How to Get Paint off Laminate Flooring

Painting the walls in your home is a great way to brighten the space or freshen up the atmosphere. However, the process of painting can get quite messy with drips or splatters. Oftentimes, the paint doesn’t make it to the wall and you find that the laminate flooring in your home has paint marks. If this happens, you might be wondering how to clean it thoroughly without damaging it. You’re in luck because we’ve compiled a guide with the steps you can take to get those laminate floors clean in no time. 

Simply follow these steps to figure out how to get paint off laminate flooring. 

Before cleaning the paint from your laminate flooring, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the components of the flooring. This way you’ll better understand the dos and don’ts of cleaning this material. 

Laminate is the flooring of choice for many, and it’s come a long way since its creation in the 1970s. Although initially, it had a reputation for being a cheaper alternative to hardwood flooring, the current quality of this style is excellent. It’s often even chosen over hardwood for its durability and ease of cleaning. 

The flooring is made from wood particles compressed together, with an image of real wood placed onto it. It’s topped with an ultra-strong anti-scratch layer.  This is why laminate flooring often looks like real wood but performs better. 

However, one aspect to be careful about is that laminate floors can be harmed by excess moisture. This is why you should be careful about which cleaning process you use to remove paint stains from them. 

Regardless of which type you used, if you notice a few fresh drops of paint on the floor while you’re painting the walls, have a rag or cloth handy to wipe them up as soon as possible. The protective layer on the laminate floors will allow you to clean it up without a hassle while it’s still wet. This is the best solution as it takes only a few moments. 

If you missed this window of opportunity, read on to learn how to approach the clean-up job! 

Although you can buy a professional latex paint cleaning solution from home renovation stores or paint supply shops, you can make an equally effective home remedy for a fraction of the price. 

Step 1. Clear the Area

Make sure the area around the paint is cleared of dirt or debris. When you start cleaning, you won’t want to accidentally scratch the floor by rubbing these into the laminate. 

Step 2: Remove Globs of Paint 

Next, analyze the paint stain to see if any of it can be manually lifted from the floor. This pertains to larger globs of paint rather than thin strokes on the flooring. If you’re dealing with a thick drip of paint, you can try to peel up the edges from the floor and slide a credit card or paint scraper under. Lift up the paint slowly until you can peel it away. Remove as much as you can. Then, you can work on getting rid of the remaining paint spots. 

Step 3: Create the Cleaning Solution 

What you’ll need: 

• Water
• Rubbing alcohol
• Dish soap
• Vinegar 
• A rag or cloth

Combine equal parts of the rubbing alcohol, vinegar, and water. Add a few small squirts of the dish soap and mix until a bubbly solution is created. Dip your cloth into the cleaner, wring it out, and gently rub the paint stain on the floor using circular motions. Please note that the wringing part of washing away the paint is crucial because you want to avoid leaving too much liquid on your laminate flooring. 

Continue to repeat this process and you will eventually notice the paint vanishing. These ingredients are all strong stain removing agents and will have your laminate flooring sparkling clean and paint-free again in no time.  

If the paint stain still isn’t budging, you can tackle the issue with a different cleaning agent. Hopefully one of these alternatives can get the job done.

The chemical makeup of acetone has the ability to break paint down easily, so this is a good solution for stubborn stains. Be wary of the amount you use, though. A little goes a long way. Instead of pouring acetone over the paint spots, dab on a little at a time. It’s better to be patient with the cleaning process than to ruin the finish on your laminate or let it seep into the flooring. 

You’ll need to check your window cleaner bottle to confirm if it contains ammonia. If it does, this will be a fantastic way to remove paint spots from your laminate floors. Although the ammonia will help remove the paint, it has the potential to damage the flooring if exposed too long. Therefore, it’s recommended to have a clean cloth ready to wipe down the paint-free spot immediately after cleaning to remove all of the ammonia. 

When painting a room in your home, it’s best to place sheets or tarps on the floors to protect them. But, if some paint has found its way onto the flooring, don’t panic! If you’re able to, the best option is to wipe up wet paint immediately. If not, no stress. You can follow the above steps to clean it up like it never existed. 

No. The material of the laminate flooring prevents the paint from seeping into the floors. 

A: It shouldn’t as long as you take proper precautions such as sweeping up debris and dirt first, not using too much liquid while cleaning, and not scraping the floor too harshly.  

Paint thinner has been known to damage the laminate flooring so we hesitate to suggest using it. However, if you use it cautiously it can effectively remove stubborn stains. You must decide if the risk of damaging the floor is worth it.  

Probably not. There is a high likelihood that using one of these will scratch the floor. It’s best to use a cloth as you can feel how much pressure you’re cleaning with. Most of the hard work will come from the solution you use.