So you got liquid latex paint on your carpets or rugs and now you’re trying to get it out?
Don’t worry, there are several techniques that can remove that paint and get your carpets back to their original condition (yes, really!).
In this ProPaintCorner.com guide, we'll show you the:
- Supplies you'll need to remove liquid latex paint from carpet
- Best way to get liquid latex out easily
- Proper way to safely dispose of any extra latex paint
- And much more!
So, before you start worrying about having to re-carpet your room or strategically move your rugs, I recommend you read on to find a few simple hacks to get that latex paint out for good:
What You Need To Know About Latex Paint
Latex paint is a water-based paint that is often used today as opposed to older, oil-based paints.
That’s because latex paint dries faster, has less harsh fumes, and is much easier to remove from surfaces, including carpet fibers.
Because it’s water-based, it can usually be completely removed using — you guessed it! — water. Which means a soapy solution is enough to draw that stain out of the carpet in no time.
So you won't need a bottle of wine, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or any super-harsh detergent solutions to get your stain out!
Safely Removing Latex Paint From Your Carpet
Before you get started on removing that stain, a few words about safety...
Paint is full of toxic chemicals which you don't want to absorb or inhale excessively.
So be sure to limit direct contact with the latex paint as you’re cleaning it.
Use proper paint handling precautions like wearing gloves and potentially a mask to prevent inhaling any fumes or letting paint sit on your skin.
Supplies You'll Need For Removing Latex Paint From Your Carpet
- Carpet Stain Remover
- Bucket or spray bottle
- Dish Soap
- Scrub Brush
- Cleaning Cloth
- Paper Towels
- Gloves
How To Remove Liquid Latex Paint From Carpet: 3-Step Guide
- Blot any paint that's still wet.
- Scrub with hot water and dish soap.
- Scrub any remaining stains with carpet cleaner.
Step 1 - Blot Any Paint That's Still Wet
The best thing you can do with a paint stain is catch it while it's still wet. If you catch it early enough, you can clean it before it sets and there will probably be a lot less scrubbing and less worry involved.
But if you weren’t able to catch it fast, there is still hope!
Take a moment before you break out the soap to blot the spot completely dry if possible. Get as much of that paint up with a paper towel or cloth before you go in with the cleaning solution.
Do your best to avoid scrubbing or spreading the paint out and stick with dabbing and blotting for now.
Step 2 - Fill A Bucket With Hot Water And Dish Soap And Scrub
Next, it’s time for the soap.
Grab a bucket, bowl or spray bottle you’re not worried about possibly discoloring and fill it with warm water. The hotter the water, the better, but don’t burn yourself.
Then, add a few drops of dish soap to the water. Create a slight lather and dip your heavy-duty scrubbing brush in the water until it’s saturated.
Now, scrub the stain firmly with the soap. You can alternate between side-to-side scrubbing and up-and-down scrubbing motions, this will help attack the stain from all angles. Just try to stay on the stained area as much as you can so you don’t spread it out further.
Once the stain is completely soaked with the soapy water, go in a second time with the scrub brush.
By now the stain should be lightening up a bit, if not completely gone. You can repeat this process several times over if necessary, but try to get as much of the staining out as possible before moving on to the next step.
Step 3 - Use Carpet Cleaner on Any Remaining or Difficult Stains
If that pesky stain isn’t completely faded just yet, don’t worry, there are a few more things you can do to make it disappear.
Grab your carpet cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth (paper towels will work too, but the cloth will make it easier).
Saturate the stain with the carpet cleaner according to the directions on the bottle, then scrub the stain again using the cloth until you start to notice it fading more. Try the scrub brush as well if the cloth isn't working.
You can let the solution dry between rounds and repeat as necessary until the carpet stain is non-existent.
If you still see the stain after this step, you can consider renting a carpet cleaning machine to go over the carpet and pull up the rest of the stain that’s deeper in the carpet fibers. This will usually completely remove the stain along with any other staining you may have.
Disposing Of Latex Paint
While we're talking about removing unwanted latex paint from your carpet, let's also take a quick look at how to properly dispose of any leftover paint.
You cannot simply throw old paint buckets full of wet paint into the trash since it is considered hazardous waste. There are a few things you must do before you can dispose of any old paint.
First, you need to dry out the existing paint completely, which can be done by simply airing out the paint can (away from pets and children) if there is just a little paint left.
If you have more than a little paint left, you can dry the remnants by putting cat litter or sawdust in the paint and letting it absorb the moisture.
Then, once the paint is completely dry, you can place the paint can with the lid OFF into your trash can . Leaving the lid off is important, because the garbage hauler needs to see that the paint is fully hardened before they accept it and bring it to a trash facility.
Read More >> How to Remove Spray Paint From Walls
