Painting is one of those instant gratification experiences you can ever find. This is true regardless of whether you’re a professional painter or are just having fun with paint.
You get to see the fruits of your labor as you advance, and to some people, it could mean more than just painting a wall. It’s a cheap therapeutic exercise that promotes stress relief.
But it’s no secret that painting is a messy task. It’s common to get paint spots or stains in your clothes, especially when using chalkboard paint.
So, what do you do when your clothing gets paint stains? When you notice chalkboard paint splotch on your clothes, try out the simple methods I have outlined in this post to remove it.
Feel free to jump ahead!
What’s chalkboard paint?
Chalkboard paint is a paint whose ingredients can turn surfaces into instant writing spaces. The paint has silicon dioxide, talc, and titanium dioxide, creating a surface that can hold chalk.
You may paint it on kitchen walls to write recipes, the kids’ playroom for their plays, or a tabletop. However, in any area you decide to paint, you’re likely to end up with spots or stains of the paint in your clothing.
Chalk paint is typically black but it also comes in a variety of colors and can be used on a variety of items.
Here is the equipment you need and how you can remove the paint from your clothes when that happens.
What do I need?
Before removing the chalkboard paint from your clothing, you should gather a few materials. Among the things you’ll need include:
- Rubbing alcohol
- Stain remover
- Toothbrush
- Laundry detergent
- Dishwashing liquid
- Drying rack
- Clean rags, paper towels etc.
These are some of the tools and materials you’ll need to get started. We’ll see more as we go through the chalkboard paint removal methods.
Before you start:
When your clothing gets a chalkboard paint splotch, the first thing you need to do is lightly brush off the loose chalk dust. If possible, do this outside to prevent the paint from spreading to other surfaces.
Wash the clothing on a normal cycle if no chalkboard paint is visible. Now, let’s have a look at the methods you can use to remove the chalkboard paint from your clothes.
How do I remove chalkboard paint out of clothes?
Getting chalk stains and spots in your clothes is almost inevitable when painting. Luckily, these paint stains and marks can come off easily if you follow the correct procedures.
Here are ten different methods that will help you remove chalkboard paint from your clothes:
1. Handwash the stain
This is the most basic yet best way of removing chalkboard paint from your clothes. It involves using your hands and a little bit of elbow grease to wash the paint-stained cloth using soapy water.
Here is a step-by-step guide on handwashing the chalkboard stain from your clothes:
a. Using the back of a spoon or butter knife, scrape the thick dried paint off your clothing.
b. Remove as much paint from the cloth as soon as possible before wetting it.
c. Using warm water, flush the chalkboard paint stains from the back, repeating until the color fades. This prepares the cloth for cleaning using a detergent.
d. Add about 1 cup of warm water to a bowl and add several drops of mild dish soap
e. Take a none colored sponge and dip in the mixture
f. Tamp and scrub the stained area with the sponge, repeating the process until the chalkboard paint comes off.
g. Always rinse the sponge with warm water every time you rub the stained area.
h. It can take up to four cleaning phases to remove the stains entirely, depending on the degree of the initial stain.
Be careful when rubbing the stained area. You could push the stains deeper into the clothing fibers.
2. Wash with hot water
Yes, hot water effectively removes the chalkboard paint from your clothes. After getting rid of the dried paint off your cloth using a knife or a spoon, wash your cloth at the hottest temperature the fabric can allow.
You can also follow the care label instructions that come with the fabric.
3. Remove the stains with dishwashing detergent
Dish detergent is perfect when removing water-based paint like latex, chalkboard, or acrylic paint. But how exactly do you go about it?
First, rinse the stained clothing with a little bit of warm water. Then, dab the stained area using a damp rag and a little bit of dishwashing detergent.
Leave the solution sitting for several minutes, and then scrub and rinse using warm water. Repeat this treatment several times and then wash the fabric in cold water.
Note: Before using this method, make sure the clothes are color-safe. Otherwise, washing the fabric material with dish soap will make its color run.
4. Use rubbing alcohol
Rubbing alcohol (also known as isopropyl alcohol) is a highly effective way to get rid of chalkboard paint stains from your clothes. It’s particularly a great solution if the dishwashing detergent doesn’t work on your clothing.
The first thing you need to do is wet the stained area with warm water. Then, soak a toothbrush or a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and gently scrub the stained part.
Rinse the fabric with warm water and repeat the process several times. Finally, wash the garment in the washing machine to remove the final chalkboard paint stains and the alcohol.
5. Use acetone nail polish remover
If you can’t access the rubbing alcohol, don’t fret. Nail polish remover can work as perfectly as the alcohol to eliminate the clothes’ chalkboard paint.
Soak a rag in it and blot the paint stain to loosen it up. Then, wash the clothing using warm soapy water to remove the remaining paint spots and the nail polish remover.
Note: Make sure that your clothing doesn’t have triacetate or acetate before using this method. The acetone nail polish remover can damage these fibers.
6. Use hairspray
Many aerosol hairsprays contain alcohol and can thus remove chalkboard paint stains in clothes. Spray the stained area with hairspray until the entire surface is covered.
Then, give the area a good scrub using an old, soft toothbrush. Run warm water over the splotched area after scrubbing it.
Finally, throw it in the washing machine to remove the excess paint and hairspray.
7. Use hand sanitizer
Like hairspray, most hand sanitizers contain alcohol; hence, they can remove chalkboard paint splotch from clothes. The stains removal process is much similar to that of a hairspray.
You cover the paint-stained area with hand sanitizer and use a toothbrush to scrub it off. Then, you wash the cloth to remove the remaining paint spots and the hand sanitizer.
You can use hand sanitizer and hairspray together for better results. It’ll help in removing the chalkboard paint from the fabric faster.
8. White Vinegar, salt, and ammonia
Yes, you can use vinegar, salt, and ammonia to remove chalkboard paint from your clothes. And here is how to go about it:
a. Add two tablespoons of vinegar, one tablespoon of salt, and two tablespoons of ammonia
b. Add warm water and then stir the solution
c. Soak an old toothbrush or rag in the mixture and scrub the stain till it comes off
d. If the stain is huge or the paint won’t come off, fill the sink or a large bowl with water and add ammonia, vinegar, and salt
e. Submerge the stained clothing in the solution and leave it for several hours.
f. Then scrub the stain using a toothbrush
If you don’t want to buy extra materials, this is your go-to paint removal method.
9. Lavender essential oil
This is yet another ultra-easy solution to remove chalkboard paint stains from your clothes. To get started, add a few drops of lavender essential oil to the stained area and leave it soaked for about half an hour.
Use a knife or a spoon to scrape off the loose paint. Then, use a soft toothbrush or a damp rag to remove the stains.
10.Use a paint stripper
Before getting started, here is a quick safety precaution for you: wear gloves, goggles, and long sleeves. Even if the remover is marked to be safe, you can’t be too safe.
After that, follow these guidelines to remove the chalkboard paint stains:
a. Apply the paint stripper on the stained area
b. Leave the solution soaked in the area for about 20-30 minutes
c. Using a wire scraper, a putty knife, or a soft toothbrush, brush off the paint.
There you have it: the different methods you may use to remove chalkboard paint from your clothes. Some experts will also recommend sanding off the chalkboard paint stains from your cloth.
Conclusion
Painting promotes self-relief, bolsters memory, improves problem-solving and motor skills, etc. But painting can also be messy and will probably leave your clothes with paint splotch.
If you splatter chalkboard paint on your clothing, the chances are that it can come off with the right approach. This post provides you with the methods to remove chalkboard paint from your fabric materials.
Good luck as you purpose to use it to get chalkboard paint out of your clothes.
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