If you’ve spent a long afternoon painting the walls of your home, you’re bound to be exhausted, and you may unintentionally get a bit careless. If you’re unlucky, you may end up spilling or splattering some of that paint on your beautiful vinyl floor. While your instinct may be to panic when that happens, there’s no need to freak out. Fortunately, if you take the proper steps, there’s no reason you can’t remove that spilled paint entirely without leaving behind any unattractive stains or residue on your floor.
Depending on whether the paint you’re attempting to remove is water-based, oil-based, or dried, the procedure and supplies you’ll need will be a bit different.
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Materials You’ll Need
When removing paint from vinyl flooring, there are a few supplies you’ll need. Listed below are the items that you’ll be using regardless of which type of paint you’re removing. Then, there will also be a few additional things necessary to remove oil-based and dried paint.
- Cold water
- A bucket or large container
- Dish soap or laundry detergent
- Paper towels
- Rubbing alcohol
- A soft cloth
- Shredded paper (if the spill is large)
Removing Oil-Based Paint From Your Vinyl Floor
Additional Supplies Needed: Steel wool (available at any grocery store), liquid wax (available at any grocery store or automotive shop), and an additional clean, soft cloth
Because it dries more slowly than water-based paint, oil-based paint is typically the easier kind to remove from a vinyl floor. The first step will be to wipe the excess paint off the floor using your clean cloth. The best way to do this is to dip the cloth in water, then simply scoop or wipe up the paint until you’ve removed all that you can. Next, you’ll want to pour rubbing alcohol on paper towels and cover the remaining paint with them. If you want, you can use clean pieces of clothing instead of paper towels.
Let the rubbing alcohol-soaked towels sit for about ten minutes, then remove them. After that, you’ll want to dip your other clean cloth in water and wipe up the paint that remains. At this point, the floor may be entirely clean. If it’s being stubborn, though, the next step will be to dip your steel wool in liquid wax and gently scrub at the paint until you’ve removed it all. Once your flooring is paint-free, your final step should be cleaning the spot with a solution of water and soap. If you want to, you can even apply a final layer of wax to restore the floor’s shiny appearance.
Removing Water-Based Paint From Your Vinyl Floor
To remove wet water-based paint from your vinyl flooring, the first thing you’ll want to do is use paper towels or a dry, soft piece of clothing to wipe up all of the excess paint. If the spill is particularly large, you can cover the paint with shredded paper before attempting to wipe it up. The shredded paper should absorb some of the liquid, which will make it a bit more manageable.
Next, you’ll need either a clean towel or more paper towels. Dip whichever type of towel you prefer to use in water, then squeeze out the excess. Then, use the damp towel or paper towels to wipe up as much of the remaining paint as you can. If there’s still paint remaining on the floor at this point, you should put some clean water in a bucket and add a few drops of either dish soap or laundry detergent. Soak your clean cloth in the solution, then use it to wipe away any remaining paint.
By now, there’s a high likelihood that the water-based paint will be gone. However, if it’s being especially stubborn, you can pour a few drops of rubbing alcohol on a cloth and gently rub it over the paint that’s left. Once you’ve managed to eradicate all of it, you should rinse the area with clean water and dry it with paper towels.
Removing Dried Paint From Your Vinyl Floor
Additional Supplies Needed: A plastic scraper, an additional clean cloth, and a paint remover such as turpentine or acetone
If you spill paint on your vinyl flooring, your most prudent option will always be to remove it quickly while it’s still fresh. If you let it dry, you should still be able to get rid of it, but it will be more challenging. The first step will be to use your plastic scraping tool to scrape as much of the paint off the floor as you can. If you don’t have a scraping tool, you can use a spoon or spatula for the task instead.
Once you’ve scraped up as much as you can, pour a few drops of your chosen paint remover on a clean cloth. If you choose to use acetone as your paint-removing agent, you should test it on a small area of the floor first to ensure that it doesn’t harm your vinyl. Using your dampened cloth, rub away the remaining paint. If it doesn’t all come up right away, you can repeat this process using more of the paint remover until you manage to get it all.
Finally, after the dried paint is gone, you’ll want to dip your other clean cloth in a solution of water and dish soap or laundry detergent. Wipe down the area thoroughly, then rinse it with clean water to remove any remaining chemicals. Pat the spot dry with paper towels or let it air out, and you’ll be good to go!