How to Get Oil-Based Paint Out of Clothes (4 Easy Steps)

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Imagine this: Staining your favorite trouser or shirt with paint. That sucks, right? But don’t worry about that stain because here you will learn how to get oil-based paint out of clothes quickly.

The stains in your shirt may be dry or wet, depending on how long the stain has stayed on your shirt. It is almost impossible to get a dry stain out of your shirt. Don’t give up on your shirt because the stain will still come out.

Keep reading, and you’ll find out how to remove that stain from your favorite shirt.

How to Get Oil-based Paint Out of Clothes: The Steps

The last thing you want is to stain your clothes with oil-based paint because it is a hustle to remove the stain, especially if it has dried off.

Below are steps you can follow to remove oil-based paint from your clothes.

Step 1. First, Remove Excess Paint From the Clothes

Before anything else, remove any excess paint from your garment before it dries off. You can use a knife or spoon to remove the excess oil paint.

Step 2. Turn the Garment Inside Out

Turn the stained garment inside out and place a towel or clean rag against the stained part. Check the paint can and see if they have indicated an oil solvent that one can use to remove paint stain if it gets into your garment.

However, you can use paint thinner or turpentine as an oil solvent in this case. Note that these two oil solvents have strong smells; thus, using them in an open room is good. Apply paint thinner or turpentine on the stain from the back with a clean rag.

The reason behind applying the solvent from the back is to remove the paint from the inner fibers of your garment. The towel below the stained garment is used to absorb excess paint.

Keep applying the solvent on the stained parts until the paint comes out. Start applying the solvent from the front of your garment to remove the paint. When applying the solvent, scrub gently with a soft brush if the paint is dry. 

Step 3. Soak the Garment in Soapy Water

At this stage, the paint stains are gone. Next, soak your garment in water and add any detergent to remove the stains further. You can soak your cloth overnight for better results.

If you have a washing machine, you can soak your garment there, and remember to check garment washing instructions on your clothes fabric.

Step 4. Rinse Your Garment in Water

Rinse your garment well with warm or cold water. If the stains didn’t come out all, soak your garment once more.

Step 4. Dry Your Garment

Only dry your garment if the stains are completely off the garment. If the stains are completely gone, You can dry your garment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Remove Water-based Paint Out of Clothes?

Removing water-based paint from clothes is not as difficult as removing oil-based paint. First, remove excess paint from your garment, and then apply warm water from the back of the stain.

 Mix your favorite detergent in a small bucket and use a clean piece of cloth to apply to the stain. Rinse the garment with cold water. Repeat the same process from the front of the stain.

If the stain persists, apply nail polish or alcohol to the stain. Finally, wash your garment with cold water if the stain comes out and dry it.

What Determines How Long It Takes For Oil Paint to Dry?

Certain factors determine how long it takes for oil-based paint to dry off. These factors include the thickness of the oil, the color of the oil paint, and the type of oil paint.

If you apply thin oil paint, it will dry faster than when you apply thick oil. The type of oil will determine how fast it will dry. 

The most commonly used oils in the painting are poppy seed oil, linseed oil, and walnut oil. These oils dry off at different times.

What Products Remove Oil-based Paints From Clothes?

Oil-based paints are very stubborn, especially when removing stains from clothes or hands. Oil paints have substances that stick to your garment tightly; hence you need strong products to remove them.

Use paint thinner or turpentine as oil- solvents. But, before you apply the solvents, remove the excess paint on your garment with a knife or spoon.

Apply the solvent from the back of the stain and the front and clean your garment with a detergent and later dry it off.

You can also use these oil solvents to get oil-based paints from your skin.

How Do I Remove Oil-based Paint from Sensitive Fabrics?

Before you attempt to remove paint from your garment, check if the fabric of your garment is sensitive. You can check that on your fabric where it will be indicated if the fabric is “dry-clean only.”

Apply the dry-cleaning solution to a sponge or towel gently to the paint. Next, apply a dry spotter to absorb the stain.

Once the stain is completely removed, rinse your garment with a dry-cleaning solvent to remove the dry spotter and remaining grease. Dry off your garment if all the oil paint stain is removed.

Final Remarks 

It is never easy to remove oil-based paint stains from your clothes, especially if the paint has dried off. All is possible if you carefully follow the four easy steps to get oil-based paint out of clothes.

Get the right products for paint removal from your clothes. Before removing the paint stain, check your garment’s fabric instructions.

The steps of removing the stain and the products vary depending on the fabric material of your garment.

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Josh Cohen

Josh Cohen

I love to paint, mostly nature and I dabble in some abstract paintings. Here I will share some tips and tricks I learned over the years.

About Me

I love to paint, mostly nature and I dabble in some abstract paintings. Here I will share some tips and tricks I learned over the years.

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