You look down and spot a blob of blue acrylic on your shirt, or a Sharpie line across your sleeve. To get acrylic paint out of clothes while it's wet, scrape off the extra, flush the back of the stain with cold water and work in a little dish soap before you wash.
Dried acrylic and Sharpie take a different approach. Dab rubbing alcohol on the back of the stain, blot it into a towel and repeat until it lifts.
Either way, keep the shirt away from hot water and the dryer until the stain is completely gone, because heat can set it for good. Before you start, grab a spoon, dish soap, rubbing alcohol, an old toothbrush and a towel you don't care about.
What should you do first when paint or marker hits your shirt?
Move fast, and don't scrub. Acrylic paint is made of tiny plastic-like beads floating in water. As the water dries, those beads fuse into a film, and as the Tate museum explains, once that film forms the paint no longer dissolves in water. That's why speed matters so much, a point the Zero Trace guide to getting acrylic paint out with laundry detergent makes too.
If you can't deal with it right away, keep the paint wet and leave it alone. Rubbing only pushes it deeper into the fibers.
When you do get to it, work from the back of the fabric and blot rather than rub. Check the care label first as well, which is the first thing Iowa State University Extension's AnswerLine stain advice recommends.
How to get acrylic paint out of clothes while it's still wet
Fresh acrylic usually comes out with cold water, dish soap and a normal wash. These steps follow wikiHow's guide to getting water-based paint out of clothes:
- Scrape off the extra paint with a spoon or a dull knife, so there's less left to soak in.
- Hold the back of the stain under cold running water. That pushes the paint out the way it came in.
- Work in liquid dish soap with your fingers or a soft toothbrush, blotting instead of rubbing.
- Wash the item in the machine with detergent to rinse away the last traces.
- Check the spot before anything goes in the dryer. If you can still see it, do another round.
What works on dried acrylic paint?
Dried acrylic needs rubbing alcohol, patience and something to scrape with. Once it has cured, water alone won't move it.
- Gently scrape off any hardened paint with the edge of a spoon before you wet the fabric. Loose flakes will come away.
- Dab rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) onto the stain with a cotton swab, working from the outside toward the middle.
- Scrub stubborn spots lightly with a toothbrush to break the paint up.
- Scrape away the softened paint with a dull knife or the edge of an old card.
- Repeat as many times as it takes, then wash as usual.
For a small spot, gel hand sanitizer does the same job as rubbing alcohol.
Acetone is the last resort, and only for sturdy fabric. University of Georgia Extension's stain removal pages warn that it destroys acetate.
How do you get Sharpie and other permanent marker out of clothes?
Rubbing alcohol is the usual fix for Sharpie on clothing too. The trick is to give the ink somewhere to go, so it moves into a towel instead of spreading across the shirt.
- Lay a clean towel or a few paper towels under the stain.
- Apply rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer from the back of the fabric.
- Blot with a cloth, moving to a clean part of the towel as the ink comes out.
- Once no more ink transfers, wash as usual.
Fresh ink comes out most easily. Older marker may take a few rounds.
Which fabrics need extra care?
Test first, every time. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension's stain removal guide for washable fabrics says to try any remover on a hidden spot before the stain itself.
- Rubbing alcohol can fade some dyes, so check a seam first.
- Acetate and triacetate are shiny, silky synthetics. Never use acetone or nail polish remover on them.
- On those fabrics, dilute rubbing alcohol with at least two parts water.
- Silk and wool: blot only, and skip chlorine bleach. A favorite wool sweater may be worth a trip to the dry cleaner.
- Never mix removers, especially ammonia and chlorine bleach. Together they give off toxic fumes.
| Stain type | What removes it | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Wet acrylic | Scraping, cold water from the back, dish soap | Hot water, rubbing |
| Dried acrylic | Rubbing alcohol, scraping, repeat rounds | Water alone, the dryer |
| Sharpie or permanent marker | Rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer, blotting onto a towel | Rubbing, open flames |
| Delicate fabrics (acetate, silk, wool) | Diluted alcohol, gentle blotting, a dry cleaner | Acetone, chlorine bleach |
What about the wash, and why skip the dryer?
Always finish with a regular wash and detergent. It rinses out the rubbing alcohol or soap along with any last bit of stain. An oxygen booster like OxiClean can help, in cold or warm water rather than hot.
Then check the wet item before it goes near the dryer. Heat sets stains and makes them much harder to remove, so the dryer is not the place to find out whether you got it all.
If the shirt comes out smelling a little off after all that, here's what causes musty clothes after washing.
And if you paint often, keep an old shirt just for art days. The easiest way to get paint out of clothes is still to catch it while it's wet.
Where Zero Trace fits
Zero Trace option: Laundry Detergent Sheets, for the wash step after you've treated the stain.
To be clear, the sheets don't remove paint or marker on their own. The scraping, rinsing and rubbing alcohol do that work. The sheets handle the normal wash afterward, in a plastic-free, mess-free format. If you're dealing with a heavy stain that needs a dedicated remover, use that first, then wash.
The Bottom Line
Act fast on wet paint: scrape it, flush it with cold water from the back and work in a little soap. For dried paint or marker, soften it with rubbing alcohol from the back and blot it into a towel. Test every remover on a hidden spot first, and keep the item out of hot water and the dryer until the stain is gone.
FAQ
Can rubbing alcohol remove acrylic paint from clothes?
Often, yes, on dried water-based paint. Dab it on, scrape away what softens and repeat. Test a hidden spot first, since alcohol can fade some dyes.
Will acetone take acrylic paint out of fabric?
It can on sturdy cotton, but treat it as a last resort. Never use it on acetate or triacetate, because it dissolves those fibers for good.
How do you get paint out of a wool sweater?
Scrape off what you can, then blot gently with cold water and a little soap. Skip chlorine bleach. For a sweater you love, a dry cleaner is the safer call.
What if the stain is still there after washing?
Don't put it in the dryer. Repeat the treatment and wash again. If a stiff patch still won't budge, take it to a dry cleaner.
See Zero Trace laundry sheets →
This guide is educational and includes links to Zero Trace products.