How to Get Latex Paint Out of Clothing

Anyone who has ever painted interior or exterior surfaces with latex paint knows that no matter how hard they try to keep drips and splatters off clothing and out of the hair, the inevitable happens. Splatters and drips end in places they do not belong, and even though latex paint thins with water, once it dries on clothing is nearly impossible to remove. If the clothing ends up going through the washing machine and the dryer, the latex stain becomes permanent and impossible to remove. Fortunately, if the latex paint stain has not completely dried it is possible to get it out of clothing. Try the following simple cleaning tip to get latex paint out of clothing, and save your favorite t-shirt or pair of jeans that you were sure you would stay clean while painting. Otherwise, consider the last option, and transform your mistake into a work of wearable art that looks like you meant to do that!

Begin by Scraping Up the Latex Paint

When many people discover a splat of paint on their favorite t-shirt or jeans, their first instinct is to get it out by wiping it away. Wiping off any type of latex medium with a dry rag with not get it off. Instead you will rub it into the fibers of the fabric and compound the problem. Instead of wiping latex paint off with a paper towel or dry rag, obtain a clean damp rag and wipe it up instead of rubbing it in and potentially enlarging the stain. Keep the fabric moist until it can be soaked using the following method.

Cold Water Soak to Get Latex Paint Out of Fabric

Dried latex medium will not completely come out of fabric no matter how hard you try. You can rub and scrub and cause a hole to develop in the clothing before the stain comes out. While the stain is still damp, fill a basin with cold water and allow the clothing to soak for several minutes. The next step is to launder the clothing as usual. If you caught the stain before it dried, you will get it out.

If you Cannot Clean it, Transform it!