Gloss paint is tough. This makes it ideal for a lot of specialist painting projects, or any surfaces that suffer a lot of wear and tear. Its compound makes it naturally thicker, helps it to repel moisture, and gives it that signature high sheen, ‘glossy’ finish.
However, this toughness comes at a price. If gloss paint gets somewhere that it shouldn’t, removing it isn’t easy. But accidents happen, and splashes and spillages are inevitable even for professional painters. So to make things easier next time, or for your first time working with gloss, we’re going to explain how to remove gloss paint, the best methods for removing gloss paint, and a few pointers that will stop it happening again in the future.
But first, a little more info about why the risk is worth the reward.
The Benefits of Gloss Paint
In the past, choosing between water-based and oil-based paint was early. Water-based paints didn’t offer anything close to the durability of an oil-based compound, so if you needed a tough paint, it was far from a coin toss.
Nowadays water-based paints are a lot tougher; our interior emulsion paint is perfect even for areas with high humidity like kitchens and bathrooms. But for skirting boards, doors, and exterior surfaces, you still need an oil-based paint.
This won’t cause any frustration though, oil-based paints are still fantastic. If you like the glossy finish, which suits a lot of decorating styles and colour schemes, you might prefer an oil-based paint anyway. But if you aren’t a fan, there are water-based gloss paints available too, although the sheen might be a little lacking.
Even the best gloss paint isn’t always beginner friendly, but if you read the instructions and follow one of our guides even first-time painters won’t struggle to get the best results.
But now let’s address why you came here today.
How to Remove Gloss Paint from Carpet
Before you start painting, you should always cover up the floors and nearby furniture with dust sheets, old bedding, or towels to catch any drips or runoff. But sometimes they move underfoot, or a gap forms that you don’t notice until it’s too late.
Gloss paint, once dried, is difficult to remove from wood floors or tiles, getting gloss out of carpet is enough tougher, but not impossible.
If you notice any gloss paint where it shouldn’t be, you need to clean it up as soon as possible. The longer you leave it, the harder you’ll have to work to remove it.
If you catch your gloss while its still liquid, scoop up the excess and dab the spill with a towel or kitchen roll, the more absorbent the better, then you can tackle the stain. Remember, dab, don’t scrub, or you’ll only make it worse.
Now our advice needs to be split down the middle depending on the type of paint you need to clean.
Removing water-based gloss paint from carpet is fairly easy. Use a wet sponge or scourer along with hot soapy water to scrub in circular motions. Then wipe with a towel until the area is dry. Do this a few times and the stain will slowly disappear.
To remove oil-based gloss paint you’ll need white spirit, Bartoline white spirit is best, and a cloth. Kitchen roll can work, but it’s more likely to break up and make the cleanup more annoying. White spirit is the only thing that will get rid of an oil-based paint, soap and water won’t even put a dent in it no matter how hard you scrub.
Dab the spillage with the cloth soaked in white spirit until the paint has gone, then use a fresh cloth or kitchen roll to soak up the water.
Cleaning up a spillage can feel time-consuming and very frustrating if it’s delaying your day of painting. However, if you leave the spilled paint to dry, it becomes a much harder task.
How to Remove Dry Gloss Paint from Carpet
If gloss paint has dried on your carpet, you first need to scrape as much off as possible. A paint scraper or dull knife will do the trick, drag it along the carpet fibres, always upwards, so that the paint will splinter and fall off. Vacuum the area to remove the loose flakes.
Next you need to soften the remaining paint. Mix a bowl of warm water with a small scoop of detergent, pour some onto the stain until it stops soaking in, and leave it for 10-15 minutes. Once it has dried, do it again.
Some people use a hair dryer to gently heat the paint until it softens. This works too, but you may struggle to reach all the paint on thicker carpets or for larger stains.
Finally, use a bowl of white spirit and a scourer to scrub away the softened paint, like you would do with paint that hasn’t dried yet. If there’s any left, repeat the previous steps again after it has re-dried.
How to Remove Gloss Paint from Clothes
When painting, it’s best to wear clothes that you wouldn’t mind getting a few splashes of paint on and potentially throwing away if it gets really messy. But if you do have a stain you want to get rid of, it’s possible with a bit of time and elbow grease.
Removing gloss paint from clothes needs a similar method to cleaning carpets. As before, it depends on the type of paint you’re using. For water-based, soap and water will be plenty, for oil-based gloss you’ll need white spirit.
Putting your clothes directly in the wash, before the stain has dried, will help remove some of it, but doing it by hand ensures you’ll get rid of all the paint before it’s had a chance to dry.
The Best Methods for Removing Gloss Paint
Gloss paint, once you’ve gotten the hang of it, is one of the best types of paint for kitchen cupboards, interior walls, furniture, skirting boards, and even outside surfaces. Its durable and looks great no matter the colour you choose.
If you know what to do with any stains and spillages, it gives you more confidence to try out our best gloss paint and see the amazing results for yourself.
