How to remove latex paint from plastic

Last Updated on November 27, 2018 by Dave Farquhar

It’s not hard to remove latex paint from plastic when you need to, even if the paint already dried. Here’s how to remove latex paint from plastic.

Removing partially dried latex paint

how to remove latex paint from plastic
If you make a mistake while painting, here’s how to remove latex paint from plastic. There are several household chemicals that work.

Removing partially dried latex paint is usually pretty easy. If the paint hasn’t fully cured, a wet cloth will usually get rid of it. If it’s stubborn, add a bit of soap or dish detergent. Scrubbing with a damp cloth can be surprisingly effective.

Remove dried latex paint from plastic by soaking

It’s possible to remove dried latex paint even if it’s been on the plastic for years. If you can soak it, any number of household chemicals will happily remove it. Soaking plastic overnight in Tide detergent, generic pine cleaners (not Pine-Sol–the knockoffs are actually better for this), ammonia, or purple cleaner like Purple Power or Super Clean work well. I’ve used all of these methods. Purple cleaner is faster, but the other chemicals are things you’re more likely to have on hand.

Just pour enough of the chemical into a plastic container to cover the item you want to clean. Drop the piece in and let it sit overnight. Feel free to check on it from time to time to see if it’s finished, as some paints hold on better than others. I’ve removed decades-old paint this way, so it works.

It’s very similar to removing crayon, the difference is what chemical you use.

Remove dried latex paint from plastic when you can’t soak

It can be tedious, but you can remove dried latex paint if you can’t soak it. Use a baby wipe. If the paint is still fairly fresh, the baby wipe removes it easily. Older paint takes longer, and it looks like it’s not working until the instant it does. So keep wiping for a few minutes even if it looks like you aren’t getting anywhere.

If you’re cleaning an electrical outlet, please shut the power off to the outlet at the panel before you attempt to clean it. Getting a clean electrical outlet isn’t worth shocking yourself over.

And that’s how to remove latex paint from plastic. You have several options and I guarantee one of them will work just fine for you.

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