Are you currently painting your walls a new colour and have accidentally spilt some paint on your favourite carpet? No worries! We’ve all been there, and it’s nothing to worry about. Your carpet is not yet ruined, and you need to act fast. Our easy-to-follow guide will show you how to get paint out of the carpet without a fuss. Read on how to get paint out of the carpet and save your valuable rug!

How to Remove Paint from Carpet

Like removing any stain on a carpet, getting paint out of it is not an easy task. That’s mainly because you’ll need to get on your hands and knees to scrub the spilt paint. It may sound like a challenging task, but with the right tools and ingredients, your carpet will be as good as new in no time!

Identifying the Spilt Paint’s Type

First, you need to know what kind of paint you just spilt on your carpet. Why is this important, you ask? Because not all paints react the same when mixed with fabric. Some paint types are easier to get out of the carpet than others. Either way, however, you need to check your can’s label and figure out what paint you’re working with before you can start to clean the paint off your carpet.

You’ll find that your paint is one of three types: latex (or water-based), acrylic, or oil-based.

Latex Paint

Water-based paints are the most accessible since their consistency isn’t as thick as the other paints. As a result, cleaning latex paint out of your carpet would prove an easy task. On the upside, water-based paints don’t have a strong odour either.

The one disadvantage of latex paint is that they dry off quite quickly. While this is an advantage when you want to minimise your painting time, you’ll need to act fast when this paint spills on fabric.

Acrylic Paint

Latex and acrylic paints are often mistaken for one another. The main difference between them is that acrylic is chemical-based, while the other is water-based. People favour acrylics primarily because their colours are pretty intense and last longer than latex paints.

Additionally, acrylic paints are more durable than most as they are water and dust-resistant. Much like latex colours, acrylics are also fast-drying, meaning these paints sink rather quickly into carpets and rugs.

Oil Paint

Oil-based paints were the first painting cans to be introduced. As such, they were built to withhold surrounding environmental conditions. This dates back to oil-based colours typically being made from two elements, solvent thinners and essential oils.

In other words, oil-based paints are the toughest to get out of fabrics because they stain quickly. The strong resin coating left behind by oil-based colours is why these paints are so popular, though.

Check out our guide on How to Remove Dye Stains from Carpet

How to Remove Latex Paint Off Carpet

how to remove latex paint off a carpet

As we’ve mentioned, latex is the least complicated paint to remove from carpets. Since it’s water-based, you won’t need specific solutions to clean it out.

Here’s a list of equipment you need:

  • Ragged cloth or paper towels
  • Mild dish soap or any dishwashing detergent
  • Lukewarm water
  • Your vacuum cleaner

Once fully prepared, carry out the following steps to clean the latex paint off your home carpet:

  1. Blot out the paint with the paper towels
  2. If the amount of spilt paint is a lot, use cloth instead
  3. Make sure not to scrub, so the paint doesn’t spread
  4. Mix a tablespoon of the detergent in a cup of lukewarm water
  5. Dip the cloth in the solution and apply it to the stain
  6. Start from the outside and slowly make your way inside
  7. Avoid using a lot of soap so as not to damage the carpet’s dye
  8. Once the colour is out, wait until the area is fully dry
  9. Vacuum the carpet to remove any paint residue

Water-based paint shouldn’t give you much trouble when removing it. If it doesn’t come out in the end, contact a professional cleaner to finish the job for you.

How to Remove Acrylic Paint Off Carpet

Because acrylics are chemical-based, you should purchase certain solvent chemicals, such as acetone, to help remove this paint thoroughly.

Here’s precisely what you will need:

  • A sponge or a cloth
  • Mild detergent 
  • Deep carpet cleaning shampoo
  • Acetone
  • An eyedropper tool
  • A wet vacuum cleaner

Then follow this simple process to remove acrylic paint from your home carpet:

  1. Use the blotting technique to soak up the paint with the cloth
  2. Combine water and mild detergent
  3. Wait until the rag has fully absorbed the solution
  4. Apply the acetone in small amounts, using the eyedropper
  5. Remember to wear a mask when working with acetone 
  6. Don’t overuse the acetone; switch to the deep carpet cleaning shampoo right away
  7. Scrub the cleaner in with a toothbrush
  8. Let it sit for at least six minutes
  9. Use your wet vacuum to gather the leftover paint

Don’t worry if the paint seems to sit in the fabric for a bit after you’ve cleaned it up—that’s normal. After a while, the acrylic will dry off and be much easier to remove. We hope this article on how to get paint out of carpet helped you remove that nasty paint stain. If you need professional advice on how to remove blood stains from a carpet or how to get burnt out of your home carpet, visit our blog.