How to remove paint stains from wood floor

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Try as you might to prevent any paint splatter or spills from landing on your hardwood floors; it’s not always easy to prevent these accidents from occurring. You may have used every drop cloth and all the painter’s tape you could find, but somehow, someway, a few drops of pigment found their way to the ground. 

Fortunately, you don’t have to live with your painting mishaps forever because there are a number of ways to get paint off wood floors. Use the following tips to learn how to get paint off wood floors and make your flooring look new, no matter what paint you’re dealing with or how you need to remove it.

Why Do I Have Paint on My Hardwood Floors? 

There are a couple of reasons that you may have paint on your hardwood floors in large or small amounts. For one, maybe you moved into a new house with hardwood floors that the previous owners had decided to paint. While you may feel doomed to live with their aesthetic choice, it’s totally possible to return your floors to their original, untouched glory. Doing so will take more work than removing a few small splatters, but it’s totally within reach. 

Spills and splatter from painting projects are the other, more likely reason that your floor is dotted with pigments. These kinds of accidents can happen to DIYers of all levels, but luckily it’s an issue that’s fairly easy to correct. 

How to Prep for Getting Paint Off Wood Floors

Before removing paint from your floor, here’s what you can do to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. 

1. Clear Area of Furniture 

This will make it a lot easier than moving each piece out of the way as you go. It will also prevent you from boxing yourself into an area or having to slide furniture around before your floor is ready for it.

2. Ventilate Your Space

Open windows and turn on your fan before you begin removing paint from your wood floor. A well-ventilated space will help protect your lungs, help the area dry faster, and prevent any hazards from occurring. 

3. Find Out What Kind of Paint You’re Dealing With

Knowing what kind of paint you’re up against will make it easier to find the best solution for the job with less trial and error. In general, you’ll either be dealing with oil- or water-based paint, and there’s a super quick and inexpensive way to tell which is which if you can’t easily remember. 

Dab a cotton ball in a bit of rubbing alcohol and gently buff the paint spot on your hardwood floor for a few seconds (no more than 10). If the paint begins to come off, it’s water-based, and you can almost always easily remove these kinds of paints with gentle cleaners like dish soap and tools like a putty knife. If the rubbing alcohol doesn’t remove any paint, it’s oil-based and will require a heavy-duty remover, like paint thinner or a heat gun.

4. Assemble Your Supplies

Decide which methods to try based on what type of paint is on your floor and gather the necessary tools and materials from there. 

How to Get Paint Off of Hardwood Floors

Photo: Stella / Getty Images

When it comes to how to get paint off of wood, you have quite a few options at your disposal. Here’s everything you can do depending on how much paint needs to be removed and exactly what kind of paint it is. 

1. Try a Putty Knife

A putty knife is a great way to lift an old stain that has completely dried. This trick can work for both water- and oil-based paints. Work on one edge of the spill to slowly pry off the dried paint. If it doesn’t budge, lightly soak it in soap and warm water until the paint feels slightly more loose and pliable. This method also works great for removing paint from wood furniture.

2. Use Soap and Water

If the dried paint is water-based, most of it should easily come up with some soap and water. 

Dip a rag into warm water and add some soap and elbow grease, and most of the paint should come right up.

3. Make a Homemade Rubbing Alcohol Solution

After getting up as much paint as you can using your putty knife or soap and water, a good soak in rubbing alcohol can get rid of those stubborn paint splatters. 

Mix three parts rubbing alcohol with one part lemon juice and dip a rag into the solution. 

Set the rag on the paint spot and let soak for about five minutes. 

The alcohol should loosen up the paint, and you’ll be able to wipe it off. If you need something a bit stronger, take an old toothbrush and scrub off the existing paint.

4. Break out Your Heat Gun 

A heat gun will work to soften the paint and make it easier to remove with a putty knife. The great thing about this method is that it works on water and oil-based paint. 

Set the heat gun to high and hold it about 3 inches away from the paint spill. Let it heat up the paint for about 30 seconds. (This will make the paint easier to remove with a putty knife.) 

After you’ve removed it all, clean the area with soap and water. And if you don’t have a heat gun on hand, know that a hairdryer will also work!

5. Give Paint Remover a Shot

If nothing else has worked, you can’t go wrong with a paint remover. It will take off oil- and water-based paint and is safe to use on your hardwood floors. Follow the instructions on the paint remover of your choice.

"In this case, be sure to wear gloves, old clothes, and eye protection," said Asya Biddle, Angi Expert Review Board member and manager of The Dustbusters, a family-owned and operated janitorial company in Williamsport, PA.

6. Try Paint Thinner for Tough Cases

If none of the above methods work, and you know your paint is oil-based, you may need to use paint thinner to remove it. However, this method can damage your wood floor’s finish, so it should be your last resort. 

Make sure your space is well-ventilated by turning on a fan and opening a window. Dip a rag into the paint thinner and gently scrub the paint away. If you use a heavy hand, you may take off some of your floor’s finish.

7. Use Paint Stripper to Remove Paint from Large Surfaces

If every inch of your hardwood floors is covered in paint, you can use a paint stripper to give them a complete refresh. 

Use a paintbrush or roller to apply paint thinner evenly throughout your floors. Let dry completely before removing. This process can take anywhere from one to 24 hours, depending on factors like humidity levels, interior temperature, and ventilation capacity. We know it’s hard to wait, but the results will be so much better if you do! 

After you have completely coated the floors, leave the room and shut the door. Check on the floors periodically. You’ll know they’re ready when you see lots of bubbles forming—more bubbles equal less scraping. 

If one coat of stripper isn’t enough to remove all the paint from your hardwood floors, you may need to do a second. Keep in mind that this job may take a while—it’s labor-intensive and might take a few rounds of stripping to get the desired effect.

8. Use a Sander

You can easily remove small drops of paint with a floor or handheld sander or sanding blocks. Gently rub the spot in a circular motion until no paint remains. A sander can also come in handy after you use a paint stripper because it will smooth out the area, remove any last bits of paint, and ensure that everything looks uniform. 

4 Tips to Avoid Damaging Hardwood Floors When Removing Paint

1. File Down Putty Knives to Prevent Scratching

If your putty knife is brand new, use a sheet of sandpaper to gently file it down so that it’s not quite as sharp. The sharper your putty knife is, the more likely it is to scratch and damage the finish on your hardwood floors. 

2. Use Low-Grit Sandpaper

Once again, opt for a softer material than you might normally use when it comes to hardwood floors. That includes sandpaper. Pick 60- to 80-grit options for the job to guarantee that you don’t accidentally overdo it during the sanding process. 

3. Try Gentle Methods First

If you know you’re dealing with a water-based paint, try to get it off of your hardwood floors with gentle methods first. If soap and water and a rubbing alcohol solution don’t work, and neither do tools like a putty knife or heat gun, that’s when you should consider more heavy-duty options. 

4. Avoid Using Excess Moisture

Wood floors, even when properly finished, are sensitive to excess moisture. Lengthy exposure to anything wet can cause wood to warp, crack, or swell, so be sure to use liquid cleaning solutions with caution. In general, your floors will be fine if you don’t let them soak for an extended period. Let cleaning solutions sit for 10 minutes max before wiping up and drying entirely. 

DIY vs. Hire a Pro

Although hiring a local handyperson or similar pro to get paint off of wood floors definitely costs more than doing it yourself, there are a few reasons it’s worthwhile. For one, removing paint from hardwood floors can require a sizable effort, especially if you need to remove a lot. Sure, you’ll save by renting a floor sander and buying, applying, and removing paint stripper yourself, but doing so will require hours of work.

On the flip side, you’re almost always better off by taking on smaller paint removal projects yourself. After all, a putty knife and dish soap are all you really need to get rid of occasional paint splatter.

Frequently Asked Questions

This factor depends on exactly how much paint you remove from your hardwood floors. If it’s just a few small, hardly noticeable spots, refinishing won’t be necessary. However, if you completely strip your floors of paint, you will likely need to sand and finish them. 

If your home was built before 1978, there’s a chance that any paint on your hardwood floors could be lead paint—especially if it was already there when you moved in. Because lead is toxic, hiring a licensed pro to remove it is mandatory. The average price for professional lead paint removal ranges from $1,500 to $5,300 and depends on the scope of the project.

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