How to get dried paint off hardwood floors

Imagine coming home from a long day at work and you notice a few unusual spots on your hardwood floors. As you bend down to clean the spots, you notice that it’s not a simple food stain. Come to think of it, it’s paint! Paint spilled on your new hardwood floors! How to get paint off hardwood floors? A lot of scrubbing and hopefully no damage to the floor. You can use a few simple home remedies.

Let’s take a look below at the steps it takes to remove the paint from your hardwood floors.

What Do I Need

There are a few items that you can use to assist you in the process of removing paint from your hardwood floors. Here is a list of the best items to get the job done.

  • Dull knife
  • Scrub brush
  • Dish wash soap
  • Water
  • Denatured Alcohol
  • Small bucket
  • Paint thinner
  • Paper towels
  • Clean rags
  • Cleansing pads
How to get dried paint off hardwood floors
Cleaning the hardwood floor

How Can I Get It Done

Depending on how long the paint stain has been on the floors, can determine what products to use. Here are some basic steps to getting the job done.

  1. Prepare the floor-you should clean the floor area to remove any dirt, dust, and debris. This allows you to see the paint stains more clearly.
  2. Use a plastic scrapper-using a plastic scrapper can loosen the dried paint from the hardwood floor without damaging the floor. You can also use a hammer to tap the scrapper if the paint is very hard.
  3. Mild detergent or soap-use a mixture of soap and water and see how scrubbing this solution onto the paint works to loosen the stain. Use a damp cloth and wet the entire surface of the paint stain that you are scrubbing at the moment.
  4. Commercial products-only use a commercial product if the previous steps fail. Use a commercial grade paint remover and dap with a rag onto the surface of the paint. Then, wait about 15 minutes for the cleaner to work and see if the paint scrubs off.
  5. Alcohol pad-purchase some alcohol based cleansing pads from your local store. Use one at a time until the paint has removed or the pad has dried out. If the pad dries out, go on to the next pad, until the paint is removed.
  6. Paint thinner-ensure that all rooms are ventilated that you are using the paint thinner in. Then, soak a small portion of your rag into the paint thinner and use it to scrub the focused area of paint stain. Be careful not to use so much that the paint finish is not removed. You can also use mineral spirits. These products should be used as the last resort.

How Much Does It Cost

Fortunately, it is not expensive to remove paint stains from your hardwood floor. Typically, it is $1.32 per square foot and can range from $1.24 to $1.41 depending on how much material that you need. If you are to hire a professional to remove the stain, you are looking to pay an average of $10.30 per square foot for materials and labor. If you have a large spill of 300 square feet (typical room size), your project can cost a range of $1,950 to $4,235.

While we are on the topic of removing paint from wood floors, consider also learning about removing mold from carpet. Believe it or not, this is a possibility and when the time comes, you will want to know the best course of action.

How to get dried paint off hardwood floors
Check your smoke detectors

Another area you can keep up with maintenance is to check all the smoke detectors in your home. If they are flashing red every 40-60 seconds, this usually means it is working fine. However, consulting the owner’s manual is a good idea. Also, it is important to keep up with the battery changes on this device.

Lastly, you may be proud of how clean you keep your home but while you are checking on things in the house, you may notice roaches. There may be food sources out that are attracting roaches and also your home may not be sealed shut as well as it should be.

How to get dried paint off hardwood floors
Paint splatter on a hardwood floor

When To Call A Professional

Anytime you are working on a hardwood floor issue, you should consider consulting a local professional contractor. If you have concerns about who to hire, reach out to your local home inspection team. Additionally, anytime you are tasked with a large undertaking, you want to know everything that might be involved.

Having a home inspection team out can give you ideas as to other projects to complete. Also, they will also refer the best and most reputable professional contractor to assist with your projects and this could save time and money.

Conclusion

Removing paint from hardwood floors can be a tricky task. It sounds like a great project that is fairly easy to accomplish. However, if you do not know the type of wood you are cleaning and how old the floors are, then asking a professional is your best bet. Saving money is a great idea, but calling on a local professional contractor, could be best.

He or she will know the best approach for removing the paint from your hardwood floors. In addition, Honor Services would be happy to come in and complete a full home inspection. Give your local home inspection team a call, Honor Services is your best home Inspection company In Brevard County, FL.

How do you remove old dried paint from hardwood floors?

To remove dried paint from hardwood floors, you can sand it or use a paint scraper, soap, and water. You can also use rubbing alcohol, denatured alcohol, a paint removing solvent, paint thinners, or cleansing pads.

How do you get paint off hardwood floors without damaging?

Try Isopropyl Alcohol and Lemon Juice If soap and water didn't work, mix a solution of three parts isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and one part lemon juice in a small bowl. Begin by carefully scraping off as much of the paint as possible with a putty knife without harming the floor finish.

How do you get dried paint off the floor?

Beyond water, the mildest solvents that sometimes remove dried latex paint are ammonia (diluted in water) and alcohol, either the denatured type, which is sold as a solvent in paint stores, or rubbing alcohol, which is available at pharmacies.

How do you get dried paint off hardwood floors without sanding?

You can put a drop of dish washing soap to damp paper and wet every part of the stain using a paper towel. Consider rubbing back and forth for a couple of minutes and wipe out the stain using a dry and an absorbent rag. The paint should be now easy to lift off the floor due to softening by the soapy water.