How To Get Paint Off Laminate Floors Easily

Painting your home yourself is a great DIY project to help you save some money. But even when you take all the precautions, it is still possible to get paint on places where you don’t want it. In many cases, paint is easy to wipe up without leaving a trace. But when you notice paint on your laminate floor that won’t come out, you will want to find an easy way to make the paint disappear.

To remove paint from laminate floors, make a solution with equal water, vinegar and rubbing alcohol with a few drops of dish soap. First clean the floor, then use a rag and the solution to slowly remove the paint stain by scrubbing. Try window cleaner for another non-abrasive method. Acetone nail polish remover works great for acrylic paints, but use it sparingly, as it is a harsh chemical.

Paint on your laminate floors poses a tricky problem. On the one hand you want to make sure you get rid of the paint, but at the same time, you don’t want to destroy the laminate flooring in the process. When it comes to getting paint off laminate floors easily, there are a few factors to consider before you grab a rag and get to scrubbing.

You also need to consider the flooring. Laminate flooring might look like tile or wood, or whatever it is imitating, but it is not nearly as durable as these materials. It is important you don’t deeply scratch the laminate, or overwhelm it with moisture. Scratching and flooding laminate flooring with water can damage the laminate and cause it to warp. Make sure that when you apply pressure and the cleaning solution, you don’t cause damage. This could potentially leave your floors looking worse than when you started.

If you have a concentrated spill, you might be able to scrape off most, or all of it, by carefully using a putty knife. Simply use a putty knife along the edge of the spill and carefully try to lift the paint by getting the putty knife underneath it.

The key with this method is to be patient and careful not to scrape the laminate. In many cases, this is a good first step, as it loosens up the paint spill, and removes larger chunks. If, however, you are still left with paint stains after using the putty knife, move on to another method.

Before you try any harmful or strong chemical solution, first try an effective homemade solution using products you likely already have in your home. In a clean bucket, combine equal parts water, white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Once they are combined, add a bit of dish soap — enough to get some suds going.

Use a clean rag to dip into this mixture and apply it to the stain. Apply moderate pressure in order to work the solution into the paint. This solution works particularly well on latex paint, since it is water-based. The water loosens the paint while the alcohol and vinegar act to dissolve it.

Another easy remedy to try when you find paint on your laminate floor is window cleaner. The difference between your homemade solution and window cleaner is that many window cleaners have ammonia in them. Ammonia is highly effective at breaking down certain chemicals (like sulfur) found in paints, even acrylic paints.

If your homemade solution does not remove the paint stain, or at least not in its entirety, try window cleaner next. Spray the affected area and use a new rag to work the solution on the paint. Be careful not to oversaturate or scrub the laminate. It can only take so much abuse at a time.

If you have a particularly stubborn paint stain, or are dealing with acrylic paint that simply won’t budge using the other methods, try using nail polish remover. Make sure you use a nail polish remover with acetone, as acetone is the key ingredient to breaking down the paint, especially acrylic paints.

When you apply the acetone, do so carefully. It is a strong chemical, and if applied too liberally, it can damage your laminate floor. Apply small amounts to the paint, and let it sit for a few minutes.

This allows the acetone to work its way into the paint. Then wipe the paint off. This might take a few attempts to remove the entire stain. Make sure you wipe the area thoroughly with a wet cloth to remove all acetone remnants.

If you notice paint on your laminate floors, don’t panic. First, try to wipe it up immediately. If you reach the paint before it has dried, it should be easy to clean up.

When the paint has dried, you can try carefully removing it with a putty knife. If that proves unsuccessful, try a homemade solution with equal parts water, vinegar and alcohol, with a bit of dish soap added.

Next you can try window cleaner, ideally one with ammonia in its ingredients. Lastly, for stubborn paint, especially acrylic paints, you can try nail polish remover with acetone.