How to Get Paint Off Hardwood Floors

If you have ever painted a room in a house, chances are you have spilled some paint on hardwood floors. In fact, if you are reading this article, I almost guarantee you’ve done this. Or maybe you are just asking for a friend. In either case, there’s no need to panic. We’ve all done it – myself included. It doesn’t matter if I’m using a paint sprayer or a roller. I always seem to spill or drip some paint. But the good news is, it can be cleaned up. And in this article, I’m going to teach you exactly how to get paint off hardwood floors!

Removing Wet Paint from Hardwood Floors

If you can catch the spill immediately, it’s relatively easy to get wet paint off hardwood floors. The best thing to do is use a damp cloth with warm water and gently rub the spill until it comes off, or better than that use our favorite, Crocodile Cloth. This is essential to have on hand while doing a paint project. Crocodile Paint Cloth is an oversized moistened cleaning cloth that soaks the paint up quickly and is also good for paint prepping.

Let the Paint Dry

Another approach to dealing with paint spills and drips on hardwood floors is to let the paint dry. In my experience, this works well on hardwood floors that have already been finished. Once the paint is dry, you can usually peel it off the floor very easily. But there is one problem with this approach. If you leave the wet paint on the hardwood, there’s a good chance that you or someone else might accidentally step in it. And this means that its getting tracked onto other parts of the floor, making a bigger mess to clean up. So if you do decide to let the spilled paint dry, and peel up later, just be very careful not to step in it.

Get Paint Off Hardwood Using Soap & Water

For small spots of dried paint on hardwood floors, start by mixing some mild soap into some warm water and wiping away at the spot until it’s gone. You may need to use a bit more elbow grease than normal depending on how dry the paint is. Make sure not to scrub too hard though as this could cause damage or discoloration to the wood beneath.

Get Paint Off Hardwood Using Rubbing Alcohol

If soap and water aren’t doing the trick, try rubbing alcohol instead. Rubbing alcohol can help break down even stubbornly dried bits of paint without damaging your floors in any way (just make sure not to use too much). Simply take some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball or rag and lightly dab at the affected area until all traces of paint are removed.

Get Paint Off Hardwood Using Paint Thinner/Remover

For particularly tough spots of dried paint, use a commercial-grade paint thinner or remover like turpentine or acetone (available at most hardware stores). Dab some onto a clean rag and gently wipe away at the spill until all remnants are gone. Just be aware that these products should only be used in well-ventilated areas. They give off some pretty strong fumes. So open some windows if you can.

Get Paint Off Unfinished Hardwood Floors

I’ve discovered that getting paint off of unfinished hardwood floors is a bit more difficult compared to getting it off of hardwood that has already been finished. The reason for this is that the paint is able to get down into the wood grain because there is no protective barrier. You can use all of the tips mentioned above to get the paint off the hardwood. But after cleaning, you’ll probably notice that there is still some remaining paint down in the wood grain. If this is the case, you’ll need to lightly sand the affected areas.

Then again, if the hardwood is unfinished, this probably means that your floors have not been sanded yet by your floor finishers. The full sanding process will remove any remaining paint residue and other imperfections. But still, it is a good idea to clean up as much spilled paint as you can before the sanding takes place.

Final Thoughts

If you have spilled paint onto your hardwood flooring, just remember not to panic. Everything is going to be ok! Using the tips above, you should be able to remove all the paint without damaging your flooring in any way. Just remember to always test out any cleaning product before using it. This will ensure that you don’t accidentally cause any irreversible damage!