How to Get Dry Paint Off Wood Floor

How to Get Dry Paint Off Wood Floor: Best Methods

Drawing hobby can be one of the most widespread and relaxing hobbies that you can choose to take. You can easily express yourself through the art and get the audience to appreciate your beginnings. This is something that nobody can judge. However, there is one unpleasant detail about the painting.

And the detail is that if you draw the paint and get at any surface near you and getting the paint splatter off the surface when it is dry, may be very challenging. 

However, there are ways out of this situation! Here are the best methods on how to get dry paint off wood floor!

image source: canva.com

Removing paint stains from the hardwood floors

Paint on the wood floor is not only a trace of the artwork that was without any purpose dropped on the canvas. Sometimes, you have to remove paint from the wood floors which were painted for purpose, as decoration.

This task is quite hard to perform than the first task.

If it is your situation, do not worry, you still may remove paint from the wood surface, clean the floor and decorate the wood floors the way you desire.

Unfortunately, the ways of getting paint off the hardwood floors are different, they depend on the type of paint that the painter used. For instance, there is oil paint, water-based paint, or another separate type – the old paint, which requires special cleaning as well as the other two.

So, the first thing that you should do in getting paint on the floor defines the type of paint that was used. Once you have done it, you can understand what to undertake next, what method to use, and which components of the cleaning to purchase. 

If you have done it, read the following parts of the article and select the way of cleaning that is appropriate for your situation to remove paint from the wood surface.

Water-based paint spills on the wood floors

There are several kinds of water-based paints that are used most of the time by painters. So, when you notice the water-based paint on the hardwood floors, this is probably part of them.

And it means that you are lucky, as it is not so difficult to remove paint that is water-based.

But, unfortunately, if the spills are water-based paint in the woods for a long period, you may face some problems because the paint got into the wood floors. You are better to remove paint that is wet paint.

Now we are going to talk about the ways to remove the paint from hardwood floors. 

mopping wood floor

Check using the water method and the soap

This way can be for your situation if you remove paint from the floor after a short time it was dropped there. It is dry paint that was on the floor for a longer period, then you get to use another method that helps you.

So, for using the water method, you have to prepare the following components of the cleanup: warm water, a towel (or a rag and a soft cloth), a sponge, and soap. You can use dish soap or any other soap that doesn’t harm the hardwood floors.

Once you have prepared it, follow the instructions.

As a first step, you get to use a sponge and absorb all the paint on the floor. After you have done that, you get to make the cloth wet with water that must be warm and then add on the rag several drops of the soap or other soap that you have prepared.

With all of this, you have to rub the paint from the floor carefully and stop only when you see that there is no more paint on the floor. Scrub the floor carefully because there is a risk of damaging the floor.

And the final step is to soak water and especially soapy leftovers on the floor with a dry cloth. Ensure that there is no water on the wooden floor.

It is strictly required unless you want to have even more problems but with the hardwood flooring now. 

Wood floors can absorb water and moisture easily and if this happens, there may be a rough surface, warping, and other problems.

Use rubbing alcohol and lemon juice

When you face stubborn paint stains, a dried paint, you cannot handle cleaning the floor only using the previous method. You need something more strong that may assist you with stubborn paint stains.

If you use this method of getting the water paint off the floor, you have to prepare the following components: a sponge, rubbing alcohol (or isopropyl alcohol), rags and towels, a rigid plastic putty knife (if you have a paint scraper, this is appropriate, as well), and the lemon juice.

To defend yourself from chemical fumes and alcohol fumes, you should also take a respirator.

So, firstly, you get to make the mixing of several drops of alcohol and lemon juice.

To be accurate, you can take no more than two tablespoons of alcohol and a quarter of the cup with lemon juice.

When the mixture is done, you get to take a sponge and put some mixture on it. Now you have to leave the damp sponge right on the paint on the floor for five minutes. 

When the five minutes are gone, you may begin rubbing the paint, but gently. If the stain is too stubborn, you can easily use the paint scraper or a putty knife and scrab it. After several minutes, you will succeed in lifting the stain, for sure. And you will remove paint.

Why should you use lemon juice and rubbing alcohol?

The mix of lemon juice and rubbing alcohol is not toxic and safe for hardwood floors (if you have chosen the alcohol that is completely safe for hardwood floors). 

The mixture is very useful against stubborn water-based stains. Lemon juice may assist you because it is the best mean against the paint.

The rubbing alcohol helps you to get rid of paint and left no trace of it because of the structure of the alcohol. 

Sanding for removing paint

This method is not as easy as the previous ones for removing paint, but worth mentioning as well. This is the method that you get to apply when nothing else helped with this paint.

This way requires coarse, power sander, and fine-grit sandpaper. 

You have to take a power sander and rub the wooden floor in little circles on the spots where the stains are. If the paint is in a little area, you get to use sandpaper and rub the floor with it. 

You should be careful while performing all of these actions, especially with a power sander. 

Methods to remove latex paint

Now we have come to the net category – latex paint. Fortunately for you, unlike water-based paint, paint doesn’t tend to go into the wood floors, so you are going to deal with the paint only and not with the damaged stained wood floor. Removing paint of this type is what you can handle.

Paint stripper against the paint

A paint stripper is a perfect way to remove paint. If you are going to select this remedy to clean the hardwood floors, then you should put it in a very small area and test it. You have to do it since you should ensure that the paint remover that you have got is not dangerous to your hardwood floor.

So, what you should do to perform this way is to apply it to the paint stain.

Then you only get to wait for some time, twenty minutes are sufficient in most cases.

You will get that the time to clean it all has come, when you notice that the paint has started to alter the color and when the bubbles are appearing. 

After these actions, you can clean the area with warm water and a sponge. You are better to ensure that there is nothing left. 

Removing paint with the steam iron

Using the steam iron is one of the lightest ways to remove paint because the way doesn’t require a lot of effort, and you do not have to buy something else.

steam iron

Most people have a steam iron at home, for sure. You may not even use exactly a steam iron, what you need is steam, so then a steam cleaner and other instruments would be sufficient. 

When you apply such tools that use steam and heat on the paint on the hardwood floors, you get to be careful to not damage the floor. 

If you select this way, you get to apply a steam iron over the paint and wait. You have to wait until you notice that something in the paint has changed. For instance, it started to lift, and there are bubbles on it. 

When you notice such things, you can take away the iron and take a scraper or a putty knife. Now you can try to rub the stain to move it.

Removing paint with the scraper

Sometimes you do not demand some chemicals to remove the paint on the floor. If you do not have the chemicals and the iron or other steam tools, you just get to attempt to get the stains off the wooden floor with a paint scraper or a putty knife. 

If it doesn’t help, then this is when you can apply other methods.

Heat against the latex paint on the hardwood floors

If you get paint stains that are not very aged, then you can attempt applying heat to lift them and a scraper or a putty knife to remove most of them from the wood surface. 

To do it, you get to have a hairdryer, or other tools that produce warmth, like a heat gun. And, surely, you need a scraper.

So, you need to place the hairdryer or a heat gun over the stains on the hardwood floors and wave it from side to side over the stain. You get to it for some time until the stain starts to get lifted. Then you have to get a scraper or a putty knife and remove the leftovers of the paint. 

Ensure that nothing else is still there, but sometimes the heat can remove only most of the paint stain, but do not worry very much because of it.

Removing the oil-based paint stains

Oil-based paint stains on hardwood floors may sound like a challenge. The oil-based stains are stickier, but it is still quite possible to remove oil-based paint, and you may forget about them for good. Just read about the methods and select one to remove hardened paint from the wood surface.

oil-based paint

By the way, there are several tricks with oil-based stains that you definitely should not forget.

So, if you are not careful, you may not notice that the paint stain got in the space gap between the floorboards. If this happens, it may be much more difficult to remove and not damage the wooden floor in the meantime.

The paint scraper or a putty knife can assist you with removing paint but you get to act carefully. A different situation is when the paint is so dried and old that it has cracks and cracks have got somewhere where it is hard to remove them.

Use paint stripper for oil-based paints

The chemicals of this paint remover can assist you to remove the layers of the paint, and you may be able to move the stain of the paint from hardwood floors. 

What you have to do is to apply the paint stripper to the paint stain and then give it some time until bubbles start appearing on the stain because of the paint remover. Then you can get the paint scrapper and rub the paint stain fully. 

The process doesn’t take much time and effort, so this way is one of the easiest ways to get the paint off the hardwood floor. 

Use paint thinner

If you have a paint stain on the floor that appeared there recently, then the paint thinner can be a remedy for the floors.

Before you start working with the paint thinner, you get to put on protection for your face and your hands.

And you need to open the windows to provide ventilation. The fumes of the chemicals (of the paint thinners) may be dangerous for your health.

So, you get to put some paint thinner on a cloth and then rub the paint with it. 

Then, when you have done removing the stains, you get to clean all the leftovers on the floor.

The paint thinner may help you, so apply it.

Use a heat gun

Heat against oil-based paints is efficient as well as with latex paint. And you get to have a hairdryer or a heat gun as well.

Just keep it over the stains for a while and then when you see that the stains have started to get lifted, you can apply a scraper and get rid of them eventually. 

This way is easy and takes not much time, but it is required that you get to be attentive and careful because you can either damage the floor or make the oil paints stay. But you get to be aware that it doesn’t happen frequently.

Removing the old paint from the floor

There is the last category – the old stains. They are the most difficult type to remove from the floor with paint remover, then the fresh stains.

You are lucky if you could define what type of paint it is since in most cases it is very challenging to define. And they can leave varnish on the floor after them. That is why they can become a serious problem. You may probably get to repair the floor past them.

Let’s take a look at the methods of removing paint from hardwood floors.

Sand the paint on the wood floor

You are already aware of that method, and you are aware that you get to have a power sander to remove the old paint from hardwood floors. Apply it to the area with paint and move slowly and carefully, in small circles.

Then you will definitely get rid of the paint without spending much time and effort. 

If you do not hold a power sander, you can try using sandpaper. You may spend more time with it, but anyway, it can remove the paint, so you get to use it.

Apply denatured alcohol

Denatured alcohol can definitely assist you to remove all the paint from the floors. It is a strong mixture, and you better be careful with that. You should get face and hand protection. You will need alcohol, a cotton ball, and a dry rag for this method. 

Take a cotton ball and apply to it some drops of the denatured alcohol. Rub the paint with it. Then you get to remove the rest of the paint splatters with the dry rag and use it carefully.

This method may certainly help you. But do not forget to provide the room with proper ventilation.

Also Recommended to Read: How To Get Paint Off Of Vinyl Floor

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get dried paint off a wood floor?

Define what the paint is first. For most of the dried paint, a paint scrapper and a mix of rubbing alcohol and lemon juice work well. You can just read the instructions above, define your situation, and then apply the means that are appropriate for the paint that you got. 

How do you remove paint from wood floors without damaging the finish?

You need to act carefully and ensure that any chemicals that you are going to apply for paint removal are safe for the wood floor. 

Can you remove dried paint from wood?

Yes, you can remove this paint splatter. Apply a paint scrapper, a mix of rubber alcohol and lemon juice, or some chemicals that you can find in the article. It depends on the type of paint.

Will vinegar remove paint from wood floors?

Yes, vinegar applied to the area with the paint splatters can remove the paint from wood floors. You just get to apply vinegar to the paint, but not in a high amount, wait for some time, and then remove the leftovers from the wood floors.

In conclusion: there are no paint stains that you can not remove

As you know now, all types of stains are possible to remove, even dried and old ones. All you need to do is follow the instructions and try not to damage the floor with chemicals like elbow grease or other commercial paint removers, or the instruments that you are going to apply for paint removal.

You get to ensure that the paint is removed from your floors, and you can decorate it as you like without obstacles.

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