How to remove acrylic stains

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How to remove acrylic stains

by Gem Lim
(Singapore)

Reader Question: Hi there, can you tell me what liquid can remove acrylic stains?

Hi Gem Lim,

The key to removing acrylic stains depends on what type of surface the stain is on – is it on wood, fabric, ceramic, cement, or something else? To answer your question I'll assume the stain is on fabric, since that is the most common place for an acrylic stain – but let me know if the stain is on some other surface, and I'll help you out there, too!

If the acrylic stain is on fabric, the secret stain-removal weapon you are looking for might be – believe it or not – hairspray! It seems that any old hairspray will do. Tons of people report total success with this method:

Spray the stained area with hair spray and then rub it vigorously with a sponge.

If the stain doesn't come out, spray and rub again.

If the paint stain is stubborn you may need to use something hard, like a knife's edge, to scrape off the paint after the hair spray has loosened it.

Repeat until your efforts bear success!

In general, acrylic stains on clothing and other fabrics are notoriously difficult to clean because acrylic dries to a stiff, hard plastic, but the hair spray trick works for a lot of people. If it doesn't work for you, here are some other acrylic stain removal methods you can try:

Try the above-mentioned technique, using Windex instead of hairspray.

Dab white spirits on the stained area and allow it to soak for an hour, then wash as normal.

Another alternative is to soak the stain with nail polish remover for an hour, then scrub and wash.

Try scrubbing the acrylic stain with rubbing alcohol.

There is a product called Goof Off that is supposed to be able to remove acrylic paint stains from a variety of surfaces. You can read about it here.

I hope that helps you remove your acrylic stain. Let us know how it goes!

Likewise, if anyone has any other suggestions about how to remove acrylic paint stains, please join the conversation and let us know your technique.

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