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Here's how to get paint out of carpet whether you've been using acrylic, oil or gloss, and whether it's dried up or not...

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DIY disaster? Need to know how to get paint out of carpet? Given the amount of time we're all spending at home, getting on with a bit of DIY or getting creative with your acrylics and chalk paint is a great idea, that is, until you started painting without laying down anything to protect the floor... Now you've got paint in the carpet, have spent the last 45 minutes-1 hour verbally berating yourself and need to know – as a matter of some urgency – how to get the paint out of the carpet before someone else notices or worse, before it dries...

Fear not, friends. We're here with all the tricks of the trade in a bid to help you right this wrong, whether you've been using gloss paint (oil-based), emulsion paint (water-based) on your walls, or if you've been dabbling in a little art with acrylic paints (containing plastic particles) or even chalk paint (containing calcium carbonate powder).

This is very easily done, especially with acrylics and latex paint as they dry super fast. So, if you let your paint dry into the carpet while you panicked (and furiously googled) how to remove it, or if you only just spotted it (aka someone or the kids spilt paint on the carpet and conveniently forgot to tell you) rest assured, there is hope.

The first thing you should do again, is try to manually remove as much of the paint as possible using a scraper, or a similar tool. Between each scoop, remember to wipe your tool completely before repeating the process. Be mindful that you're trying to lift the paint out of the carpet, as opposed to spreading it further.

Next, take a paper towel and gently – again, taking care not to spread the paint further – try to blot away as much of the paint as you can.

When this is done, you'll need to move on to using white spirit in a bid to lift the stain. As gloss is generally oil-based, you'll need to use a solvent like paint thinner (white spirit), acetone, hydrogen peroxide in order to remove it effectively although you can use dishwashing soap also. 

Using a solvent to remove gloss paint

Dampen a clean cloth, or piece of kitchen roll, with your white spirit solution, acetone or hydrogen peroxide and gently blot the affected area. This should loosen the paint and make it easier to lift away. You'll likely need a lot of cloth, or kitchen roll, for this as you'll need to take care not to spread the paint further once it becomes saturated with paint.

Once you've removed the paint using white spirit, use a simple soap and water to clean up the carpet. You can also use baking soda to reduce the smell of white spirit.

Using dishwashing soap to remove gloss/oil paint

This will be fine on light patches but embedded paint will better benefit from the above method. Mix a few of drops of dish soap like Dawn or Fairy Liquid (UK equivalent) with cold water and soak a clean cloth. Press this onto the paint traces and blot off excess water and repeat as needed.

As emulsion is water-based, it shouldn't be too difficult to remove it from carpet using a simple soap detergent and plenty of water.

A fairly recent DIY favorite, chalk paint in no longer reserved just for the classroom, but that doesn't mean it belongs on your carpet either! Try and get to it while it is still wet and there are a couple of methods you can try to lift it: one with vinegar, the other with dish detergent.

How to get chalk paint out of carpet with vinegar:

How to get chalk paint out of carpet with dish soap

Lynsey Crombie aka Queen of Clean (opens in new tab) recommends 'If the paint stain is dry, use hot water and a little bit of washing up liquid. and then once the paint is softened, use a knife to scrape the paint out.' And this should work on black or another colored paint also.

Not that's the last time you'll forget to put newspaper down, right?!

Emily first (temporarily) joined the Real Homes team while interning on her summer break from university. After graduating, she worked on several publications before joining Real Homes as Staff Writer full time in mid-2018. She left the brand in 2020 to join the police force but continues to love a second-hand bargain and sourcing unique finds to make her rented flat reflect her personality.

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