How to Remove Paint from Jeans

The best tips for washing water- or oil-based paint from denim

Co-authored by Susan Stocker

Last Updated: March 21, 2023

Removing Water-Based Paint

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Removing Oil-Based Paint

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Preventing Paint Stains

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Nothing can ruin a good painting session like getting some unwanted color on your clothes. A big red stain is the last thing you want on your powder-blue denim. But don't toss those dungarees just yet. We've come through with the best ways to wash both water- and oil-based paint out of your jeans, plus some pro tips for preventing stains.

Things You Should Know

Scrape dry paint off denim with a blunt knife.
Scrub detergent or rubbing alcohol into the denim, then wash your jeans as normal.
Remove oil-based paint from jeans with an oil solvent, paint remover, or glycerin.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Removing Water-Based Paint

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Add warm water to the stained area. Because water-based paints are soluble with water, they're often quite a bit easier to fix than their oil-based counterparts. The first thing to do in the case of a water-based paint stain is to add some warm water to the affected area. Dab a washcloth in some warm water and press it gently against the stain, letting the warm water soak into the jeans fabric. ^{[1]
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2
Treat the stain with detergent and warm water. Once you have let some warm water soak into the stained area, it should be ready for some real cleaning. Add one tablespoon of laundry detergent to half a cup of water and stir. Once the two have mixed into a consistent solution, rub some of it onto the stain with your damp washcloth. Rub the stain in a gentle circular motion; if the stain is sufficiently big, begin rubbing the outside perimeter of the stain and gradually work your way inwards. Rubbing as such will minimize the risk of spreading the paint stain around further.

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3
Try rubbing alcohol. While a light detergent solution should work, it is likely that it won't have solved the stain problem entirely. If that is the case, using an Isopropyl rubbing alcohol solution and dabbing it on the stain should work towards lifting the paint away from the fabric.
- Nail polish remover works too as an alternative to traditional rubbing alcohol, but may prove damaging to fabric. If you're at all concerned whether it's going to leave a stain of its own, do a test scrub of the nail polish remover on a part of your jeans that won't be easily seen, such as the inside or the bottom of a pant leg.
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Use a toothbrush to scrub stain away. The bristles of a toothbrush will offer the abrasiveness and precision needed to fix a stain. Once you have your rubbing alcohol in place, scrubbing away at the stain should see results within a minute of exertion. ^{[2]
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- Use some more rubbing alcohol and apply it to the stain if you're not yet getting the results you'd like.
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Throw in the laundry. Once you've done all of this, the next best thing is to give it a proper once-over in a washing machine. Water-based paints are usually subject to cleaning in a laundry machine, and whatever bits you couldn't get out should be fixed (or at least lessened) after being put through a cycle.
- As always, remember to wash your clothes according to their respective labels.
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Colour over the stain with a fabric marker if needed. If there's still a noticeable coloured blotch on your jeans after trying all of this cleaning, you can still try to remove the colour by getting a fabric pen from an arts and fabrics store. Find one that best approximates the colour of your jeans and dab it over the stain. While this is essentially trading one stain for another, the sameness of colour should make it harder to detect by the human eye.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Removing Oil-Based Paint

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Scrape paint with knife if dry. Oil-based paints are known to be quite a bit trickier than their water-based counterparts when it comes to stain removal, as water is much less effective in solving them. If the paint stain you're tending to is already dry, you can remove at least some of the mess by taking a knife to the surface material. Scrape a blunt knife along the surface; in doing so, you'll hopefully get the excess that wasn't able to latch itself directly onto the fabric.
- It is generally recommended you use a blunt knife for doing this, as sharp knives run the risk of causing damage to the pants themselves.
2
Purchase an oil solvent or paint remover. Unlike water-based paints, which can be attacked relatively easily with warm water, oil-based paints require specific chemicals to be lifted. While paint removers are the most effective antidote for paint stains, they're not promised to be safe for use on clothing. An oil solvent is your best bet; they're relatively inexpensive and can be bought at any supermarket or arts store. ^{[3]
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- Even if you don't have any paint stains yet, it's a good idea to keep an oil solvent handy so you can fix your clothes as soon as possible if it ever arises
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Apply solvent to stained area and scrub. Using a towel, dab the solvent lightly and apply it to the stained area of your jeans. Rub the stain in small, circular motions, beginning from the outside of the stain and gradually working your way inward. Attending to the stain in this manner will minimize the risk of the stain spilling over into adjacent areas of your jeans. Applied correctly, the oil solvent should lift the paint.
- Use a toothbrush if you think the washcloth isn't working as well as it should be.
- If you think a heavier-duty chemical is needed such as industrial paint remover, it's a good idea to test the chemical on an innocuous part of your pants (such as the inside of bottom pant leg) first before moving in to solve the stain. That way, if it's shown to have damage, the damage will have been caused somewhere relatively harmless and irrelevant.
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Cover with glycerin, should the issue persist. ^{[4]
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Research source} If a chemical scrub hasn't properly fixed the issue, cover the stain with a dab of glycerin and let the pants sit overnight. The active chemical agents in glycerin should work towards dissolving and lifting the paint particles from the fabric.
- If you don't already have some in your cabinet, glycerin is very easy to get and can be found at just about any supermarket.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Preventing Paint Stains

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Work slow and cautious while painting. Though it may sound obvious or even condescending, it's a common misstep for people to get too confident and rushed while they're painting. This is especially true when it comes to painting large spaces such as ceilings and walls. Needless to say, the amount of time you'll be potentially saving is not work risking damaging your clothing over. Go slow with your work, and make sure you aren't tracking any excess paint on your brush or roller before moving onto applying it.
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Wear a paint apron. An apron is a commonplace way of protecting your clothing. Aprons can take a beating, and most would agree it doesn't really matter how they look or how much paint gets on them. If you have a kitchen apron you don't mind about keeping the appearances of, you should wear it while you're painting.
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Take your clothes off while painting. While this advice is arguably limited solely to home painting situations and wouldn't go over well in any professional context, the easiest way to save your clothes from paint is to disrobe down to your undergarments. That way, if you get paint on yourself, you can easily just hop in the shower and get it off.
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Keep solvent and damage control supplies at hand while painting. Even if you exercise all of the precautions, there's always a chance that mistakes will occur. If a stain does happen, it really helps to have all of the materials (such as rubbing alcohol or an oil solvent) in the same room to minimize having to run around to fetch it when time is of the essence.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I remove acrylic paint from my denim jeans?

Community Answer

Try using vegetable oil and shortener. It loosens up the chemicals in the paint, and it should come right off.
Question

How do I remove acrylic paint from a white jacket?

Community Answer

If it is a denim jacket, use rubbing alcohol; if it isn't, there isn't anything you can do.
Question

How do I remove paint solvent from dark blue jeans?

Community Answer

Use paint thinner or acetone. Take a toothbrush or rag and rub the jeans vigorously until the stain is removed.

Warnings

The best way to solve stains is to prevent outright. Exercise caution when you can, but it's no sweat if a stain happens. Options are usually available.

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