Dealing With Paint Stained Carpet

If you have ever done any room painting, then you know just how easy it is for the paint to get everywhere except where you want it to go. Typically this will result in some small stains that you need to deal with as well as a lot of frustration, particularly when the paint stains are on carpeting. Dealing with paint stained carpets does not have to be as frustrating of an experience as we make it out to be though. Here are a few methods that you can use to deal with any paint stained carpet that you may have.

• Dishwashing soap. An effective solution for dealing with paint stained carpeting is to use a mild dishwashing soap. Generally these types of cleaners are designed to cut through grease, and so should therefore also be able to cut through paint without much of a problem. Simply put a little dab of the dish soap onto a clean white rag, and then moisten the cloth. Gently blot at the stain, only using light pressure. You can also use a little bit of a scrubbing motion, as long as you don't get too carried away. After a little while, rinse out the cloth, and repeat the process over again. Keep blotting and lightly scrubbing, and rinsing, until you have removed the stain.
• Paint removers. One of the most surefire ways to deal with paint stained carpeting is to use a paint remover, or thinner. However, if you are thinking about using this method then you need to be careful. First of all, do not use this method if you have a colored carpet, since you can end up bleaching or discoloring the carpet. Second, test the paint remover on a similar type of carpeting to ensure that the fibers will not be damaged in any way. Third, do not apply the paint thinner directly onto the carpet, but rather through a secondary medium such as a clean white cloth. Finally, when using paint thinner, make sure that you have proper ventilation or you can make yourself sick.
• Trim the carpet. If the carpeting that has some paint stains on it is a long pile type of carpeting, then you can always try giving it a "haircut." Be careful when employing this method though, since you can very easily cause more damage to your carpet. Start by trimming only a little bit off the top, and see how that goes. If there is still some of the paint still staining the carpet, then remove a little bit more until the stain has been removed completely. After trimming away the stain, blend the new length of carpeting into the rest of the carpet in the same manner that you do when getting a hair cut.
• Dry cleaning solutions. Dry cleaning solutions, which can often be purchased at a home improvement stores or at the dry cleaners itself, are often a great way to clean off paint stains. Simply follow the directions as listed on the back of the container as listed by the manufacturer. However, before you actually use the cleaner, make sure that you test it out on an out of the way piece of carpet to ensure it doesn't react badly, and end up staining. Do not apply the cleaner directly to the carpet, but rather to a clean white cloth (not a colored one) and blot the stain away.
• Replace the carpet. While it may certainly be the most expensive of all possible solutions, completely replacing your carpeting will definitely allow you to ensure that you no longer have paint stains. Yes, this is method can be a bit drastic, but look at it as a chance to do that home renovation that you have always wanted to do.