Drips are common during paintwork, and they can ruin the look of your laminate floor if allowed to go unnoticed. Fornutrely, getting a firm grasp on How to get paint off Laminate floor is easy.
Thanks to the melamine resin and aluminum oxide particles on the top layer, laminate floors have better moisture protection and durability than typical hardwood surfaces. But this doesn't mean paint drips aren't a serious threat.
Check out simple methods below to make sure your flooring is well-kept as much as possible.
For More Information: How to get paint off laminate flooring
Scraping
This straightforward method sometimes can work wonders and allows you to get rid of the dried paint right away without complicated tools.
The secret about scraping paint is that you must wait for it to dry completely. Any drip with small edges will be removed easily when hardened.
The only tool required is an old credit card or a small plastic knife. They work nicely and don't scratch the floor's finish like metal scrapers. You will need a little effort to remove small paint spots, like what a paint roller typically leaves behind while painting.
For massive dry drips, your small and gentle scrapers may fall short. This is when a hammer comes in handy.
Place your scraper on the paint stain, then use the hammer to hit on the other end. Don't worry about your force damaging the floor. Your credit card will bend under strong force before it can penetrate the finish.
Scraping can chip away most dry paint drips like this and leave no trace in most cases. But sometimes, the residue is too obvious to ignore.
Use a cleaner for laminate flooring to clean it up. Damp a clean cloth and wipe off any evidence of paint left on the finish. This will ensure no one will know the paint was ever there.
Homemade Cleaners
When scraping can't do the trick, or there is still a big portion of paint left that it can't remove, think of a chemical cleaner to finish the job.
You don't need to rely on off-the-shelf commercial products immediately. Most houses have the right ingredients to make a DIY solution for paint drips.
But before applying any liquid solution onto your laminate floor, every debris and dirt should be cleared up first. Wiping a dirty floor carelessly can damage and scratch it badly.
Use a broom or vacuum cleaner first, then wipe over your laminate flooring with a dust mop to make sure every bit of particles or dust left behind by the vacuum is picked up before the application of cleaners.
There're plenty of ways to make a simple yet effective cleaner that works on a laminate floor. Here, we will introduce one of the easiest and cheapest methods.
Create a mixture of equal amounts of rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, and water. Add a few drops of dish soap and use a spoon to mix everything together until you see soap suds. Avoid pouring the solution into the joints as it can swell the floorboards.
Wet a clean cloth into this mixture and wring it. Scrub the paint spot with this cloth in a back-and-forth motion.
When the cloth has become too dried, rinse it in the mixture and scrub the paint again. Repeat this until you can no longer take off any paint from your laminate floor. Let it dry completely before going ahead with a new cleaner.
Find a nail polish remover that is made of acetone. Apply some of it to another cloth and dab it over the area where the remaining paint is located.
Leave the nail polish remover there for a few minutes, then wash it off with a cloth rag and warm water. Wipe off any loosened paint with the cloth, or pick it up with a tweezer.
Apply the nail polisher remover and wash it off again until the paint stains are completely removed from your laminate floor. Finally, wash it with a wet mop. For some recommendations, check out the Best mop for Vinyl plank flooring guide.
Paint Removers
Of course, you can always use commercial latex paint removers to rub the paint off your laminate flooring, even though it requires you to make a separate purchase.
Like other methods, clean the laminate flooring with a vacuum cleaner first. Read the instructions of the paint remover carefully and apply it correctly to your laminate flooring with a cloth rag.
Let the remover sit over the paint drip for a few minutes so it can penetrate the paint. Wipe the paint spots off with a lean cloth.
Repeat the application of your paint remover until you can't remove any paint anymore. Rinse the floor with warm water, then wash it with a wet mop. Let the floor dry completely.
Window Cleaners
If you have a bottle of ammonia-based window cleaning solution laying around, then guess what? Give it a try too.
Again, remember to pick up any debris and dirt that you can scratch your laminate floor first.
Spray the window cleaner over the dried paint. Let the chemicals soak into the paint before scrubbing it off with a cloth rag.
Repeat the process until no more paint can be removed with your window cleaner. Rinse the floor with warm water and wash it off with a wet mop. Allow your laminate flooring to air dry fully before walking on it again.
Avoid Paint On Laminate Flooring
As effective as the above methods are, they can be time-consuming, and if you're not careful enough, scratches and marks can happen. The best way to preserve the look and construction of your laminate flooring is to avoid those paint drips in the first place.
Newspapers are a classic way to cover your floor before carrying out the paintwork. They're cheap and easy to find, especially if you have some piles of old newspapers and you’re in a hurry. You can also ask your friends for some in advance.
Similarly, old cardboard boxes are another disposable option. Remember to cover every corner of your floor when using this improvised method.
Put at least two or more layers to avoid the paint from bleeding through. Frequently check the area of any paint drip to ensure it doesn't make its way into your laminate flooring.
Plastic covering sheets are a more professional product that you can buy from most paint stores. They exist in several forms and can protect your furniture as well. Using the right size and combination, you can safely cover almost anything that needs protection from paint drips, not just your laminate flooring.
Another big advantage of those sheets is that a lot of them are see-through - a perfect covering for windows that you need the light to go through. If you install your floor at the same time as well, learning how to cut laminate sheets is also recommended.
Conclusion
The rule of getting paint off laminate floors is to carry out the removal work as soon as possible. Timely and careful cleaning will retain the look of your flooring with minimal effort, even though you only use some easy homemade solutions.
