Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Remove wet paint
• Method 2 of 3: Remove dried paint
• Method 3 of 3: Save your garment if the paint cannot be removed
• Tips
• Warnings

It's not easy to get fabric dye out of clothing, but you may be able to do it depending on how big and persistent the stain is and the type of fabric involved. The most important thing is to remember to treat the stain as soon as possible. It is a lot easier to remove paint that is still wet than paint that has already dried. If, in the worst case, you don't get the dye out of your garment, you may be able to use some tricks to save your garment.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Remove wet paint

1. Deal with the stain immediately. The sooner you try to remove the stain, the more likely you are to be able to remove it. If you have wet paint on your clothes, take off your clothes immediately and try to rinse the paint out.
   • If you can't take your clothes off, try rinsing the stain with your clothes on. This is better than waiting until you can deal with the stain and let the paint dry.
2. Do not let the stain get hot. Textile paint is usually absorbed by heat into the fabric, which means that the paint does not fully cure until it is heated. You usually do this by ironing the fabric. To prevent the dye stain from setting permanently into the fabric when you try to remove it, do not treat your clothes with heat in any way until the stain is completely removed.
   • Don't wash your clothes with hot water.
   • Do not put your clothes in the dryer or dry the area you cleaned with a hair dryer unless you are sure that the stain has disappeared completely.
   • If the fabric dye in question is not absorbed by heat, you can use hot water to rinse the stain from the fabric. However, make sure to read the directions on the package carefully to make sure.
3. Remove any paint that has not set into the fabric. If you got a large amount of dye on your clothes and not all of the dye has soaked into the fabric, remove as much dye as possible before treating the stains. This will prevent paint from getting onto clean parts of the fabric.
   • To remove paint from the surface of the fabric, blot the fabric with a paper towel or gently scrape the paint off with a putty knife.
   • Try not to rub the paint into the fabric.
4. Rinse the paint from the fabric. When you have removed as much paint as possible from the surface of the fabric, take your garment to the sink and run the stained area under the faucet until the rinse water runs clear. It is best to run the water onto the clean area on the back of the stain to prevent the paint from rubbing into the fabric.
   • Don't forget to use cold water to prevent the stain from setting permanently into the fabric.
   • Always read the care label before washing the garment. If the label says that the garment should be dry cleaned, do not try to rinse the dye from the fabric.
5. Hand wash the garment with detergent. Once you have thoroughly rinsed the paint from the fabric, apply some detergent to the affected area and scrub the area. For best results, use a mixture of one part detergent and one part water.
   • You may have to scrub and rinse several times to remove the paint.
   • You should be able to remove the stain with dish soap as well as laundry detergent.
   • If rubbing with your hands doesn't work well enough to remove the stain, scrub the area with a sponge or brush. An old toothbrush works well for removing small stains.
6. Wash the garment in the washing machine. When you have removed as much dye from the fabric as possible, put the garment in the washing machine and wash it with cold water and plenty of detergent. This should help remove the rest of the paint.
   • Do not wash your garment with hot water or put it in the dryer unless the stain is completely removed. If there is still a stain on your clothes after washing in the washing machine, let the garment dry and follow the steps for removing dried dye.
   • Do not machine wash items of clothing that need to be dry cleaned or hand washed. Washing them in the washing machine can damage the fabric. Always follow the instructions on the care label.
7. Consider having the garment professionally cleaned. In the case of delicate fabrics that you cannot wash at home, your only option is to take the garment to a professional to have it cleaned. Dry cleaning may be able to remove wet and dry paint stains from delicate fabrics such as silk, although there is no guarantee that this will actually work.
   • You can also go to a dry cleaner to have machine-washable fabrics cleaned if you are unable to remove the stain yourself.

Method 2 of 3: Remove dried paint

1. Scrape off as much paint as possible from the fabric. Before you start treating a dried paint stain with chemicals, try to remove as much dried paint as possible by hand. Depending on how much paint is on the fabric, you may be able to scrape off some of the paint with a blunt scraper like a putty knife. You can also use a copper brush or a stiff nylon bristle brush to remove some of the dried paint.
   • Be careful not to tear the fabric when removing the paint. If you are unable to remove some paint, go to the next step.
2. Apply a solvent. When you have removed as much excess paint as possible by scraping and brushing, soften the remaining paint with an alcohol-based solvent. Chances are that you already have such a remedy at home. Apply a small amount to the paint stain to begin to soak the paint off.
   • Rubbing alcohol, turpentine, and turpentine all work well for removing acrylic paint.
   • If you don't have any of these solvents, try using acetone nail polish remover or even hairspray (as long as it contains alcohol).
   • If none of these products work to remove the paint, go to a hardware store in your area and purchase a cleaner specially formulated to remove the paint in question.
   • For stubborn stains, you may need to let the solvent soak in for a while before scrubbing.
   • Solvents are very aggressive, so use caution when dealing with delicate materials. Acetone can damage certain substances, including acetate and triacetate. Fabrics made from natural fibers such as silk and wool are also easily damaged, so always test the solvent in an inconspicuous area like an inside seam before using it to remove the paint.
   • If you can't treat your garment with solvents, take it to a dry cleaner to have it professionally cleaned.
3. Scrub the stain. When the paint molecules start to break down and soften with the solvent, scrub off as much of the paint as you can. For best results, use a stiff brush.
   • When you've removed most of the paint, put the garment in the sink and scrub the fabric with detergent and cold water.
4. Wash the garment in the washing machine. After you've washed the garment by hand, put it in the washing machine and wash it with cold water and plenty of detergent.
   • Remember not to heat your clothes unless you are sure that the stain has disappeared completely.

Method 3 of 3: Save your garment if the paint cannot be removed

1. Hem the garment. If you got paint at the bottom of your trouser leg or sleeve, you may want to adjust the garment slightly to hide the stained area. Simply raise the seam slightly to convert your long pants into capri pants or your long-sleeved shirt into a three-quarter sleeve shirt.
   • You can hem your garment yourself if you can sew, or you can take your garment to a tailor to have it professionally fitted.
2. Make it look like the paint stain is on purpose. Fabric paint is supposed to be applied to fabric, so one way to save your garment is to simply apply more paint to it. Think of a nice pattern for your clothes using the stain. No one will ever know you didn't mean to dye your clothes.
   • Try not to cover the paint stain with a new color of paint that matches the color of the fabric. This may not look good.
3. Cover the paint stain. If you don't want to put more paint on the fabric, think about another way to hide the paint stain. For example, you can sew a decorative image on the fabric or cover the area with sequins.
   • If you'd rather not sew, look for clothes iron-on patches.
4. Reuse the fabric. If you can't think of a way to save your garment but you really like the fabric, you may be able to make something else out of it. For example, if you got dye on your favorite blouse, make a pillow from the unstained part of the fabric. You may also be able to cut a large shirt with a paint stain on it smaller to make a kid's shirt.
   • For this you have to be able to sew. You can search for clothing patterns on the internet. If you don't know how to sew, find a tailor who can make another garment from the fabric.

Tips

• Sometimes it is simply not possible to get fabric dye out of clothing, especially if it is a delicate fabric.
• If you can't seem to get the stain out of the fabric, soak the fabric in soapy water or a solvent.
• From now on, wear work clothes or old clothes when you start painting.

Warnings

• If your garment has wet dye, do not put it in the washing machine with other clothes.
• Always read the care label instructions in your clothes before attempting to remove stains. Delicate fabrics can be damaged by aggressive cleaning methods.
• Solvents can cause the colors of the fabric to stain or bleed. It is therefore best to test them first in an inconspicuous place.