How to Remove Spray Paint

Co-authored by James Guth

There are plenty of steps you can take to remove spray paint from any surface. To get spray paint off of your skin, rub the area with oil then wash it.^{[1]
X
Expert Source

James Guth
Painting Specialist
Expert Interview. 21 July 2020.} Treat fabric stains by rubbing the stain with an alcohol-based product, such as hairspray. Apply a stripping gel to remove spray paint from porous surfaces, like graffiti-covered masonry walls. To remove spray paint from cars, try an exterior detail cleaner, carnauba wax, or a rubbing compound.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Removing Spray Paint from Skin

1
Apply vegetable oil, baby oil, or cooking spray to the paint.^{[2]
X
Expert Source

James Guth
Painting Specialist
Expert Interview. 21 July 2020.} First, soak a cotton ball in the oil of your choice. Use the cotton ball to liberally dab your skin with the oil. If you use cooking spray, you can just spray it directly on your skin.
2
Rub the paint off your skin. Rub vigorously, but not so hard that you hurt your skin. The paint should start to thin out almost immediately.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- If you have trouble, try scrubbing the area with a washcloth. A washcloth also will come in handy if you’ve spray painted skin that’s not easy to clean in a sink, like your feet.
Advertisement
3
Wash your skin with hand soap. Once you’ve thinned out the spray paint, grab some hand soap, lather the area, and rinse. This will wash away the residual spray paint and oil.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Try washing with hand soap at least twice if your hands are still oily or if any traces of spray paint remain.
4
Use a pumice soap for pesky patches. If oil didn’t remove all of the spray paint, you can try a pumice liquid soap, pumice bar soap, or pumice bar. Any method of using pumice should work, but be cautious with pumice if you have sensitive skin.
- Pumice soaps are typically used to remove grease and grit from jobs like car maintenance. Pumice bars are often used to clean feet. You can find pumice products at your local convenience or drug store.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Treating Fabric Stains

1
Flush away excess wet paint. You’ll have the most success removing spray paint from fabric if you can treat it while it’s still wet. If you’ve simply dusted fabric with spray paint or if it’s dried, you can just start cleaning it. However, if it’s soaked with wet paint, you’ll want to run it under cold water to flush out as much paint as possible.
- Hold an article of clothing until the water starts to run clear.
- If you’re dealing with a carpet or upholstery stain, blot the affected area with a cold, damp cloth or towel.
2
Spray the stain with hairspray. Hairspray contains alcohol, which breaks down the paint’s bonds. You can also use other alcohol-based treatments, like nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol. Test by applying the cleaner to an inconspicuous area, then spray the affected area liberally.^{[5]
X
Research source}
3
Rub the stain with a dry cloth. Once you’ve saturated the area with an alcohol-based cleaner, rub it down with a dry cloth. You should start to see some of the pigment transfer from the fabric to the cloth. If necessary (such as for thick layers of paint), repeat spraying and rubbing the area.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- If you’re dealing with carpet or upholstery, keep spraying and rubbing until you’ve removed the stain and dried the fabric.
4
Run the item in the washing machine on a cool setting. If you’re dealing with an article of clothing, you can machine wash it once you’ve started to break down the paint’s bonds. Check the garment’s label to ensure it’s marked safe for machine washing. Apply a pre-wash stain remover, and run it through the washing machine on a cool setting.
- Be sure to use a cool setting, since warm or hot water will set the stain.
- If a stain still remains, let the garment air dry, then repeat the spraying, rubbing, and washing process. If repeating the process doesn’t work, take the garment to your professional dry cleaner.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Stripping Gel on Masonry and Porous Surfaces

1
Apply paint stripping gel to the painted surface. Purchase a solvent gel marked “paint and varnish stripper” to remove spray paint from masonry or stone walls. Put on a pair of protective gloves and use a paintbrush to apply a thick layer of the gel onto the spray painted surface.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Be sure to test the stripper in an inconspicuous area before applying it to the entire affected surface.^{[8]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  US National Park Service
  Agency responsible for the maintenance and promotion of national parks and monuments
  Go to source}
2
Cover the gel with plastic wrap. If you’re treating items like a decorative object or piece of furniture, wrap it completely in plastic. If you’re removing spray paint from a wall, cover the area with plastic. Make sure the plastic wrap tightly covers all areas where you’ve applied the gel.^{[9]
X
Research source}
3
Use a pressure washer to remove the gel. You can remove the gel once you see the surface start to warp and wrinkle, or after about four hours. Pressure wash with cold water at a setting less than 300 psi. Hold the nozzle about 1.5 to 2.5 feet (about 0.5 to 0.75 meter) from the surface, and wash from the bottom up to prevent dripping pigment from re-staining the surface.
- Wear work clothes, protective gloves, and goggles when pressure washing a wall.
- Repeat the stripping process on stubborn patches as necessary if any paint remains.
4
Apply masonry cleaner to porous surfaces after stripping. Even after pressure washing, stripper can leave a residual shadow on stone or brick walls and other porous surfaces. Purchase masonry cleaner and dilute it at one part cleaner to six parts water. Apply the diluted solution to the surface, let it sit for one to two minutes, then pressure wash with cold water.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Removing Spray Paint from Cars

1
Try an automotive detail cleaner. You'll first want to try the least aggressive treatment when dealing with car graffiti. Start with a car exterior detail cleaner, which is available at your nearby automotive or home improvement store. Spray the cleaner onto the affected area and rub vigorously with a clean, dry cloth.^{[10]
X
Research source}
2
Apply carnauba wax to the spray painted area. Squirt several generous dabs of wax onto a clean sponge. Rub the sponge over the spray paint using circular motions. The wax contains oils that should start breaking down the spray paint almost immediately.^{[11]
X
Research source}
- Carnauba wax is also called Brazil wax. Look for a product marked 100% carnauba or Brazil wax at your local home improvement or automotive store.
- Reapply more wax and use harder pressure to remove stubborn patches of spray paint.
3
Buff out the wax with a clean microfiber towel. Wipe your towel across the waxed surface in quick, broad circular motions. This will remove excess wax and buff the freshly cleaned surface. If you still see any stray spots of spray paint, repeat the waxing and buffing process.^{[12]
X
Research source}
4
Use a rubbing compound. If you don't have success with carnauba wax, try applying an abrasive rubbing compound. Apply a small amount of car exterior rubbing compound to a cloth and lightly rub the affected area in small circles. Wax and buff the area once you've rubbed out the spray paint.^{[13]
X
Research source}
- Don't rush the process or try to rub in broad, hard circles, or you might damage your car's paint. Try testing the compound in an inconspicuous area first.

Expert Q&A
Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow

Question

What is the best product to use in getting spray paint off your hands?

James Guth
Painting Specialist
James Guth is the co-owner and founder of Chesapeake Painting Services LLC. With over 20 years of experience, James specializes in exterior and interior painting, drywall, powerwashing, wallpaper, staining, sealing, and carpentry. James holds a BS in Economics and Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Towson University

James Guth

Painting Specialist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

To get spray paint off your hands, I'd recommend baby oil. It's got a little lift in it and should lift it right up. That's the most environmental and healthiest way to remove it.
Question

How to do I remove spray paint from my keys?

Community Answer

Try nail polish remover, acetone remover, or rubbing alcohol. Pour a little of one of these onto a rag or cloth and rub at the paint on your keys. Hand wash the rag with gloves on.
Question

I have an old porcelain vase that has spray paint on it. It was a valuable piece. Can you help me restore it?

Community Answer

Mix soap, salt, Listerine, toothpaste and water in a cup. Take a toothbrush and rub it on the vase. Voila!