic paint out of carpet

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