Have you also got weary of the acrylic paint splattered on your wooden furniture making up for an unsightly appearance for your eyes? Acrylic paint might land your wooden furniture due to someone’s carelessness while painting or might even be the result of your little one’s artistic skills. Whatever the reason may be, acrylic paints are not expected to sit there on your wooden accessory.
They are meant to be done away with as soon as possible. Unfortunately, removing acrylic scuffs does not seem like a very easy task. It takes quite a bit of hard work and time to get rid of it. But on the brighter side, acrylic paint can turn out to be pretty vulnerable to some of the chemical processes that can remove the dried paint with considerably less effort. So, let us get started on how to remove acrylic paints from wood.
Since acrylic paint is a water-based compound, it is very rudimentary to think of hot or lukewarm water as one of the solutions to how to remove acrylic paint from wood. While hot water might actually help in clearing the acrylic marks, there still remains a chance of leaving the spot with a bit of scuff. This implies that hot water is not a perfectly efficient way. Well, worry not! We have got various easy methods on how to remove acrylic paint from wood. There is no fixed procedure that works on all types of acrylic paints. The method that is expected is be used depends upon whether the paint is still wet or has got dried up.
Before we get started with how to remove acrylic paint from wood, here is a compilation of some major precautions and safety measures. one needs to keep these in consideration while discarding acrylic stains.
- While working with the detergent, try to keep it out of the reach of the children.
- While you are working, make sure that you are having proper ventilation in the room.
- Not only when you are working, but also after you are done with the cleaning, ensure the windows are open and there is adequate air coming in.
- Instead of getting started with any chemical and the chemical-based method right away, try executing it on an extremely smaller area. This is to make sure the process is working and not raising any further issues.
Step-by-step guide on how to remove acrylic paint from wood
If it is the unvarnished wood that you want to remove acrylic paint from, then it is the acetone, alcohol, and a lacquer varnish that is needed. On the other hand, if that is varnished wood, then hot water and soap should be handy. The reason alcohol and acetone are used only for unvarnished wood is that possess a proclivity to diminish the shine of the wood. Hence, no alcohol-based chemical for varnished wood.
Step 1: Full process on how to remove acrylic paint from wood using soap and water
As mentioned earlier, hot and soap water is the best way of removing acrylic from wood. This method works most effectively on wet paints, which means that if the paint is dried up then it won’t work very well.
- While the paint is still fresh, begin by wiping the taint with a wet cloth. Switch it to a different cloth if the former one gets saturated with paint.
- Now get a clean cloth and submerge it in a bowl full of hot water mixed with a liquid detergent/ soap.
- Keep on rubbing the blemish gently for some time.
- Change the water whenever the mixture gets dirty. Use clean water and add more liquid soaps.
- Keep up with the scrubbing until you find the blemish fading away.
- Eventually, wipe the area using a dry cloth.
Step 2: How to remove acrylic paint using household oils
Our household oils are known for innumerable uses. One of the worst mistakes is to assume that household oils like olive oils can just be used in the kitchen. Not only for cooking, one can use this oil to say goodbye to acrylic stains as well. Let us get to know about the steps to be followed while removing it with oil.
- Smear the paint with a thick coat of oil.
- Now cover the smeared surface with a clean dry cloth.
- Leave the spot covered for a couple of hours.
- After an hour, try scraping the acrylic off using a putty knife. You can even use a kitchen knife or a plastic paint vanish tool as an alternative to a putty knife.
- If you still find acrylic blemishes on the area, then repeat the whole process from point one. Just that, clean the area with a few drops of water every time you repeat the process.
Step 3: How to remove acrylic paint from wood using alcohol
In order to remove acrylic paint from wood by using rubbing alcohol or isopropyl alcohol, you firstly need to make sure that the wood is unvarnished. Secondly, fetch a putty knife, or even sandpaper would work here.
- Using a putty or kitchen knife, scratch off as much acrylic as you can. Just don’t do it hard enough to damage the sealant of your wood.
- Pour some rubbing alcohol into a cloth.
- Rub the saturated cloth over the paint for a while. In case, you are working on a bigger surface area, try using a ball of steel wool to get the job done in less time.
- After you are done with scrubbing, wipe off the area using soap and water.
- Repeat the process until you are done with every trace of acrylic blemish. (Wipe it clean every time you repeat the process and after you end it)
Conclusion
For the acrylic paints that do not go away even after using any of the three methods, denatured alcohol can be used. Be careful with denatured alcohol since it is highly inflammable. Besides denatured alcohol, a heat gun can also be used to remove acrylic paint. But no matter which way is followed, taking precautions is a must.
