How to Get Paint Out of Clothes (Latex and Oil-Based)
Updated July 2026
The short answer
Paint removal depends entirely on which paint it is. Latex and acrylic (most wall and craft paint) are water-based: while wet, they rinse out with warm water and dish soap. Oil-based paint needs a solvent — usually the mineral spirits listed on the paint can — before any washing. Check the paint can label first. It tells you the type and the recommended cleanup solvent, which is exactly what the fabric needs too. Speed matters more with paint than almost any other stain: wet latex is a five-minute fix, dried latex is a project, and dried oil paint may be permanent.
Before you start
You need: dish soap, warm water, a spoon or dull knife. For dried latex: rubbing alcohol. For oil-based paint: the solvent named on the paint can (usually mineral spirits), rubber gloves, and good ventilation.
Identify the paint: the can says "latex," "acrylic," or "water-based" — or "oil-based"/"alkyd" with cleanup instructions mentioning mineral spirits or turpentine.
Check the care label; delicate and dry-clean-only garments should go to a professional with the paint can info.
Work outside or with windows open when using any solvent, and wash solvent-treated items separately.
Steps
For wet latex or acrylic paint:
- 1Scrape off the excess with a spoon — lift, don't smear.
- 2Flush warm water through the back of the stain until the water runs mostly clear.
- 3Work in dish soap , let it sit 5 minutes, and rinse. Repeat until the paint stops lifting, then machine wash warm.
For dried latex or acrylic paint:
- 1Scrape off the surface crust gently with a dull knife.
- 2Soften what remains with rubbing alcohol. Test a hidden seam first, then blot alcohol into the paint and keep working it as the paint softens and lifts.
- 3Follow with dish soap and warm water , then wash. Expect partial results on thick dried paint.
For oil-based paint:
- 1Blot the excess without spreading it.
- 2Dab with the solvent the paint can recommends (usually mineral spirits) using a white cloth, with a towel behind the fabric. Work in a ventilated space, gloves on.
- 3Keep blotting to clean cloth sections until the paint stops transferring.
- 4Treat with dish soap to remove the solvent and residue , rinse warm, then wash the item by itself.
- 5Air dry only. Solvent traces plus dryer heat is a safety risk, and heat sets remaining paint.
What not to do
- Do not let wet latex paint dry while you decide — the difference in effort is enormous.
- Do not use acetone on synthetic fabrics — it can dissolve acetate and damage others.
- Do not machine wash a garment still carrying solvent — rinse and hand-treat first, then wash alone.
- Do not put a paint-stained item in the dryer; heat cures paint into the fibers.
- Do not scrub wet paint — you will push it through the weave.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if paint is latex or oil-based?
Check the can: "latex," "acrylic," or "water-based" versus "oil-based" or "alkyd." The cleanup line is the giveaway — soap and water means latex; mineral spirits or turpentine means oil-based. No can? Dab rubbing alcohol on a dried drip: latex softens, oil-based paint shrugs it off.
Can dried paint come out of clothes?
Dried latex often comes out partially or fully: scrape the crust, soften the rest with rubbing alcohol, and follow with dish soap. Dried oil-based paint is much tougher — solvent may soften it, but full removal from the weave is uncommon. Speed while wet is everything with paint.
Does acetone remove paint from clothes?
It can dissolve some paints, but it also dissolves acetate and triacetate fabric and damages many synthetics — and it strips fabric dye readily. Rubbing alcohol for latex and mineral spirits for oil-based are the safer matches. Test everything on a hidden seam.
Is washable kids' paint actually washable?
Mostly, if you act before it dries: rinse cold from the back, work in dish soap, wash. Once dried and heat-set, even "washable" formulas can leave a tint on light fabric. Treat kids' paint with the wet-latex steps and skip the dryer until it is gone.
Not sure which paint you're dealing with or whether your fabric can take a solvent? Use the Stain Rescue Tool for a plan matched to both.
Use the Stain Rescue Tool