Paint goes just about everywhere except on a carpet
. Thats why if you find yourself in such a predicament where your carpet received a paint job it was most likely an accident. You may have been painting the walls, ceiling, or baseboard and knocked the roller pan over or perhaps you unknowingly had paint on your shoes and walked into the living room.
Either way its a situation which requires immediate attention.
If you spilled a sizable amount of paint on the carpet the chances of removing it are not good. You may either have to live with the stain by covering it up with a runner or carpet sample or replace the carpet altogether.
If the spill is confirmed as water based paint, isnt excessive, and looks manageable here are some tips on how to try and clean up the mess:
What youll need: a lot of paper towels and/or rags, water, a bucket, a trash bag, a few drops of dish detergent and a lot of patience.
1.Working from the outside in remove any excess paint through blotting with a moist rag or towel. Moving inward prevents spreading the paint further. IMPORTANT: Do not rub; blot. Change the towel or rag often.
2.When it seems youve done the best you can repeat the steps but use some warm water. IMPORTANT: Dont use excessive water, which may thin the paint and cause it to spread.
3.Try and remove paint form carpet fibers by gently pulling up on the carpet. If necessary add a few drops of dish detergent.
4.When it seems the paint is removed use warm water and a bit of mild detergent on the area.
5.NOTE: Carefully dispose of rags or towels used to clean up the paint in an easily accessible trash bag.
6.When you are sure almost all the paint has been removed you can use a carpet cleaner.
7.Vacuum.
8.You can blow dry and see how it looks. It a stain remains you may need to call a professional carpet cleaner.
To prevent such spills always cover carpets when working no matter how careful you may think you are. In the end its better to be safe than sorry!