So you’re an artist or you know an artist and you accidentally drizzled oil paint onto your pants or you swept up against a freshly painted canvas and now your clothes look, well, abstract. The first and foremost thing to do is to act quickly.
Although many painters use solvents such as paint thinner, acetone, mineral spirits, and turpentine to remove paint from their brushes and hands, the reality is that the toxic and volatile nature of those products can damage fabric and discolor your clothing. Additionally, those fumes can be highly damaging to your health. Acetone, for example, works fine on natural fabrics, but will aggressively strip paint; it also softens and dissolves synthetic fabrics. Mineral spirits, which are water soluble, do not leave residue on clothing, but after they evaporate, will leave a foul odor and stain the fabric. Stain removers are usually helpful in removing these stains but not always.
So what to do?
Strangely enough, one of the best ways to remove oil paint is to saturate the stain with a 50-50 mixture of detergent and water and blot vigorously, trying to remove the crusted paint from the fibers and ply it loose. You can use a toothbrush or a fingernail to try to loosen the chips from the fabric. The longer the paint is allowed to remain on the clothing, the harder it is to remove it which is why time is of the essence.
This kit of Masters Soap and Kiss Off Stain Remover is a two-for-one soap bar and stick that get paint off your brushes, hands, and take care of any unwanted accidents. Kiss Off also works on grease, lipstick, blood, wine, and coffee among other high-staining materials. Both are non-toxic and gentle for sensitive skin.
Some other niche brands that work well on oil paint are Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover, Nellie’s WOW Stick Stain Remover, and Tech Stain Remover.
PopUP CleanUP offers stain removal from carpet and upholstery for an add-on cost to our commercial and event cleaning packages.
