How To Remove Spray Paint?

Spray paint is amazing, but do you know how to remove spray paint? Spray paints are widely used to get an even coat and smooth finish when applied directly on any surface. This type of paint can be a bit difficult to remove if you’ve accidentally used it on the wrong surface. Calm down, there’s no reason to panic! In today’s post, I will show you how to remove spray paint from different surfaces. There are several tried and tested ways to remove spray paint. Without wasting much time, let us now check out how to remove spray paint in brief.

How To Remove Spray Paint?

In this section, I will teach you how to remove spray paint in detail. Artists often deal with a blast of paint on an everyday basis. There are plenty of ways you can consider removing spray paint from any sort of surface.

You can read on to learn how to remove spray paint from the skin.

1. First, wash your skin in warm soapy water vigorously.
2. Soak a washcloth or cotton balls in vegetable, cooking, or baby oil.
3. Rub this oil-soaked cotton ball/washcloth on your skin liberally.
4. After a while, the paint will start thinning out.
5. Take some hand soap, lather the affected area, and then rinse.

You can even use cooking spray, olive oil, or coconut oil to remove spray paint from your skin. These oils will surely help you to remove both water-based and oil-based spray paints.

Note: If required you can use a nail brush, soft-bristled toothbrush, or pumice stone to thin out the spray paint.

Keep on reading further to learn more about how to get rid of spray paint stains. 

Remove Spray Paint From Different Surfaces

Cleaning any kind of paint stain can be annoying if you don’t remove it in time! There are a few methods that can be used to remove spray paint from wood, glass, plastic, or even your car.

1. Wood

It can be a bit tricky to remove spray paint from wooden surfaces without damaging the finish. You can follow these steps to learn how to remove spray paint from wood.

1. Soak a clean rag in acetone or rubbing alcohol.
2. Now, dampen the affected area with this solvent.
3. Let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Then, rub the surface using a rag or soft brush until the paint starts dissolving.
5. Clear the area with clean water and allow it to dry completely.

Keep in mind that oil-based spray paints require mineral spirits to remove them.

2. Metal

As metal is non-porous, it is quite easy to remove spray paint from metal surfaces. Simply follow these steps to learn how to remove spray paint from metal.

1. In a container, add ¼ cup of baking soda or vinegar and water.
2. Bring this mixture to a boil.
3. Now, place the metal item in this container and let it boil until the paint falls off.
4. Finally, remove the metal item using tongs.

You can use a putty knife or hard-bristle brush to scrape off any leftover paint residue. Remember that this method is ideal for only smaller metal pieces like hardware and hinges.

3. Glass

Another simple way to deal with spray paint on a glass surface is by using hair spray. You can follow these steps to learn how to remove spray paint from glass.

1. To start, hold the hair spray about a palm’s length away from the glass surface.
2. Spray the hair spray on all the painted areas.
3. Then, grab a dry cloth and scrub the paint off.
4. Repeat these steps again until the spray paint disappears.
5. Once you are done, clean the glass surface with a wet cloth.

Instead of hair spray, you can also use vinegar, acetone, and rubbing alcohol to remove spray paint from glass.

4. Plastic

Removing spray paint from plastic carelessly can damage the plastic. You have to be very gentle while removing the spray paint from the plastic. Follow these steps to learn how to remove spray paint from plastic.

1. Pour some rubbing alcohol on a clean rag and rub the spray paint.
2. Keep rubbing till the paint starts breaking down.
3. Repeat this step as necessary until the paint is gone.
4. Once you’re done, wipe the affected area with a clean rag/paper towel.

You can even try vegetable oil or nail polish remover to treat the affected area. Just make sure you apply steady pressure while rubbing or you could damage the plastic.

5. Fabric

It is very easy to remove the spray paint from the fabric with a paint remover if it is still wet. Follow these steps to learn how to remove spray paint from fabric.

1. Blot the excess wet paint from the fabric with a paper towel.
2. Then, spray a paint remover (WD-40) on the affected area.
3. Take a dry cloth and rub the affected area for a while.
4. Repeat the process until you’ve removed as much as paint you can.

This method works well if the paint is still wet. For dried paint stains, you have to scrape off excess paint and then use the paint remover. You can even use an alcohol-based cleaner/hairspray on acrylic-based spray paints.

6. Car

You cannot use abrasive compounds to remove spray paint from a car. For this, nail polish is a great option to remove unwanted spray paint stains on a vehicle. Follow these steps to learn how to remove spray paint from a car.

1. Pour a small amount of nail polish remover onto a terrycloth or microfiber towel.
2. Gently rub the cloth onto the spray paint stain on your car.
3. Make sure you use small circular motions while removing the spray paint.
4. Wash your car thoroughly after removing the spray paint.

Make sure you switch your cloth often when the paint starts transferring from your car to the cloth. You can even use detailing clay to remove the paint from your car without scratching or damaging the surface.

7. Floor

If spray paint has ended up on your flooring, you can use simple household ingredients to remove this stain. Follow these steps to learn how to remove spray paint from the floor.

1. If the stain is still wet, soak the excess paint with newspaper.
2. Then, saturate a clean rag in rubbing alcohol and place it over the affected area.
3. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
4. Now, wipe the stained area with another clean rag soaked in rubbing alcohol.
5. Once the paint is removed, rinse the area with soapy water and dry it.

You can even use a pressure washer on a low setting to remove most of the spray paint. This method can easily remove the paint from linoleum and vinyl floors.

8. Concrete

The concrete surface is porous and can easily absorb spray paint. You’ll need some heavy-duty supplies and materials to remove spray paint from concrete. Follow these steps to learn how to remove spray paint from concrete.

1. Wash the stained area with the pressure washer.
2. Make sure you use the sweeping back-and-forth motions.
3. This will forcefully remove the spray paint from the concrete.

This method works well on an outdoor concrete surface. For indoor concrete surfaces, you can use a TSP solution. Dilute TSP in warm water and scrub the concrete to loosen the paint.

9. Wall

Spray paint on walls can be hard to scrub off but with the right products you can remove the paint. You can follow these steps to learn how to remove the spray paint from the wall.

1. Spray paint thinner or graffiti remover over the affected area.
2. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes or a little longer.
3. Rinse the wall with lukewarm water or a pressure washer.

You can repeat the process again if you have any stubborn leftover marks. Make sure you never use acids on walls as it could erode the brickwork.

10. Stone

Now, you must be wondering how to remove the spray paint from the stone. Rock is porous so, it needs an appropriate product to remove the spray paint. For this, you can use graffiti remover to remove the paint. Simply spray graffiti remover on the stone and use the abrasive side of a kitchen sponge to remove the paint.

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FAQ

What Removes Spray Paint Instantly?

Acetone, amyl or ethyl acetate, ketone and toluene are common ingredients in lacquer thinners. Lacquer thinners are designed to thin lacquers and clean equipment used for lacquer finishing. It can soften and dissolve most paints even after they’ve hardened. It is highly effective at removing spray paint.

What Is The Best Product To Remove Spray Paint?

Using dishwashing liquid and warm water, vigorously apply pressure as you rub the painted spot for 1 to 2 minutes. If it’s stubborn and still difficult to remove, try a toothbrush. The friction from rubbing with the brush should loosen the paint and allow it to be removed. A citrus degreaser is another option.

Does Goo Gone Remove Spray Paint?

Goo Gone Graffiti Remover is specifically formulated to loosen spray paint and make it easy to wash away. It’s safe to use on brick, concrete or stucco and works on a variety of spray paint styles. If you’re struggling with a spray paint problem, this is your solution.

Does Isopropyl Remove Spray Paint?

If a display has been spray painted, inadvertently or as an act of vandalism, there are two options of removing it: A soft cloth and Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA), if that doesn’t work, Ethanol and a soft cloth can be used.

Can Soap And Water Remove Spray Paint?

The easiest way to remove spray paint is with soap and water – this is true regardless of the material involved. Get a large bucket, fill it with warm water, and add a good quality soap (washing up liquid will do).

Does Anything Remove Spray Paint?

Most spray paints are oil-based.
Let soak and remove with water pressure or stiff brush. Tip for next time: Grab some Motsenbockers’ Lift off for oil-based paints and for latex paints. The main solvent for most spray paints is either paint thinner, lacquer thinner, or acetone.

Conclusion

In the above post, I’ve discussed how to remove spray paint on different surfaces in detail. No matter how much careful you be with spray paint, you end up over-spraying. There are a few methods that can be used to clear this big mess. You can use acetone, rubbing alcohol, hair spray, or paint thinner to clean spray paint from any kind of surface. Make sure you act quickly and get the stain out completely in time. Thus, you can clean up the spray paint nicely after learning how to remove spray paint.