How To Get Emulsion Paint Out Of Carpets

Contents:

• Why acting fast is important
• How to get emulsion paint out of carpet
• How to get dried emulsion paint out of carpet
• What not to do when removing emulsion paint from carpet
• Best products
• FAQs

Paint spills on carpet happen in lots of ways. Even if you put sheets down while you’re working, paint can still seep in around the edges. A bad spill might even soak right through the sheet. However it happened, if you’ve got paint in your carpet, you’ll be anxious to get it out.

Getting emulsion paint out of a carpet can be difficult, but it’s usually possible, even with dried paint.

The best thing is if you’ve noticed when the paint is still wet. In this case, you might be able to clean it out with just water and washing up liquid if you act fast. Often, you’ll need to use some vinegar or isopropyl alcohol as well. Dried emulsion stains are more difficult, but with a good carpet stain remover, you can normally get them out.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to remove emulsion paint from carpets when it’s still wet and how to get dried emulsion paint out of a carpet. We’ll give you a step by step guide for each situation. Plus, we’ll explain what extra cleaning equipment and products might help. On top of that, we’ll give you some tips on common mistakes to avoid. 

It’s important you act as fast as you can when you notice an emulsion paint spill on a carpet. Emulsion paint soaks into carpet fibres and dries very quickly. If you’ve noticed a fresh wet paint stain on a carpet, start cleaning it off straight away.

If the paint stain on your carpet is already dry, you should still try and clean it off quickly. Emulsion paint also cures after it dries, and the less time you give it to cure and become harder, the better. 

If you’ve just spilled emulsion paint on your carpet and it’s still wet, make sure you act fast. Try not to give it any time to soak into the carpet fibres or start to dry.

If you’re quick, then you might be able to get it out with just soap and water, although you’ll often need either vinegar or isopropyl alcohol as well. It will take a bit of time and effort, but most wet emulsion paint stains do come out of carpet.

Here’s how to remove emulsion paint from carpet when it’s still wet:

Step 1. Lift off excess paint with a scraping tool – Use a blunt knife, a spoon or another blunt edged scraping tool to gently scrape off as much of the paint as you can. Avoid pushing it deeper into the carpet.

Step 2. Wet with a spray bottle of cold water – Use a spray bottle to lightly dampen the paint. You can gently dab water on with a sponge if you don’t have a spray bottle.

Step 3. Blot up the paint – Blot up as much paint as you can with paper towels, an absorbent sponge or a white cloth (do not use coloured cloths because they might run into the carpet). Work from the outside in to contain the stain. Also, be careful to blot the stain up from the carpet rather than rubbing it further in.

Step 4. Clean with washing up liquid and water – Make a runny mixture of water and washing up liquid and spray or lightly dab it onto the stain. Then continue blotting up the paint. Try to get as much paint off as you can with this method. 

This may take a while. Make sure you keep cleaning cloths and sponges out in water.  

Step 5. Add vinegar or isopropyl alcohol to your mixture if you need to – If you can’t get all the paint out with washing up liquid and water, then add vinegar or isopropyl alcohol to your mixture and continue. These cleaning fluids help with tough stains.  

Test the solution on a hidden area of carpet to make sure it doesn’t damage it first.

Continue cleaning with this mixture until you get all of the stain out of your carpet.

In some cases, you’ll find that vinegar and isopropyl alcohol aren’t strong enough. If this is the case for you, you can try other carpet cleaning fluids.

Step 6. Rinse out the carpet - Spray the carpet with plain water and blot it to rinse it clean.

If you have a carpet cleaner, you can use this to give your carpet a final clean at this stage.  

Step 7. Vacuum the carpet – If you have a wet & dry vacuum, you can clean the last remnants of water and paint out with it. Otherwise, let it dry and then use an ordinary vacuum to hoover up any dust. 

Getting dried emulsion paint out of a carpet is trickier, but it’s usually still possible. You’ll need to use a robust cleaning product, and it will usually take a bit of time.

Here’s how to get dried emulsion paint out of carpet:  

Step 1. Scrape off excess dried paint – Use a blunt edged scraping tool (like a blunt knife, spoon or plastic scraper) to scrape off as much paint as you can. Also, use a stiff brush to get as much paint out of the carpet fibres as you can.

Step 2. Vacuum the carpet – Clean all the paint dust out of the carpet with a vacuum cleaner before you move on.

Step 3. Soften and clean the paint - Make a mixture of cold water and washing up liquid with either vinegar or isopropyl alcohol and spray or dab it onto the stain. Allow it to soften the paint for 20 - 30 minutes. When the paint starts to dissolve, dab it up with paper towels, a sponge or a white cloth (do not use a coloured cloth because the colour may run into the carpet).

Continue using this method to clean off as much of the paint as you can. You may be able to clean all the paint off this way. 

Step 4. Use a specialist carpet stain remover if you need to - If cold water, washing up liquid and vinegar or isopropyl alcohol aren’t enough, clean with a carpet stain remover. Find a robust carpet stain remover that works on paint, and use it to remove the stain. These specialist carpet cleaning products are best because they’re formulated to remove stains without damaging the carpet.

Follow the cleaning instructions that come with your product. Keep cleaning until you get all the paint out of the carpet. This might take some time. 

If you find that your specialist cleaner doesn’t work, you might be able to use an alternative cleaning product. 

If you can get hold of a carpet cleaner, using this alongside a tough cleaning product might also help. 

Step 5. Rinse out the carpet – Once you’ve cleaned the carpet, spray or dab it with water and blot it to clean it. It’s important to make sure you clean out all the residue of the cleaning fluid you used. 

Step 6. Vacuum clean the carpet - Clean water and dust out with a wet & dry vacuum if you have one. Otherwise, let it dry and then clean it with an ordinary vacuum. 

Here are some mistakes to avoid when you’re removing emulsion paint from a carpet:

• Scrubbing stains. Do not scrub stains. Blot at stains rather than scrubbing them to avoid pushing paint deeper into the carpet.

• Overdampening the carpet. This will make paint run deeper into the fabric.

• Using hot or warm water with wet emulsion. Use cold water with wet emulsion to avoid hardening the paint. 

• Using cleaning products that damage the carpet. The adhesive, dyes and fabric in carpets can all be damaged by harsh chemicals.  

• Using coloured cleaning cloths that leach dye into the carpet, staining it further.

• Not cleaning off the residue left by cleaning products. It’s important you get this out to prevent damage to the carpet and further staining.  

Removing emulsion paint from a carpet is a tricky job. Good cleaning fluids make the job a lot easier. It’s also important, however, not to use a product that is too strong and ends up damaging your carpet.

The best products for removing emulsion paint from carpet are:

• Water and washing up liquid

• Vinegar or isopropyl alcohol mixed with water and washing up liquid

• Specially formulated carpet stain removers

These fluids are generally safe for use on carpets. 

In some cases, people use other cleaning fluids, such as white spirit, acetone, WD-40 or bleach. It’s very important, however, to make sure these fluids will not damage your carpet before you use them. It’s also very important to thoroughly clean them out of the carpet after you get the paint out.

As well as cleaning products, a carpet cleaner can be a very useful tool for getting emulsion paint out of a carpet. 

If you get emulsion paint on your carpet, the best thing is if you catch it when it’s still wet and act fast. Cleaning wet emulsion paint out of a carpet is much easier than dry emulsion paint. If you notice wet emulsion on a carpet, stop painting straight away and clean it out before it dries.

If you’re unlucky and it’s had time to dry, all is not lost. There are methods for how to remove emulsion paint from carpet when it’s dry, although it usually takes a bit longer. You might also need to use specialist carpet stain removers as well.

Here are some important things to remember:

• Blot stains to get them out rather than rubbing them.

• Use cold water on wet emulsion 

• Don’t over-dampen the carpet.

• Check the paint tin for cleaning instructions.

If the methods for how to get emulsion paint out of carpets in this guide don’t work, remember that you can always call a professional.