Any ideas how to get gloss paint off the carpet?

Answer 1

What kind of paint, how much and how long it's had to dry are factors. So is the kind of carpet (shag or short; wool or synthetic). Paint remover may attack synthetic carpets and/or the binder on the backside. Mineral spirits may not do much to dried water-based paints. In any case, you must check on the effects of the suggested methods on an obscure piece of carpet and make a judgement about the possible damage of the cleaning process vs leaving the paint.

If it's a tiny amount, and it's recent, mineral spirits on a rag may do to remove most and blend the rest.

If it's a larger amount and it's recent, wipe the spill up with paper towels and use mineral spirits on a rag as above.

If it's an old spill, really cured, and not a shag carpet, physically remove as much as possible (steel brush...carpet's pretty tough and can take it). Use paint remover, but use it on a rag, not dumped on the carpet. Plan on taking some time.

A shag carpet may not be cleanable by anything mentioned, but it may have caught the paint on the tops of the pile strands and you may be able to cut off the worst of the spill.

A way that may give you really clean results, after the wiping and spot-removing, would be to wipe with a cloth very wet with mineral spirits and cover the wet carpet with kitty litter. Push it into the carpet to maximize contact with residual paint/mineral spirits, you're trying to get the kitty litter to soak up the mix. Hand remove the kitty litter after several hours. It won't be odor free and you don't want to vacuum mineral spirits! Let the remainder dry until the odor goes away. Then you can vacuum the residual dry kitty litter.

If the whole idea of using solvents is a problem, and you know the paint is an alkyd or other oil-based paint, you can probably do the job in two or three steps: Wipe and pick up the major portion with towels. Use cooking oil to dilute and loosen the paint that remains, wiping that up with towels. Finally, steam-clean the residual oil from the carpet.

One more way, for dried on paint, would be to steam-clean using a strong solution of trisodium phosphate or even tetrasodium pyrophosphate, which a water-based paint removers. But test the carpet before cleaning a large area this way.

Please be sure to wear protective gloves and goggles and have plenty of outside air ventilation for any large cleaning effort.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Paint brush cleaner will help but try it on a bit of covered carpet first in case it makes the carpet dye run. If it is a big patch and you have spare carpet it can be cut out and a patch fitted. Removing the paint will take many attempts if it has dried solid.

Answer 3

You can use two products....Goof Off or Goo Gone. Both will work. They smell terrible, but work very well. Get them at Home Depot/Lowe's.

Answer 4

try some mild paint remover, you can buy it from any home repair and remodeling center.