How to Get Paint Out of Carpet (Water-Based, Oil-Based and Dried)

To get paint out of carpet, work out what kind of paint it is, then act before it dries. Scoop up the wet paint with a spoon, working from the outside edge in, and blot with white paper towel. Never rub.

For water-based paint (the tin says to clean up with water), blot the spot with cool water, then with a weak dishwashing liquid solution, until no more colour comes off onto the cloth. Rinse and press dry.

For oil-based paint (the tin says to clean up with mineral turpentine), open the windows, put a small amount of turps on a white cloth, not on the carpet, and blot. Then wash the turps out with detergent and water.

Dried paint is much harder. Wet paint is the best chance you will get, so start now and read the rest while the kettle boils.

The method depends entirely on the type of paint, so grab the tin before you start.

Dulux Australia sums up the difference: water-based (acrylic) paints clean up with water and are non-flammable, while oil-based enamels clean up with mineral turpentine and contain flammable solvents. The clean-up instructions on the label will tell you which one you have.

If you have no tin, a strong solvent smell usually points to oil-based paint. Water-based paint smells much milder and dries faster.

This matters because the two need opposite treatments. Water does little to wet oil-based paint and can spread it. Turps is unnecessary on water-based paint, and every solvent you put on carpet carries some risk to the fibres and backing.

Wool carpet or a wool rug? Follow Godfrey Hirst's wool method instead of the dishwashing liquid: one teaspoon of wool-approved detergent and one teaspoon of white vinegar in a litre of warm (not hot) water. Test it on a hidden spot first. Godfrey Hirst warns that haphazard spot removal can cause permanent colour loss and pile damage, so if the paint is not lifting, stop and call a professional.

Oil-based paint is a harder job, and it carries more risk because the solvent can damage carpet as well as remove paint. University of Georgia Extension warns that solvents can dissolve carpet backing, and advises applying solvent to a cloth, never straight onto the carpet. For a small, fresh spill on synthetic carpet:

1. Ventilate and remove ignition sources. Open windows and turn off heaters or anything with a flame. Dulux notes that oil-based enamels and their solvents are flammable. Wear gloves.
2. Lift the wet paint. Scoop and blot with white paper towel, exactly as for water-based paint. Do not add water first.
3. Test the turps. Dab a little mineral turpentine on a white cloth and press it on a hidden patch of carpet, such as inside a wardrobe. If the colour or texture changes, stop.
4. Blot with a turps-dampened cloth. Put a small amount of turps on a white cloth, not on the carpet, and blot the paint from the outside in. Turn the cloth to a clean section as the paint transfers. Keep the cloth damp, not wet, so the turps stays in the fibres and away from the backing.
5. Wash the turps out. Blot the area with the weak dishwashing liquid solution to lift the turps and loosened paint, then rinse with plain water and press dry. Leaving turps in the carpet leaves an oily patch that attracts dirt.

If the spill is bigger than your hand, has soaked in, or is on wool, do not try this. A large solvent job at home is where carpet backing gets damaged. Call a professional instead.

Dried paint is a different problem. Once acrylic paint cures, it is essentially a thin layer of plastic wrapped around the fibres, and it does not redissolve in water.

Here is what you can safely try:

• Lift what you can. Gently break up and pick off thick, crusty paint with a blunt knife or your fingernail, then vacuum the flakes. Work slowly so you do not pull fibres out.
• Soften the rest. Lay a cloth soaked in warm (not hot) dishwashing liquid solution on the spot for a few minutes, then blot and work the paint gently with the cloth. Freshly dried water-based paint sometimes softens enough to lift. Rinse and press dry afterwards.
• Tiny specks on cut pile. A few dried dots sitting on the very tips of the fibres can sometimes be snipped off with small scissors. Trim only the tips, only on cut pile, and never on loop pile, where you can pull a whole row loose.

You will see rubbing alcohol, vinegar and hairspray suggested online for dried paint. We have not found reliable carpet-industry guidance behind these. University of Georgia Extension also notes that alcohol damages some synthetic fibres, including acrylic. If gentle softening does not work, a professional is the safer next step.

A note on detergent: the Carpet and Rug Institute warns that many laundry detergents contain optical brighteners that can dye carpet fibres. Plain dishwashing liquid is the safer choice for spot cleaning.

Most paint on carpet comes from touch-ups, often at the end of a lease. A few habits save a lot of trouble:

• Lay a proper drop sheet, not newspaper. Paint soaks straight through newspaper.
• Keep a damp white cloth and a roll of paper towel in the room, so you can deal with a drip in seconds rather than minutes.
• Keep the lid on the tin between loads, and put the tin on a tray, not the carpet.
• Wipe your shoes before you walk off the drop sheet.

Moving out? Paint marks on carpet are the kind of thing that turns up at a final inspection. Our end of lease cleaning covers the whole property, and carpet can be added as part of the job.

A small, wet splash of water-based paint is usually a DIY job. Call a professional carpet cleaner when:

• the paint is oil-based and more than a few drops
• the paint has dried and gentle softening has not worked
• it is on wool carpet or a valuable rug
• it has spread across a large area or been tracked through the house
• the carpet looks stiff, fuzzy or discoloured where you cleaned

We treat spots and stains as part of a carpet steam clean. Stain treatment usually adds $30 to $60, and you can see the full rates on our carpet cleaning prices page. We look at every mark before we start and tell you honestly if dried paint is unlikely to come out completely. We clean carpet across Canberra and Queanbeyan; see our Canberra carpet cleaning page for what is included.

If the paint landed on a couch, our upholstery cleaning service can help. For other household spills, our complete guide to removing carpet stains covers the most common ones.