How to remove dried paint from your floors, walls, or furniture after you’ve had a paint spill or splatter!
If you need to know how to remove dried paint from something, then it’s time for some more old-fashioned rubbing alcohol magic!
Remember when I was telling you about how you can use rubbing alcohol to clean sharpie marker off of just about anything? Well, anything but latex paint. That’s where this little tip came from.
When I was working on my bathroom lately and painting with – what else – latex paint, I had a few mis-haps. Well, mis-haps, lazinesses, whatever you want to call them. I had a roller that was too big for my roller handle. And it kept falling off the handle, all loaded up with paint.
I just kept on paintin’. I didn’t stop to wipe up my messes. Why would I when I had this little trick up my sleeve to be able to deal with it “eventually”? In fact I was so lazy bold as to leave it there for a full 2 weeks.
No problem!
Here’s what you can do if you’re like everyone and have had many painting oopsies too!
How to Remove Dried Paint
I poured a little bloop of rubbing alcohol onto the main marks and left it to sit for 30 seconds or so. Then I just wiped it all around with a paper towel. It was good as new! No scraping needed! Even the little smears that didn’t get a soaking came off just as easily.
I really hate scraping off paint mistakes and will just leave them all terrible-looking most the time rather than having to scrape.
Next I moved on to the floor in the dining room. I let the girls do some painting there a few months ago and didn’t worry too much about the floors cause, well, I want them gone like yesterday anyway. Lately though, those multi-colored paint splatters have been bugging me when we have people over and it’s pretty clear those floor aren’t getting replaced anytime in the next few weeks.
A few moments later… presto!
The Results
I’m so glad I finally took 5 minutes out of my day to take care of this now that I know how to remove dried paint. Getting rid of those shameful marks really gave my Spring Cleaning a good boost.
It was so easy too!
This is one of those ideas where, if you know about it already, seems like common sense, but if you don’t, it can be a real revelation. It’s great to use on things like doorknobs, light switches and vent covers that seem to always get a few marks on them accidentally when you think you’ll be able to just paint around them.
I would suggest if you have any paint on wood floors or any kind of fancy tile, that you test first on a hidden area to make sure it’s safe, but for my plain ol peel n stick tile, it worked like a charm!
Hope this tip makes your next painting job just a little easier!
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- The Creek Line House DIY and Renovating Archives
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.
Jo-Anna@APrettyLife says
Oooh, great tip! Glad to see you back – bummer about your technical problems – sometimes blogs are a big ol’ pain aren’t they! Also, I’m sure you know already, but I saw that Michaels had a whole bunch of Spy stuff for kids in that $1.50 aisle they have!
maggie says
where would you get rubing alcohol?
Courtenay says
Hi Maggie! You can get rubbing alcohol almost anywhere, like Walmart or a drug store, or even a dollar store. It’s usually near all the first aid stuff and often on one of the lower shelves since it’s so cheap and basic. I’m actually writing a post right now all about a bunch of different uses for rubbing alcohol, so it’s pretty funny that you asked this question right now! Good luck finding your bottle!
Kim says
Does this work on laminate floors?
Courtenay says
Hi Kim! I don’t actually have laminate floors so I don’t know for sure, but I feel like if it works on vinyl floors, laminate should be pretty safe too! Make sure you do a hidden test first or use an extra piece of flooring for the test if you have any left!
Nick says
Any tips to remove unwanted paint that spilled on the walls and doors?
Thank you.
Jay says
How can I get spray paint off hair brush bristles?
sheila says
This worked perfectly on 5-year-old drops of ceiling paint on a vinyl shower stall floor…I tried so many other products and was just about to try paint stripper. After reading your post, I did a 60 second rubbing alcohol soak and then a scrub with a rough cotton cloth and the spots just rubbed right off, and it looks good as new!
Thank you so much for the tip, it has frustrated me for years and I did not want to use paint stripper on the vinyl.
Melissa@TheHappierHomemaker says
Awesome tip Courtenay, thanks!!!
Jocie@TheBetterHalf says
great tip and HAPPY ALMOST BIRTHDAY!!!!!
Angela says
I love free and easy solutions! I also have a tendency to paint things (that are not supposed to be painted) on purpose.
Mary in VA says
Great tip, Courtenay. I’ve already tried it with success! We just moved into a house that had a few paint oopsies and I’m sure we will make a few more of our own. This is very helpful. Gratefully, Mary
Lauren @momhomeguide says
Thanks for the tips! I’ve been painting my home’s garage, and now, there are splotches of white on the floor! I am so glad that all I need is rubbing alcohol to clean it up!
Vanessa says
So going to tuck that great hint away! You rock.
Laura Beth says
Great tip! Now I just need to figure how to get it out of the carpet :o)
Janice Davidson says
same thing rubbing alcohol
Tiffany | offbeat + inspired says
Ohhh such a great tip! I never would have thought to use rubbing alcohol!!
Emily says
Thank you for posting this! I have some paint spots I need to get up from our bathroom remodel! Such a great tip!
http://emilyandtylerglover.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/bathroom-remodeling-time/
Our Pinteresting Family says
Thank you so much for the tip!
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Jeanette Ann O'Donnell says
Thank you for that. My hubby is the messiest painter ever. Even though he covers the floor with drop sheets,there’s always paint under them when he lifts them up. 🙂
Debbie Borthwick says
Thanks for this tip…I didn’t know that about rubbing alcohol. I’ve pinned this, thanks!
Debbie 🙂
Lisette says
I have some latex paint on linoleum that’s been sitting there for……oh say MONTHS! I’m going to try this today! Thanks!
Sherry Hahn says
Great tip Courtney! Good to see you back!
Sherry
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Elizabeth (Blue Clear Sky) says
Definitely have to try this one out, Courtenay, or should I say kiddo lol. Thirty versus my turning 48 this weekend. Sheesh.
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Margaux Lapeyrouse says
Would this work for wood stainer? I spilled A LOT on the concrete floor of my garage. oops!!!
Orchid Bradley says
Thanks for sharing the great tip! One question, does it work on commercial grade carpet?
Courtenay@Creek Line House says
Unfortunately it doesn’t work on carpet. I have yet to find the solution to that one, but I’m still trying! It’s great on tile or vinyl flooring, metal or plastic type of surfaces. I’d be a little worried about trying it on wood because it might clean the finish right off of the wood.
nik says
I’m a painter and the best thing to use on carpet no matter how old is a product called goof off. Can get at lowes
Courtenay says
Nice! I’m totally going to test that one out! Thanks so much for sharing with all of us!
Debra Hamer says
I use rubbing alcohol to clean everything, even use it on my hardwood floors. It disinfects, sanitizes, and evaporates quickly. Use it on counters, toilets, floors, well just about everything! Cheap, effective cleaner. Never tried it on paint spots before though, so thanks for that tip!
Marcia says
I was wondering what could be used on hardwood floors-real oak. Have you used alcohol on that? Since you aren’t even supposed to use water on them I am surprised that alcohol works without damaging them. Our painters left a mess so need to clean that up.
Courtenay says
Oh no! So sorry to hear about your hardwoods! As for whether the alcohol will work or not, I think it really depends on the finish that you have on your floors. I’ve used alcohol on my wood kitchen cabinets before with great success, but I’m pretty sure that some finishes may be damaged if you need to use a whole lot of alcohol. Try it in a secret spot first, I’d say. Good luck with that one! What a frustrating situation!
Airyckah Lane says
awesome tip! I used it in my own blog to see how it works on wood! hope you don’t mind, but i linked the idea back to you.. http://midnightmindness.blogspot.com/2013/08/removing-paint-from-floor.html
Kristine Boydstun says
Would this work for paint scuffed onto the car?….I kind of ran into the side of the garage and scuffed white paint onto my car. I’m worried about taking off the finish around the scuff.
Anonymous says
I’ve recently found a bunch of good uses for alcohol. And yes, when I helped my husband paint in my good clothes and ended up with a big blue spot on my pantleg, I used alcohol and it came right out. I also have found that it will kill ants dead!! Just put some in a spray bottle and let ’em have it!!
Thanks for reminding me!!
Also, if you don’t have alcohol handy, hand sanitizer works too!!
Anne Florence says
Love the tip about ants too. Dry hot weather in Fla. really brings them out and I hate using pesticides.
Thanks for sharing
sissygirl53 says
I have to say this tip really works! I used rubbing alcohol to clean old dried on paint from a paint brush, the brush looks brand new.The bristles actually shine. Thanks for the tip.
Celeste
Anne Florence says
Right in the middle of painting our house exterior. Seems like using brush cleaner I wind up throwing the brushes away any how So excited to see this I wiill try this tip right now. Thanks for sharing,
Jennifer S says
What a simple, easy solution I never knew about!! Thanks!! Oh, and–if you need help with the spy birthday party, just call the government. I’m sure they’ve got lots of ideas. 😉
Anonymous says
I can see where this would work on stone, bare wood or a similar surface. Bur what about on a painted surface like a car!! We painted a shed with a sprayer using oil-based paint. Unfortunately the wind carried the over spray across my car. I really don’t want to damage it’s finish and have to repaint it but still would like to get rid of the paint speckles off. Any ideas?
John says
How to get oil paint off cars and tile floor? concrete too ? I need help !!
Frank Holsinger says
Try car wax.
Mary Ann says
would this work on a dining room chair that has a plush material? It is very small and has been dried for about 3 yrs. I just know it is their. It bothers me all the time but don’t no what to use to remove it.
Anonymous says
What about paint on fabric?? How do you remove that ?
Anonymous says
would this work where the ceiling and walls meet? Apparently I didn’t have enough tape and can see where it hit the ceiling.
Seattle MFT says
Any ideas about paint spilled on a rug?
CarliiiBabyyy says
Oops! Maybe it was a bit dumb to try this on paint splatter on the living room wall, but it made my ‘eggshell’ wall turn white where I held a alcohol-filled cotton ball then tried to rub the blue splatter off. Nothing happened to the blue though.. didn’t even smear.
Guess I’ll have the get out the razor blade and touch-up paint. Any other suggestions?
Deanna says
has anyone tried this on carpet?
Tracy says
Great idea I did not know! Thanks!
Super mom says
This also works great on windows that have paint specks. We recently had our house painted and the painted sprayed it and since there was a little breeze our windows got a lot of overspray. I used the rubbing alcohol and poof….clean windows again.
Kit says
Would this be safe to do with an enamel bath? We ended up with paint all over ours and it looks a horrible mess, but I didn’t know what to use to clean off the paint without damaging the enamel.
Courtenay says
Should be fine, but test a little area first just to make sure! You may end up having to gently scrape it with your fingernail a bit instead just to get the paint drops. Good luck!
anonimous says
Works great just be carefull with alcohol on waxed surfaces. It will get rid of wax and protection aswel.
mythicpaint1 says
Should be fine, Great post.!!
Sheri Russo says
I have paint all over my wood floor because 1. I backed into the tray and tripped over it sending paint Everywhere — even under my plastic sheeting. and 2. I tried to paint my slopped ceiling with magnetic paint but the paint was defective or old, it was like tar. when I rolled it onto the ceiling it just exploded. I looked like I had been tarred and feathered! Is this tip safe to use on a wood floor or am I going to have to have it sanded off…..? What joy is mine….
Sheri
Courtenay says
Oh no!!! Test a small area with the rubbing alcohol first. Depending on what type of finish you have on your floors, the rubbing alcohol might take it off, or make it a little duller in spots. Good luck!!!
Joy schottenloher says
ok I may sound a little stupid here but is this the same alcohol you buy in the drug store to clean scraps.. And. Will this clean up acrylic paints from a palet? I am a super messing painter. When I am finished I look as if I got a tattoo..does this work on skin too? Sorry for so many questions. I love to use the cheapest and urge way out. Thank you.
Courtenay says
Yup! It’s the same alcohol you buy at any drug store for like $1. I’m not totally sure if it works on acrylic, but I’m thinking it probably will. And it’s definitely totally safe to use on skin, so go ahead and try it out. Good luck, Joy!
Mimi says
So I was using my blue flat iron and dropped it. The bathroom is small and the flat iron grazed the wall. Now I have blue streaks on the beige wall. Can I use alcohol on it or will it damage the beige paint on the wall? Not sure what type of paint it is, I am in a rental home. Hope you can give some advise. Thanks.
Courtenay says
Oooo! That’s a tough one, Mimi! I would stay away from the alcohol if your walls are latex paint, and they probably are, especially if you don’t have any extra paint to do a touch up. You might try a pencil eraser to see if that can grab onto the scuff mark and remove it while leaving the paint on the wall, or maybe a Mr. Clean magic eraser? The magic erasers seem to usually leave paint intact, but use as small of a piece as you can, just in case, because I’ve heard that they can sometimes affect paint. I know this sounds silly, but have you tried good ol’ hot soapy water yet? Sometimes that’s all it takes! Good luck!
MsCarol420 says
Great tip. I am remodeling an old house and discovered a great multi colored wood floor under the disgusting carpet. The master bedroom was repainted and some got on the floor. I knew I would get the paint off but I never dreamed it would be so easy. It works! Thank you so much you just saved me a ton of work.
Courtenay says
Yay! That sounds like an amazing project!
Anna says
Think it would work on – carpet? UGH! 3 rooms in 4 days and only ONE spot on the carpet- and when I tried to clean it up…well…it DOUBLED – TRIPLED – in size…
Courtenay says
Oh no! I’ve heard that goo gone or nail polish remover might work, but I haven’t had the chance to actually test either one out for myself. I think you need to get a metal scraper or a razor blade too so you can get any dried chunks off. Good luck! That sounds like a bit of a nightmare!
Christine says
I followed this from Pinterest. I had to laugh. I have paint on my bathroom tile floor that’s been there for EIGHT YEARS. Ok, you can officially say that you are NOT the laziest cleaner-upper in the world! But the alcohol worked.
I bow to you and thank you. Now, my laziness is a thing of the past. Or at least it looks like it!
Courtenay says
Yay, Christine! So glad I could help. …and eight years isn’t really that long in the grand scheme of things, right? 🙂
Helene says
Help me! I have been trying to get spots off my wall that I spattered and they aren’t coming off.
Helene says
I should have mentioned I was using alcohol.
Courtenay says
Hi Helene! Do you know what kind of paint you were using that spattered on your wall?
Marolynne says
What about paint that won’t come off that the kid splattered on an already painted wall? I don’t want to remove The original paint
Karla says
Super great tip. Thanks!
Does it matter what the percentage of alcohol is used? For example, your picture shows 70%, but I only have 50% on hand.
I also wondered if you think this would work on carpeting?
I know, I know, test a small area first to see. I just wanted to ask before I even tried. Thanks!
Courtenay says
Hi Karla! I actually haven’t had the best of luck with rubbing alcohol on paint on carpet, but it can’t hurt to try again! I’ve been trying to find something because I have quite a few people who have asked me for help with that problem, but I have yet to find a really great solution. Good luck though!
Robert says
Hello there… Do you know if and how it could be possible to clean the paint from plants. I live in Ibiza and probably some kids somewhere near the place I live they sprayed with paint(covered 100%) an cactus(3 feet tall) and another plant of Aloe Vera(1 foot tall)… I know that the plants are suffering like any other living being and I wonder if you or someone else who is reading this have a solution to this. I would really like to clean if possible without killing those plants… I am trying to help… Anyway they are dyeing slowly and I know for sure, painfully… Thanks.
Courtenay says
Hi Robert! I know rubbing alcohol is sometimes used to treat pests in some plants so that may be OK to use on yours to get the paint off. Some plants are sensitive to it though, so I’d look into it and do a little more research just to be sure. If not, hopefully someone else will see your comment here and be able to offer some advice! Good luck!
Robert says
Meantime solved :)… Works perfect on plants also on human skin without any harm with Coconut Oil+Baking Soda(or salt, or sugar), Olive Oil but most efficient was Baby Oil(Johnson)… Now the plants look almost like before… Thanks anyway 🙂
Courtenay says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Robert!
Robert says
You are welcome :)… I don’t know if you have a facebook account but if you have or any of your readers :), all of you can see here https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006124008573 the pictures from yesterday with all the process … There are some words written with the story near the pictures but they are in my native language, which is Romanian :)… Anyway have a good day :).
Robert says
Sorry, this is the correct link:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1606909189523199&id=100006124008573&pnref=story
Sheila a says
Thanks!!! Just read about alcohol and paint drops/spatters — I’ve been looking at some spatters in my kitchen thinking I had to scrape. Alcohol made quick work of it!! Yay! I just signed up for your e-mails and have already learned something.
Courtenay says
Yay! So glad I was able to help you out, Sheila! Thanks so much for following along with me by email!
markhamill says
Great Post …Thanks for sharing
angelichigo says
Great tip! But I want to know if this also apply to paint marks on the ceiling? when I painted my walls, the roller went over the edge and got onto the ceiling leaving some marks…so using your method, how would I “soak” the spot? or should I scrub it with a toothbrush? will the ceiling paint comes off?
Thanks for sharing!
dawn lonnee says
Will this work on paint brushes too?
Courtenay says
For sure! I also really love to soak brushed in warm water with a little Murphy’s Oil Soap for a few days if they’re got dried paint on them!
Ms. Hobby says
Would the rubbing alcohol work on carpet.?? I mistakenly used my spray paint (beautiful & bright coral…rustoleum version) can to sneak a couple of last minute squirts to a project I had just brought into house from spraying it outside. Squirt…squirt! Project looked great! Next morning. ….omg! Ive been afraid to touch it till im sure something will work. Its a light coat of coral over tan / brown..lite brown…smooth carpet (brand new too). Have you or any readers used on carpet?
Courtenay says
I’ve had good luck using nail polish remover to get spray paint out but I’ve never tried it on carpet so I don’t know for sure how it will work on that. Such a frustrating situation though! I hope you find something that works for you!
Gwen says
Thank you for your tip. I spent most of an afternoon trying to scrape paint off my daughter’s wood floor because she had decided to paint without putting down drop cloths. I have a third left to finish and will try the alcohol. The floors are being sanded and refinished by me anyway. So no harm has been done.
Sash says
Thank you so much!!! Your tip saved my garden patio floor. So ever grateful! 😀
Courtenay says
Yay! So glad!!
Adrienne says
I’ve been on the internet for an hour trying to find out how to remove eggshell paint spilled on a laminate countertop–and am very glad I finally got to your blog.
Many thanks!
Courtenay says
Yay! This should work wonders for you!
Katrina Ellis says
I PAINTED TRIM WITH OIL BASED PAINT AND MADE MISTAKE OF GETTING IT ON WALL. HOW DO I FIX IT?
Dorothy R. Cantwell says
Thanks for posting this!
I just ripped the carpet out of my spare room to find that the previous owner let the paint splatter all over the hardwood floor! Actually, it looks like years of previous occupants allowing paint to land on the floor without caring. (our place is over 100 years old)
Before resanding the floors, I’d like to remove the paint splatters to make our floor restoration project go somewhat smoother since we are going to be doing it ourselvles.
If anyone else has had a similar experience with restoring their hardwood floors, I’ll take any advice I can get.
Sonia Rimback says
Our painter spattered latex paint on an oil painting–about 10 little drops in various places! Should I try rubbing alcohol?
Courtenay says
Hi Sonia! The rubbing alcohol should be the perfect solution in your situation! It should remove the latex paint without effecting the oil paint at all! Test gently first of course with a little q-tip or something, just to be sure!
Sonia Rimback says
Thank you, Courtenay. Before trying the alcohol I tried lifting the spots with a razor and I got every one of them off the painting. It was worth a try and worked fine.
Mark Hamill says
Thanks for sharing useful information
Rose Kelley says
Will the rubbing alcohol and paper towel technique work on concrete floors to get rid of the latex paint drops.
Courtenay says
It should! 🙂
Kandi Hambrick says
How d you get excess paint off of windows?
Courtenay says
The same thing will work! Actually, alcohol is a pretty great glass cleaner too! 🙂
Betty says
Thanks so much for a terrific tip. New follower! 🙂
Courtenay says
Yay! Welcome, Betty! So glad to have you join us! I’ll try to keep the good tips coming! 🙂
Barbara says
Would it work on fabric paint on leather seats?
Courtenay says
I think it would really depend on how much paint is on the leather. I’m fairly sure the alcohol would dry the leather out, but if it was just a couple of spots, you could probably re-condition them pretty easily!
Sharon says
It works beautifully on hardwood floors. I just tried it on a set of stairs my carpenter husband put in and stained oh so nicely….until I stepped in paint and well, I’m sure you can picture. Its been sitting there for quite a while but it came up nicely. I used a rubber kitchen pot scraper thingy and it was very easy
Bridget says
Not only was your post informative but it was simple to grasp & most importantly, the factor that dictates my interest in anything: ENTERTAINING! Thank you for your time & effort ⏰????. You’ve inspired me to try & do the same step by step instructions paired with photos for the visual learner or those left behind in English class (I kid)(but not really ????????) The only question I have: Does this method work on the type of plastic used for bathtubs/showers? ????????I found your page after asking my friend Google “how to remove paint from plastic bath floors” so I take it Google considers you the go-to man for such dilemmas ???? Thanks for your time⏳
Courtenay says
Definitely! I actually use rubbing alcohol for cleaning all kinds of shiny things, whether they have paint on them or not, and it does a fabulous job! One of the best kept secrets in cleaning for sure! 🙂
Kelley Chambers says
I love rubbing alcohol, too… but I’ll be damned if it didn’t work on my vinyl plank tile… 🙁 Any other suggestions? The paint’s only been there MAYBE 48 hours…. I tried paint thinner but it just removed some of the color from the plank. 🙁 “Help me ObiWon…. you’re my only hope!”
Courtenay says
Wow! That’s some pretty intense paint you’ve got there! I think your best bet is probably a little scraper or a razor blade. Maybe a warm, slightly damp cloth over the paint drips for a minute or two first will soften it up a bit and make the scraping a little easier? Good luck to you!! 🙂
tim says
I had my fence stained this summer. Some of the paint splattered onto my white aluminum shed. I tried power washing with no success. Do you think rubbing alcohol would do the trick?
Courtenay says
Hi Tim! I think the rubbing alcohol is definitely worth a shot, although I got some stain on one section of my white siding once and had a really hard time getting it off. I ended up trying nail polish remover and that worked a bit, but it still wasn’t perfect. We ended up just replacing that piece of siding because that was honestly so much easier and more efficient. You may just end up needing to touch up the paint on your shed, but let us know if you figure something brilliant out to remove it! I’d LOVE to hear about it! 🙂
Steve hopkin says
Hiya yours is by far the most interesting and informative posts , I’ve recently took on a whole house and I’ve had some great tips from yourself .the previous owner was shall we say a bit slap happy with a paint brush and I’m struggling to clean the old paint from UPVC doors ,window frames and trims well the old fashion scrapper seems to be working but any tips would be greatly received I shall look forward to your reply
Harper says
I have a very painted ceiling, and I got some white paint on it yesterday, and its dried, will this take off the white but leave the grey?
Courtenay says
Hi Harper! If both paint types are regular latex paint, then the rubbing alcohol will take both paints off, unfortunately. Depending on how much paint you got on the ceiling, your best and quickest bet will probably be to just touch up the grey ceiling paint. Good luck!
Kart123 says
Does this work to remove paint spills on walls as well? I spilt some paint on my patio wall n floors which looks awful now!
Courtenay says
It should definitely help as long as your walls and floors aren’t painted. It will definitely take off all latex paint without discrimination. If you have vinyl siding though or something like that, then this will work great!
Tom Mulhaney says
Any idea how I can clean dried latex paint off of vinyl siding ?
Courtenay says
The rubbing alcohol should work really well for that! Just dampen a cloth with the alcohol and hold it on there for a few moments before you wipe the paint away.
Adrian says
Hey I just wanted to say I sprayed hair paint by accident on a yellow wall. The next day I tried scrubbing and scrubbing but it didn’t work. Then I tried the alcohol prep swabs and presto like magic it immediately came out . Thanks
Courtenay says
Yay! So glad to hear that! Hair paint on the wall could have been a bit of a disaster!
Paul says
thanks for the suggestions and tips there, i wasn’t sure what exactly to use to clean in my house the paintings leftovers, thanks !
Andi says
Can you use rubbing alcohol to get out a spill of paint on asphalt?
Courtenay says
I think it would definitely help, but the asphalt will obviously be much more challenging to get clean because it’s such a rough, textured surface compared to something like a smooth tile. It’s worth a shot though!
Peg says
Hi … Would this work on concrete splatters and the vinyl on a house? Sloppy husband painted the wrought iron railing and got some on the concrete steps and also on the house (which is vinyl siding). Any ideas for that clean up appreciated …
Courtenay says
It’s worth a try! It’s almost certain to work on the siding, but the concrete might be a little tougher because of all the texture in it. You may need to soak it for a bit and then maybe use a metal brush to loosen the paint a little more. Good luck!
Natasha says
This worked! And I didn’t have to run out for paint thinner. I used this on stone tile, took a little elbow grease and the scratchy side of a dish sponge but the floor is paint free!
Thank you.
Courtenay says
Hooray! So glad it worked for you!
Sharif says
Hi,
Thank you for sharing!
I’ve had a paint job done by my tenant which was fairly poor. Called in the pros and they did a very good job. However the paint spills, splatters, marks & stains are almost on every edge and corner of the flat from the previous paint job. The paint stains are mainly on stainless steel, aluminum, tiles, skirting tiles, tiles in literally all rooms, the sanitary stuff, wardrobes, kitchen cabinets and so on … The pro painters explained to remove all the paint marks would take a lot of time and any cleaner with some thinner (they left for me) and some labour time would do the trick.
I googled and found you. Happy to share pics if necessary. Any precautions before I send in a cleaner to do the job with thinner or the rubbing alcohol attempted successfully?
Thank you.
Sharif says
Almost forgot, since the paint marks are everywhere, will the rubbing alcohol leave an unpleasant odour or overtake the smell of the fresh paint job? Is there anything I can do to resolve that aswell, basic cleaning etc..
Thank you!
Courtenay says
The smell from the rubbing alcohol only lasts a moment!
Courtenay says
Any kind of tile, porcelain, stainless steel, or other hard smooth surface like that should be fine. I would use extreme caution on your kitchen cabinets if they’re painted or stained wood, because the alcohol will likely remove the finish on them. If they’re something like melamine though, they should be fine as well. Good luck! Sounds like quite a mess you’ve got on your hand. The next tenant will be very happy to have a nice, clean freshly-painted place to live though I’m sure! 🙂
Kal says
This is a great tip for removing splattered paint from floors but my problem is spattered paint on a aluminum ramp
Heather says
Will rubbing alcohol get red nail polish out of the grout on my bathroom floor? If not, can I grout over the stained grout to cover it?
Courtenay says
Hi Heather! I asked Chris what he would do about this and he said he would probably get a ground saw, remove the grout and put fresh grout in that spot because you’ve probably stained the grout permanently. It’s worth it to try some nail polish remover first, but unfortunately that probably won’t really totally fix it because the grout is so porous. Good luck!
Nellie says
Can’t wait to try this
Merry says
when painting my family room, I have a couple of places that I blobbed on the ceiling. UNFORTUNATELY, when you place anything wet on the ceiling, the popcorn stuff rubs off & becomes smooth.
Do you have any ideas?
I would be forever greatful!!!!
Merry
Roxie says
Will rubbing alcohol work on the garage floor of concrete?
Courtenay says
It should! It will obviously probably work a little better if you have a really smooth floor. If your garage floor is really old and rough like ours, you may still have a bit of difficulty, but the rubbing alcohol should at least help!
Paula Schmitt says
Will the rubbing alcohol work on dried latex paint on a concrete driveway? When it happened I tried to clean up but it just kind of smeared it . Thanks for your help!
Courtenay says
It should help, but it will probably depend on how rough the surface of the concrete is. You may need to use a wire brush a little bit to loosen the paint up as well. Then try to press an old towel on top of the paint to pull it up rather than rubbing too much because that just may work it right back into the grooves and dips of the concrete. Good luck with it! 🙂
Daniel Rai says
Thank you for the tip, please advise as how and where to buy this product.
Tarfa says
I have paint my wood with varnish
Then i paint on it with dark varnish
Now
I want to remove all of those varnish to paint a wood color from saco shope
My question is how can i remove that???
Sorry about my english
D says
I over spray with spray paint on a flat white wall, will it work for that??
Courtenay says
It should, but it may also remove some of the white paint off of the wall, so be prepared for a few touch ups!
Carly @ The Paint Sprayer Guide says
Hey Courtenay,
Great little guide. I literally can’t even paint my nails without making a mess, let alone the house! We’re about to do a big refurb so I’m sure this will come in handy as the husband is a professional paint sprayer for home interiors so things get messy!
Love your home by the way! So cute. All the best, Carly xx
Gerard says
Does the rubbing alcohol work on vinyl silk paint on the frame of a suspended ceiling?
Courtenay says
Hi Gerard! I’m pretty sure it will! 🙂
Cathy says
Yes it is really work Gerard!
Cathy says
Amazing blog if anyone looking for great and valuable tips then this blog is really awsome.
Cathy says
Thanks This works really good, i have used this technique own and get really very good result.
Jasmine Paulos says
Omg,Its that simple to remove clean the paint which accidentally fell on floor .Few days ago paint feel on the floor and I was thinking how to remove it after it got all dried up .I am glad that I came across your article. Thanks for sharing this article with us.
Clayton V. Thomas says
This is a great little tip that most people don’t know about when trying to remove paint. Rubbing alcohol does a great job of cleaning. Like you mentioned, it’s important to keep it on there for around 30 seconds to soak in before removing.
Barb says
Seems easy enough, and yet, not working for me 🙁 They are just little splatter spots, for the most part. Seems like they would be easy, but no. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
Courtenay says
Hi Barb! Is it possible that the paint you’re trying to get off isn’t water soluble? If it is, maybe just try soaking the paper towel a little more thoroughly and leaving it on top of the splatters for just a bit longer. It should work!
Emily says
My grand-kids dog tracked neon green spray paint onto my brand new carpet. I have tried acetone, no luck, carpet cleaning, no luck. And luckily I found a way can remove spray paint out of the carpet.
If you have oil paint, the alcohol will not work but the brush cleaner and restorer will dissolve it. Most likely mineral spirits will as well but it has more of an odor to it and is flammable, so you will need to wash the area thoroughly with soap and water several times to remove all traces.
First, test your cleaning solvent on an area that cannot be seen to make sure the fibers and dyes of your carpet will not be harmed.
Saturate the stain with your solvent of choice. I use Goo Gone Original Liquid.
Allow to soak in for about 5 minutes.
Using a butter knife or palette knife scrape dried paint off the dried paint.
Rub and pat with your cleaning rag to remove loosened paint.
Keep repeating steps 2 – 5 until all paint is moved.
Mop up excess solvent with a clean rag.
Scarlet | Family Focus Blog says
I was just on Hometalk this morning and someone asked this question about how to get paint off appliances. I am going to send them this link.
Courtenay says
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing this!
Juliana says
I bought a vintage porcelain bakers table for 30 bucks. When the girl delivered it, much to my surprise, it looked like someone spilled a gallon of paint on it and let it dry. The seller said her mother tried painting it but didn’t do a good job. This was a spill, not a bad paint job. It’s like a half inch thick.
Any ideas on how to remove it without damaging the porcelain table top??
Thanks!!
Courtenay says
Oh wow. That’s a doozy! You could probably remove it layer by layer with the rubbing alcohol, but that might take quite awhile. Have you tried scraping it off with a plastic scraper so you don’t scratch the table top?
Joseph C says
Thanks for sharing. I oops and got some on my ceiling which was PAINTED A FEW DAYS AGO- and a screen too
I don’t want to have to buy more ceiling paint either and was wondering how to least disturb the wanted ceiling paint without touching up. I mulled over about sanding, wet sanding nail polish vs acetone, mineral spirits, and all the other solvents and fumes to trigger asthma or bother children.
Alcohol, cheap and readily available.
would you email me? I can share pictures
Courtenay says
Hi Joseph! I would just recommend a bit of alcohol on a paper towel and a gentle wipe. Since the paint hasn’t been on for years and years, it should be less stubborn to remove. You may need to touch up your ceiling paint here and there where the splatters are if you do wipe away some ceiling paint as well, but that’s much easier to do than repainting the entire ceiling. Good luck!