Acrylic paint is among the most flexible and least toxic mediums used in art. It is a plastic polymer thus only water-soluble when wet, but dries up into a water resistant surface. Acrylic paint dries up very fast; thus it easily sticks to and stains clothing. Wet acrylic paint is easy to remove. However, dry water-resistant stains can be hectic to remove from clothing. In this article, we discuss the different ways how to get acrylic paint out of clothes.

How to Remove Wet Acrylic Paint from Clothes

The process of removing acrylic paint from clothing material is easier if it is done when the acrylic paint is still wet.

Step 1: Remove Wet Acrylic Paint

Using a scraper, manually remove the wet paint off the cloth. This should be done carefully and gently to avoid spreading the paint into unaffected regions of the fabric.

Step 2: Get the Stain Saturated

Saturate the stained area using isopropyl alcohol. This should ideally be done while the cloth is laid out on a flat surface. Another way to get acrylic paint out of clothes is using a piece of material that is absorbent underneath the stained area to avoid staining the surface and other areas of the affected garment.

The alcohol should be applied in small amounts onto the stained area until it is wholly drenched at which point you will notice the paint starts dissolving.

Step 3: Have the Stain Blotted

Use a separate dry absorbent cloth to get the stain region blotted. At this point, the dissolved paint should begin to come off quite easily. It is, however, noticeable that the stain will not entirely come off at this point. In that case, use more alcohol and repeat the procedure until most of the paint comes off.

Step 4: Clean the Cloth Further

To fully clean off the stain, you will need to wash off the remnants of the stain pigments from the fabric. This can be done using one of the stain eliminators on the market. You can also use soap. Note that some stains will not go away completely with the first wash but will eventually fade off with subsequent washes.

How to Remove Dry Acrylic Paint from Clothes

Acrylic paint dries up within a very short time and becomes water resistant. It is, therefore, more challenging to get off than the wet paint. For this reason, your aim should be how to get acrylic paint out of clothes as soon as possible.

Step 1: Husk and Scrape off the Acrylic Paint

If the dry stain is discovered early enough, there may still be some wet paint underneath. If this is the case, scrape away the hardened layer to expose the wet paint in which case you can go ahead to remove the wet paint as above.

If the stain is all dried up, however, proceed as below:

Step 2: Get the Paint Dissolved

Find an isopropyl alcohol in which the acrylic paint can dissolve. If it is not possible to locally dissolve the paint on the affected area, you may have to soak the whole garment in isopropyl alcohol in a large enough container such as a bucket or laundry tub.

Step 3: Washing the Attire

When the garment has been soaked adequately, it can be washed using washing liquid or bar. This method of how to get acrylic paint out of clothes is best performed by hand so as to focus on the affected areas of the garment.

Step 4: Additional Cleaning

If there is still evidence of the stain, remove it with solvents like Lift Off or Goof Off. First, dry the cloth; then lay it on a flat surface with an absorbent cloth underneath. Soak the stain region with the high-quality solvent to dissolve the remnant paint. Leave it to settle for a quarter of an hour after which you tap the region dry. Repeat this process until the cloth is as clean as possible.

Other Ways to Remove Acrylic Paint from Clothes

1. Using a Mix of Vinegar and Ammonia

• Soak the item of cloth in water for about a minute, until it is completely drenched. Leave to soak.
• In a bowl, mix a cup of ammonia with a cup of white vinegar and about 5 teaspoons of salt.
• Drain water from the soaked garment by twisting and squeezing until water is no longer dripping.
• Dip a piece of sponge or absorbed piece of cloth into the vinegar/ammonia solution and use it to scrub off the acrylic paint stain from the cloth. Scrub hard, occasionally dipping the sponge into the solution. Continue scrubbing until as much of the paint as possible gets off.
• Rinse the garment with clean water and check to see that the most of the stain has come off. If the stain is still visible, repeat step 4 until you get satisfactory results.
• After rinsing, wash the item of cloth and dry normally. This is an effective way how to get acrylic paint out of clothes.

2. Get Rid of the Paint Using Dish Detergent

• With the garment turned inside out, run warm water over the stained area to soak out as much paint as possible.
• Mix one part detergent with one part warm water to make the stain removal solution.
• Dip the tip of a piece of sponge or lint-free cloth in the solution and use it to rub out the stain. Keep rubbing to remove as much paint as possible.
• Rinse your cloth with clean water. If unhappy with the results so far, use the detergent solution to dub out more paint.
• Wash the cloth normally with detergent and hang to dry.

3. Use Hairspray or Window Cleaner to Remove Acrylic Paint

• If the stain is still wet, use a paper towel or dusting rag to blot out the stain, taking care that it doesn’t spread to unaffected areas.
• Soak a piece of cloth or sponge with hairspray or window cleaner. Use a tip of the soaked material to test the garment’s capacity to withstand use of the spray liquid. If it withstands the chemical, go to step 3.
• Use the damp material to scrub the stained area; be careful that you don’t spread the stain further. Do this until as much of the stain as possible is washed off.
• Rinse with water and wash immediately to prevent possible bleaching of the fabric.