How To Get Dried Paint Off Hardwood Floors?

Painting your room or old furniture helps significantly to change the overall appearance and give your room a fresh new look. But you know what’s irritating?

It’s when you realize that some blotches of paint have settled on your hardwood floors. This is a major turn-off from an aesthetic point of view! And the situation’s worse if the paint has dried off, thereby doubling the efforts that you were meant to give.

In this blog, we will explore some of the many ways which you can imbibe if you don’t know how to get dried paint off hardwood floors.

So, Is My Hardwood Floor Ruined?

Of course not! Paint spills on hardwood floor surfaces are just as common as water spills. It’s just that addressing the paint spill at a later stage will require you to grease your elbows a bit more!

The only thing you need to consider is to remain extra careful while removing the color stain. A tad of carelessness can result in serious consequences, of which damaging the floor’s finish happens to be one.

How To Remove Paint From Wood Floor Without Damaging Finish?

Well, you can either opt for effective DIY guides or you can seek assistance from professionals like Almahdi Wood Flooring.

Calling professionals would make your whole job easier. So, let’s just save that part and come to the DIY solutions that you can use effectively to remove paint stains from hardwood floors-

• Assess The Blotch

Assessment is the first step to solving any problem. So, your first job is to assess whether the blotch is from a water-based paint (such as acrylic paint) or an oil-based paint.

Here’s how you will carry out the assessment procedure-

• Take a cotton ball and wet it with rubbing alcohol (isopropyl or an ethanol-based liquid).
• Swipe the cotton ball over the pain blotch very carefully.
• If the cotton remains clean, the paint is oil-based. If there’s residue, it’s probably water-based or latex paint, which is generally easier to clean.

• Dishwashing Liquid x Water

If you find the paint blotch to be water-based after the assessment, then this simple DIY method will help you fix it immediately!

Grab two cups of warm water and add a few drops of dish soap. Dip a microfiber cloth into this mix, and wring it out until it’s slightly damp.

Then, gently scrub the paint-spattered area, following the wood grain. As the paint starts to loosen up, grab a dry rag and wipe it away.

Quick Tip: If the paint is stubborn, try using a hard plastic putty knife or even the edge of a credit card to scrape it off gently. But remember to be careful and gentle, or else you might injure the surface!

• Rubbing Alcohol x Lemon Juice

When dishwashers fail, lemon juice comes to the rescue! For a stubborn water-based pain blotch, this remedy works like magic!

Take a small bowl and prepare a solution by mixing three parts isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and one part lemon juice.

Be careful with the next step- need to scrape the paint off now! Take a putty knife and begin the scraping. Go gentle, or else injury marks are evident! Scrape off as much of the dry pain as possible.

Soak a rag in that mixture, then lay it over the paint for 5 minutes. Use the damp rag to scrub away the paint. For stubborn spots, grab an old toothbrush or small scrub brush dipped in the solution. Wipe the area with a damp rag and finish by buffing the floor with a dry microfiber towel.

• Heat Application (Heat Gun/ Hair Dryer)

No matter how stubborn the paint is, heat application makes the scraping procedure look like a breeze!

A heat gun is perfect for this job. Just aim it at the splatters to gently warm them up. Once the paint is softened, grab a putty knife to lift it away easily.

If you’re worried about using a heat gun, you can opt for a trusty hair dryer. It’s a bit gentler and still gets the job done. Just aim it at the paint blotches and watch as they soften up, making them easier to remove.

After removing, follow up with a dishwashing liquid and water solution to remove the minute blotches (if any). Boom! Your work’s done!

Statutory Warning: Be cautious! Heat guns can be a bit powerful, so make sure not to leave them in one spot for too long to avoid damaging the floor finish.

• Paint Thinner/ Paint Remover

Supposedly, the paint blotch/ blotches are extra stubborn, and all the above attempts fail! What’s the solution?

It’s not like this is bound to happen. But if it does, you might want to use heavier artilleries to remove stains from the hardwood floor. So, get a paint thinner or paint remover and start greasing your elbows!

Follow the instructions on the product label and apply the remover or thinner to the paint spots. Then, take a rag and gently rub the product onto the paint until it starts to come off. With a little patience and care, you’ll have those paint blotches saying goodbye in no time!

Note: Remember, go easy to avoid accidentally rubbing away the finish on your beautiful hardwood floors!

A spotless, clean, and shiny hardwood floor not only appeals to the eyes but is also hygienic for you and your entire family! But it’s also essential to have knowledge of the know-how, or else you might damage your flooring! To learn more about such minute details, read What Should You Avoid Doing To The Floors for complete guidance.