When acrylic paint is spilled on a deck, it is easy to remove especially if still fresh. Removing a dried or old paint will require more work. The steps below will show you how to effectively remove acrylic paint from a deck, whether it be fresh or old paint.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Fresh Acrylic Paint

  1. 1
    Wipe the fresh acrylic paint on your deck with a wet cloth. Get as much paint as you possibly can. Change the cloth when needed.
  2. 2
    Fill a bucket with hot water and add some liquid dish-washing soap in it to make a detergent solution.
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  3. 3
    Scrub the remaining paint with a scrub brush dipped into the soapy solution. Keep on scrubbing and keep on adding soap solution until the acrylic paint on your deck is completely gone.
  4. 4
    Rinse the area with clear water using a hose.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Old Acrylic Paint on a Small Area

  1. 1
    Use a putty knife or a paint scraper to scrape the old acrylic paint off your deck. Your goal is to remove as much paint as you can without damaging the wood.
  2. 2
    Rub the remaining paint using steel wool (number 0000) or fine sandpaper. Do this very gently to remove only the paint.
  3. 3
    Rub the remaining acrylic paint with a cloth moistened with alcohol. Keep adding alcohol on the cloth and keep on rubbing until all the paint is gone. Change the cloth when needed.
  4. 4
    Rinse the area with clear water using a hose.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Old Acrylic Paint on a Large Area

Make sure to wear protective gloves, protective eye wear, mask and protective clothing if applying this method.

  1. 1
    Apply a paint stripper on the old acrylic paint. You can use a paintbrush or a dense broom. Leave the stripper on the deck for about an hour. Be sure to check and follow the manufacturer's instructions on how to use the chemical stripper.
  2. 2
    Rinse the paint off using a high-pressure hose.
  3. 3
    Use a putty knife or a paint scraper to scrape the remaining acrylic paint.
  4. 4
    Let the deck dry fully.
  5. 5
    Sand the area using a random-orbit sander and 80-grit paper. This will completely remove all the remaining acrylic paint.
  6. 6
    Apply a sealer to your deck's surface, if needed. The sealer will protect your deck from future stains.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    How do I clean oil paint?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Oil paints are considerably harder to remove. First douse the area in turpentine (that might soften the paint), then scrape or sand it off.
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Warnings

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Things You'll Need

  • Pieces of cloth
  • Bucket
  • Liquid dish-washing soap
  • Scrub brush
  • Hose
  • Putty knife or a paint scraper
  • Steel wool (number 0000) or a fine sandpaper
  • Alcohol
  • Paint stripper
  • Paintbrush or a dense broom
  • Protective gloves
  • Protective eye wear
  • Mask
  • Protective clothing
  • Random-orbit sander
  • 80-grit paper
  • High-pressure hose

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 11 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 48,165 times.
27 votes - 81%
Co-authors: 11
Updated: September 15, 2021
Views: 48,165
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