How To Get Paint off Laminate Floor

You’ve done a great job so far – installing your laminate flooring and painting your walls. The room now wears a new appearance and you are glad about the job well done.

But just as you are getting set to round up the job and have a rest, you notice a couple of paint stains on your floor. It may be insignificant at first but if left to linger, you will not only have stained laminate flooring but also one that is susceptible to damage.

Is there anything you could do to take the paint off your laminate? Yes, there are a couple of options on how to take the paint off the floor and we’ve discussed some in this article.

Does Paint Damage Laminate Flooring?

Considering the delicacy of the floor and the general opinion that water is its “greatest enemy,” is there any point fretting over paint stains?

You need to remove paint from your laminate floor for these reasons:

Paint sticks and if not cleaned on time, cause an unpleasant sight on the laminate.
Cleaning paints is difficult, meaning that it is something you will have to deal with over time, if not tackled immediately. Besides, having stuck-on paint on the laminate flooring only helps to make the floor lackluster.

What Types of Paint to Remove from Laminate Flooring

While painting your room, the types of paints commonly used are:

Acrylic and;
Latex

Hence, these two are also the ones to get rid of from the laminate flooring after painting the room. Note that there are some clear differences between the two and these could influence the removal process:

Acrylic paint sticks faster to the surface. Hence, you need to have it removed as fast as possible. The cleaning process is usually straightforward – you can use water or make a cleaning solution with natural paint thinner.
On the other hand, latex paints are easier to remove than acrylic. Just water and a little dab here and there will have it removed. It is possible because latex paints do not have chemicals, but are water-based paints.

Read: How To Remove Sticky Residue From Laminate Flooring

Methods of Removing Paint out of Laminate Floors

If you’ve spilled paint (whether acrylic or latex) on your laminate flooring; then, making haste to have the mess cleaned up is necessary.

Read through below to have an idea of how to get paint off laminate flooring and in good time.

1. You can be Lucky with a Damp Cloth

The fastest way to tackle paint spills is to remove them ASAP. While the “drying time” might differ, the rule is still the same.

Sometimes, using just a damp cloth could do the magic. Here’s how to make it work:

Grab a clean cloth.

Pour cold water into a bowl or a bucket.
Dip the cloth inside and wriggle excess water out of it.
Place over the surface and wipe the paint off the floor, using a circular motion. Do not dab because that might just dig the stains deeper into the floor.

After a few minutes of repeating, you’d have successfully removed the paint spills.

Note: The goal is to remove the paint faster using the 10-second rule. So, if you can apply the damp cloth on the stains and have them softened in under 10 seconds, you can be sure of not destroying the beauty of the laminate flooring.

2. Quickly make a Homemade Cleaning Solution

Before you think of getting a paint remover for laminate floors, the first thing you must do is use the items at your disposal. The chances are that you have some of the items required for the process.

To make a homemade cleaning solution, here’s what you need:

Rubber gloves
Equal parts of water and white vinegar
Rubbing alcohol

A bucket for mixing the solution
A vacuum cleaner
A clean cloth for distributing the mixture

A dust mop and;
Liquid dishwashing soap

Before preparing the mixture, here are some things to do to prepare the floor:

Clean the floor of debris and dust particles. Use the dust mop to gather those.
Vacuum the floor to get rid of the particles and any other objects on the surface.

You can now set apart the task of mixture the ingredients thus:

Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water in the bucket.

Add rubbing alcohol too.
Squirt in a few drops of liquid dish soap.
Stir for the ingredients to mix properly. This is essential to aid the white vinegar and water to tackle the water-based paint spills. On the other hand, a few drops of rubbing alcohol and or liquid dishwashing soap help to tackle paint stains caused by oil-based paints, such as acrylic paints.

With those done, here is how to clean the floor with the cleaning solution:

Dip the clean cloth into the mixture in the bucket.
Wriggle out excess water. Remember that laminate flooring doesn’t tolerate, so you want to make the cloth damp.

Use back-and-forth motions or swabbing to clean the paint spills off the floor.
Repeat the process over and over again, until you’ve satisfied yourself that no stains are left or visible on the laminate.

Note: There is also a possibility of leaving the damp cloth on the floor, in a situation where the stains are almost sticking-in. After 5 or 10 minutes, lift the cloth from the floor and swab the softened spills out of the floor.

3. Ammonia-Based Cleaning Solution Removes Paints from Laminate Floors

Window cleaners contain ammonia, an active ingredient for getting rid of paint on the floor. The ammonia compound helps to sift through, break down, and get rid of the chemical components in the paint.

Although this window cleaner is highly recommended for use with chemical-based paints, especially acrylic paints; you can also use it to remove latex paints.

Here are directions for use:

Vacuum the floor to get rid of dust particles and or objects on the laminate flooring. you can also use a broom or a dust mop to finalize the cleaning. This way, you are sure that the surface is free of obstacles that could potentially scratch the floor during cleaning.

Pour the ammonia-based solution/window cleaner into a spray bottle.
Spritz the solution to the stained part of the laminate flooring.
Allow to sit for a couple of minutes.

Get a non-abrasive brush or a bristle-free toothbrush. Use that to scrub the melted paint out of the floor.
Repeat the process severally if you notice that not all the paints were lifted off in the first round.
Wipe the surface with a microfiber cloth.

Finally, open up the windows and or place a fan close to the spot to dry the floor.

4. Use Denatured Alcohol to Remove Paint from Laminate Floor

While you may have combined rubbing alcohol with the homemade solution, there is still a chance to use alcohol on a standalone basis. This time, we are using denatured alcohol, and here are the directions for use:

Pour a little denatured alcohol into a bowl or a small bucket.
Dip a clean cloth into it.
Allow the cloth to soak, then lift out.

Wriggle a little of the alcohol out of it.
Now, use the cloth to scrub the stained part of the laminate flooring.
If you feel the paint is not coming off, use a scrapper to get it out faster.

To complete the cleaning process, dip a clean cloth into a bucket or warm water. Wriggle excess water out of it, before using it to remove the residues of denatured alcohol.

5. Acetone Nail Polish Remover Removes Paint Spills

You will gain considerable success at using nail polish containing acetone to remove paint off a laminate floor. However, this comes with a warning – the remover should be sparingly used to prevent damage.

Acetone-based nail polish remover is used due to these benefits:

The remover not only softens but also helps lift the paint off the floor. This makes it easier to wipe off the spills.
You can use acetone-based nail polish remover to get rid of both latex and oil-based paints.

We recommend using the acetone-based nail polish remover for these reasons:

When the traditional use of home-based cleaning solutions doesn’t work and;

If the ammonia-based or window cleaner method doesn’t work.

Here is how to apply it:

Dip a cotton pad into the remover. You can also dampen a clean cloth with the polish remover.
Apply the cloth or cotton pad directly to the affected area of the laminate flooring.
Allow it to sit on the surface for a couple of minutes, during which it works at breaking down the stain.

Wipe off the stain from the floor.
There are chances that the first attempt wouldn’t work. So, keep repeating until the rest of the paints are removed.
Dip a clean piece of cloth into warm water. Wriggle out excess water and use the cloth to wipe the floor.

6. Regular Paint Remover is Worth the Shot

Why use other cleaning products when you have one dedicated to removing paint from the laminate floor? You can use a paint remover for this purpose.

The commercial paint removers can remove the paint-induced spills if you follow the manufacturer’s directions.

Note: Paint removers might not work on oil-based paint stains. Also, they work best for dried or stuck-on paint spills.

Here are the directions for use:

Clear any debris, dust particles, and or objects on the laminate flooring. You don’t want any item that will disrupt the process and scratch the floor in the course of cleaning.

Make a direct application of the paint remover on the spot on the floor.
Allow it to sit for a couple of minutes; giving ample time for the remover to break down the stain.
Get a clean piece of cloth and wipe off the paint from the floor.

Get another clean cloth, dip it in a bucket of clean water, wriggle out excess water, and apply it to the flooring to get rid of residues.

7. Vinegar Alone can Remove Paint from Laminate Floor

You can be sure to use only white vinegar and water to remove paint spills from laminate flooring. This is an effective solution for stubborn or stuck-on paints.

The key to getting it right is using the right measurement, which is:

A gallon of water and;
A cup of white vinegar.

Mix the two in a bucket. If you don’t intend to use a clean cloth for the application, pour water into a spray bottle, add white vinegar, and shake to mix properly. Spritz the solution to the affected area and allow a few minutes to sit and work on the stains.

Finalize the process by washing the surface with clean water, before using a clean cloth to remove every moisture.

8. Scrape off the Paint from the Flooring

Sometimes, do what you can do at the time – using handy tools to remove paint from laminate flooring. We know that there are concerns about the effectiveness, especially when it has to do with scrapping.

You can use an old credit card to scrape and lift off the dried paint from the floor. But if the stains are tough, perhaps, using a stronger tool, such as a bristle-free toothbrush or a putty knife might suffice.

This is the direction for use:

Use the brush with gentle bristles or a putty knife to scrape off the paints.
Shift the particles to a side and continue until all the paint comes off.

Clean the surface with a damp cloth.

Note: As much as the scrapping method is a faster remedy to paint spills on laminate flooring, it is also a way to open up the floor to damage. This is why we recommend using either a bristle-free toothbrush or an old credit card. Using a metallic object might just scrape off a part of the flooring in the process.

FAQs

1. Will Paint Thinner Damage Laminate Flooring?

We recommend using a paint thinner as the last resort because it is a caustic chemical, capable of discoloring the laminate flooring. Always wear gloves and a mask, keep the room ventilated, and do a patch test before putting a piece of cloth into the chemical and trailing the direction of the flooring’s grain.

2. How to get Acrylic Paint off Laminate Flooring?

The best cleaning products for removing acrylic paints off laminate floors are paint thinners, window cleaners, denatured alcohol, and methylated spirits.

Conclusion

Getting paint out of a laminate floor can be a breeze when it is fresh and a headache when it sticks. Always use a clean cloth to wipe off the stain if it’s fresh or make a cleaning solution to soften and lift the stubborn stains out of your laminate flooring.