How to Remove Paint from Carpet

If you’re painting your home, it may be next to impossible to keep stray splatters of paint from hitting your carpets. Even hiring professional painters might not be enough to keep those rugs completely free of paint accidents. But hiring carpet cleaners don’t have to be your first step if you find yourself with a paint situation. Professional carpet cleaners are more than equipped to deal with your stain, but if you feel confident in your cleaning abilities, try these methods yourself first:

Wet Paint vs Dry Paint

Wet paint is much easier to clean than dry paint — as long as you act as soon as it happens. Remove as much paint as you can without spreading it around and making the situation worse. Dab the spot rather than rubbing it, then introduce a mixture of detergent and warm water. Blot the paint after each application, and continue until the mark is removed. Remember, rubbing or pressing too hard will only push the paint in deeper, so be gentle, patient and persistent.

Dry paint is often harder to remove. You can use the same basic process as wet paint, but you may need something like a blunt knife to scrape off dried excess. This should be done very carefully since it can often cause even more damage to your carpet.

Paint Strippers and Removals

If blotting or scraping isn’t working, you may be able to try paint strippers or removals, although hiring professional carpet cleaners is sometimes a safer option for you and your carpets. Commercial strippers often contain powerful chemicals, so be sure to open the windows or turn on a fan before you apply them, and follow instructions to the letter, though most will work with the dampen-and-blot procedure.

Use these chemicals very carefully, since many of them can actually cause damage to your carpets. Test the chemical on a small section first, and consider the material of your carpets. Using high-strength carpet and rug cleaners on wool carpets, for example, is not advisable.

Professional Carpet Cleaning

If these methods aren’t working for you, it’s best to contact Dreamsteam, your local carpet cleaners for hire. Professional carpet cleaners are used to dealing with tough stains and will have specialized methods and equipment for removing the stain without damaging your carpet.

Carpets should be cleaned every 12-18 months, regardless of whether or not you have stains or splotches, to reduce mold growth, indoor air pollutants, and dirt accumulation, so cleaning is well worth the price.

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