Does acrylic paint stain clothes

Acrylic paint looks wonderful when used in different drawings and pieces of art. But it looks horrible when it spills on your clothes.

What will happen if you drop acrylic paint spills on clothes? Does acrylic paint stain clothes?

The bad news is acrylic paint can leave nasty stains on your clothes. The good news is you can remove the acrylic paint stains if you act on time & follow our special cleaning instructions.

Does acrylic paint stain your clothes

Yes, acrylic paint can stain your clothes.

Acrylic paint can leave a pigment-based stain on your clothes. It dries very quickly but the good thing is that it is water-soluble.

If you ever get an acrylic paint stain on your clothes, don’t panic. Act quickly and follow our cleaning guidelines to remove acrylic paint from your clothes.

Does acrylic paint wash off in the washing machine

Yes, if the acrylic paint is wet, it can wash off the clothes in a washing machine. It’s because acrylic paint is water-soluble and you easily get rid of it if the stain is wet.

But keep in mind that acrylic paint dries quickly. When it dries, it becomes slightly water-resistant. So, it becomes a bit difficult to remove.

Therefore, you need to clean the acrylic paint stain when it is wet.

You should not just go and throw the clothes in the washing machine. Read our cleaning instructions to pre-treat the acrylic paint stain and wash it.

How to remove dried acrylic paint from clothes

Dried acrylic paint stains can be stubborn and difficult to remove. With isopropyl alcohol, you will be able to completely remove acrylic paint stains from clothes:

Warning: If your stained clothes are made of triacetate or acetate blend, do not use isopropyl alcohol on them because it will melt the fabric of clothes.

Step 1 – Scrap the dry acrylic paint

Take a dry brush or spoon and scrub the dry acrylic paint on your clothes. Try to remove the maximum amount of dry paint from the clothes.

Step 2 – Soak the dry acrylic paint with alcohol

Take isopropyl alcohol and soak the dry acrylic paint with it.

You can buy isopropyl alcohol from any of your near pharmacies. It is available at a cheap price rate.

Step 3 – Scrub the dry acrylic paint

Start scrubbing the dry acrylic paint with a brush, coin, or fingernails.

You will see that the dry acrylic paint will start coming off the clothes.

Step 4 – Wash & dry

When you have successfully removed most of the acrylic paint by scrubbing, it is now time to wash the clothes.

Throw them in a washing machine and wash them with a laundry detergent.

Carefully check the stain after the wash. If it is completely gone, you can dry the clothes. If it hasn’t, you can repeat the process.

Never put the acrylic paint in a dryer otherwise the heat will make the stain permanent.

How to get acrylic paint out of white clothes

Here is how you can remove acrylic paint from white clothes:

Step 1 – Remove the excess acrylic paint from white clothes

Take a knife or spoon and remove the maximum amount of excess acrylic paint from the clothes.

Don’t take too long or the paint will dry up and become difficult to remove.

Do it quickly and move to the next step.

Step 2 – Rinse with warm water

Acrylic paint is water-soluble. So, the best time to remove this stain is when it is fresh and wet.

Open your warm water tap and put the stained area under warm running water. This will flush out most of the acrylic paint from the clothes.

Now you’ll be left with a stubborn stain of acrylic paint.

Step 3 – Use liquid detergent to pre-treat the stain

Apply liquid detergent or dish soap on the leftover acrylic paint stain. Use your fingers to rub it into the clothes.

Step 4 – Wash your cloth

Now wash your white clothes with bleach or laundry detergent. Use cold water because hot water can make the stain permanent.

Step 5 – Dry your cloth

Check the acrylic paint stain before putting the clothes in a dryer. The heat of the dryer will make the stains permanent so make sure there are no stains left.

We’ll recommend you air-dry the clothes and avoid using a dryer. This way you can avoid the risk of the stain becoming permanent.

How to remove acrylic paint from clothes with baking soda

Baking soda is a brilliant stain remover. But acrylic paint can dry very quickly baking soda might not be effective against such stains.

You can still give it a try. Here’s what you need to do:

Step 1 – Scrub the excess paint

Remove the excess acrylic paint with the help of a spoon or knife.

Step 2 – Rinse with cold water

Open your cold water tap and put the stained clothes against the high-pressure running water stream.

Step 3 – Mix baking soda & water

Create a solution by mixing baking soda and water. Apply this solution to the acrylic paint on your clothes and dampen the whole area.

Use your fingers to work the solution into the stain.

Step 4 – Wash with detergent

Now wash the clothes with a laundry detergent and air-dry them.

How to get acrylic paint out of clothes without alcohol

Here are different methods you can follow to remove acrylic paint from clothes without using alcohol:

Method 1 – Using dish soap

Create a cleaning solution by mixing equal volumes of water and dish soap.

Take a white cloth and dip it inside the solution. Wring it out so the cloth is not too wet but only damp.

Now dab the acrylic paint with the cloth for a while. Then rinse the spot with cold water. Avoid rubbing the stain.

Repeat if the stain still exists.

Method 2 – Using hairspray

Apply a small amount of hairspray on an invisible part of your clothes. If it does not cause any damage, you can continue with this method otherwise do not.

Spread your stained clothes in a sink.

Add some hairspray over the acrylic paint stain on your clothes. The spray will soften the acrylic paint to such an extent that it is easier to remove.

Use your fingers or a coin to peel off the acrylic paint. Do this until there is no paint left on the clothes.

After that, you should wash the clothes in the machine with a laundry detergent to remove the hairspray from clothes.

But again, keep in mind that hairspray can be damaging for some clothes so please use it with extreme care.

Method 3 – Using Windex

Use a spoon or knife to remove the excess acrylic paint from the clothes if it is wet. But if the paint is dry, try to peel off the maximum you can.

Spray a lot of Windex on the acrylic paint and soak the entire area. Use a clean white cloth to blot the stain.

Rinse the area with cold water and wash with laundry detergent.

You can repeat this process if needed.

Method 4 – Use nail polish remover

Apply a small amount of nail polish remover on an invisible part of the cloth. Stop if there is any damage.

Soak a sponge or clean rag in nail polish remover. Now press the acrylic paint stain and hold for 5 minutes.

Check if the acrylic paint has softened up and use a knife or spoon the scrub and remove the acrylic paint.

Quickly rinse the clothes with cold water to remove the nail polish remover and avoid any damage. Repeat the process if necessary.

Wash the clothes with warm water and laundry detergent and then dry them.

Method 5 – Using vinegar and ammonia

If the acrylic paint is wet, remove the excess with a spoon or knife. Flush the acrylic paint with a high-pressure stream of cold running water.

Mix ¼ cup of salt, one cup of vinegar, and one cup of ammonia to prepare a cleaning solution.

Dip a clean cloth or sponge in this solution and rub the acrylic paint. It will remove the paint from the fabric.

Rinse the stained area with cold water and check if the stains have gone or not.

In the end, you need to wash the clothes in the machine with a heavy-duty laundry detergent. This will remove all the chemical smell from clothes.

Vinegar is a very effective stain remover. It can also be used to clean acrylic paintbrushes. Here you can learn how to clean acrylic paint brushes with vinegar.

Does acrylic paint wash off jeans?

Yes, acrylic paint will wash off the jeans.

The best time to remove acrylic paint from your jeans is when it is wet and fresh.

It’s because acrylic paint is water-soluble. But when it dries, it becomes slightly water-resistant and difficult to remove.

How to get dried acrylic paint out of jeans?

Here is how to remove acrylic paint from your jeans:

Step 1 – Remove the excess acrylic paint from jeans

If the acrylic paint is wet, use any spoon or knife and remove the excess acrylic paint present on the surface.

Do not rub the stain otherwise it spread more and set in the jeans.

Step 2 – Flush the acrylic paint

Open a cold water tap and put the stained jeans against the running stream of cold water.

It will flush out the acrylic paint from your jeans.

Step 3 – Apply dish soap or liquid detergent

Squirt a lot of dish soap or liquid detergent on the acrylic paint.

Use your fingers to work it into the acrylic paint stain.

Leave for 5 minutes.

Step 4 – Rinse the area

Now rinse the stained area with cold water and you’ll the stain is gone.

Step 5 – Wash in machine

Put the jeans in your washing machine and run a cold wash cycle with laundry detergent.

Step 6 – Dry outdoors

Now air-dry your clothes outdoors.

Never put the stained clothes in a heat dryer otherwise the stains will become permanent.

Can you use normal acrylic paint on clothes

Yes, acrylic paint can be used on the clothes.

You are recommended to wash the clothes before using acrylic paint on them. Otherwise, your design might be ruined due to the shrinkage caused after washing the clothes.

After applying the acrylic paint, you should dry it with heat so it can perfectly set on the clothes.

Acrylic paint stain FAQs

You are probably looking for answers to these frequently asked questions:

Does acrylic paint stain glass?

Yes, acrylic paint can stain glass.

Acrylic paint is very versatile. It works on simple glass and stained glass as well.

Does acrylic paint stain hands?

Yes, acrylic paint can stain your hands because it dries much faster as compared to the other paints.

But there’s nothing to worry about because acrylic paint is water-soluble. You should wash your clothes with warm soapy water to remove the acrylic paint.

Or you can try isopropyl alcohol to remove acrylic paint from your hands.

Will acrylic paint stain windows?

Yes, acrylic paint will stain your windows. This paint dries very quickly and it can stain your windows.

You can use Windex, isopropyl alcohol, dish soap, liquid detergent, or vinegar to remove acrylic paint from windows.

Will acrylic paint stain sink?

Yes, acrylic paint may stain your sink.

But there’s nothing to worry about because acrylic paint is water-soluble. It will wash away with water.

You can use denatured alcohol, rubbing alcohol, soapy water, dish soap, and liquid detergent to remove acrylic paint from your sink.

Are acrylic paint stains permanent?

No, acrylic paint stains are not permanent. They are water-soluble and can be easily removed if the acrylic paint is wet and fresh.

Even if it dries, you can still get rid of the stains by following our cleaning instructions given above.

But if you will put the clothes with acrylic paint in a dryer, the heat will set the stains and make them permanent. Hot water or any other source of heat will also make the acrylic paint stain permanent. Therefore, you should avoid doing that.