Removing paint from your jeans
All you need are 2 things you probably already have laying around your house to remove dried latex paint from your clothes!
Materials
- rubbing alcohol*
- scrub brush*
- old toothbrush
See, that’s it!
I hate changing into clothes to do a project and prefer to wear whatever I already have on, so this is not my first pair of pants that have been ‘decorated’ with paint before! And most certainly won’t be the last, no matter how careful I am!
Scrub, Scrub, Scrub
Even if paint has dried on your clothes, you may still be able to get it out! But it is beneficial to clean it as soon as you can!
Pour enough rubbing alcohol to cover your paint stain. Scratch any larger chunks of paint with your fingernail.
Then use a scrub brush to scour the paint, moving in all different directions. Keep the stain wet by pouring a little rubbing alcohol throughout the process. It will look like the paint is liquifying and spreading. This means it’s working!
Don’t get me wrong, it takes a lot of elbow grease! But it can save your clothes!
I like to take a break and wash the spot with dish soap and hot water to clean off any paint that’s been removed. Then get back to scrubbing.
Once you’re satisfied with the paint removal, launder your clothes as usual!
Types of Clothing
This works the best on denim and 100% cotton like your average t-shirt. The jeans I used for this post have spandex in them, so the removal was not 100% perfect. But this method improved them 90% and made it so I can still wear them! (You can only see the spot if you are looking for it, but it did remove a little of the denim dye in that area.)
I have not had any success removing paint from nylon athletic-type clothing. But if you know of a method, please let me know!!
Hope this helps you rescue some of your clothes now or in the future!
Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea
*This post may contain affiliate links*
Rebecca says
March 4, 2020 at 5:12 amLooking forward to trying this. We have way too many jeans with paint on them in our wardrobe. Thanks for posting 🙂
Brad says
August 2, 2020 at 12:28 pmI came across your article while researching how to paint a washer and dryer. I can totally relate to not wanting to change clothes…and because of that I have definitely ruined some lululemon athletic shorts and shirts…well that is until I used this method.
Of course not everyone will be keen to this method but if you want to fix you clothes then this will work For Nylon athlesure type clothing. The good news is that this method works on clothing that has paint on it for months and that has been washed several times.
“Klean-Strip” 1 gallon stripper comes with spray bottle. You’ll want to do this in an open space like the garage or porch. Make sure to wear a mask or you’ll for sure get a headache. Also wear two layers of nitrile gloves. Spray the stripper on the clothing and scrub using an old toothbrush. Let it sit for 5 or so min and come back and repeat the process. The paint will probably looked smeared in, but no worries- Just take it to your kitchen sink and wash the chemical out along with the paint. Then throw it in the washer for a normal wash. I had about 4 shirts and 3 pairs of shorts that I deemed ruined until I accidentally found out this worked.