How to wipe paint off linoleum

It is quite difficult to wipe paint off linoleum, but it is quite possible, especially if you notice the spot that appears in time. There are several reliable ways to clean your flooring without causing additional damage.

Features of removing paint from linoleum

When carrying out repairs, it is very easy to drop random paint spots on the linoleum. It usually does not even help to cover the floor with newspapers and film, since there are still unprotected places. The coloring matter is quickly absorbed and dries up, so if you do not wipe it off immediately, then after a few hours there will be a clearly visible speck on the floor, which is difficult to remove.

• It is difficult to wipe paint off linoleum, including due to the fact that the floor covering is highly sensitive to mechanical and chemical influences. In other words, linoleum cannot be rubbed with hard brushes and scrapers, as well as treated with aggressive agents - under their influence, the material will change its color and texture.
• It is necessary to process linoleum with the softest and most gentle means, without using abrasive action.
• Scrubbing off the paint with a blade or scraper is only permissible if the flooring is about to be replaced soon.

How to wipe water-based paint from linoleum

One of the important advantages of water-based paint is that it is easiest to wipe off the floor and other surfaces. The suspension is water based, so stains are easy to clean.

• If the speck is fresh, then it is not even necessary to resort to specialized means. It is enough to wipe the floor area with a paper towel or soft cloth, and the dirt will immediately go away, without having time to be absorbed into the floor covering. In this case, no traces will remain on the linoleum.
• If the paint has time to dry, then in the case of a water-based composition, there is also nothing to worry about. You need to prepare warm water, apply it to the paint stain to form a small puddle, and leave for about an hour. After this time, you need to put a wet rag on top of the speck, and after another quarter of an hour you should rub it and wash the floor properly. Usually, the paint from the linoleum after these manipulations leaves without a trace, and the floor covering remains completely clean.

For particularly stubborn stains, you can use a rubber trowel. First, the stain is still soaked, and then the paint is removed with the edge of the spatula with gentle movements so as not to damage the coating. The remaining dirt is wiped off with a cloth.

How to remove acrylic paint stains from linoleum

It is much more difficult to wipe off acrylic paint spots - such paint has a completely different composition.It also contains water, but a polymer emulsion gives stability to the coloring matter; it is quite resistant to moisture and even chemicals.

However, there are several ways to wipe off tough dirt.

• You can try to remove acrylic from linoleum with warm water with a dishwashing detergent added to it. Just wetting and rubbing the stain won't be enough. The solution with detergent must be held in the problem area for at least an hour so that the chemical and water can penetrate into the structure of the dye composition.
• You can wipe off acrylic with table vinegar, dilute it with water in equal proportions, and then moisten the contamination properly, wait about 40 minutes and try to wipe off the spot.
• Another good acrylic remover is acetone-free nail polish remover. The product needs to be applied to a cotton pad, and then the stain should be properly treated, but the liquid will help only if the stain was planted no more than a day ago.
• For fresh traces of acrylic, you can use refined vegetable oil. If applied on the trail immediately after emergence, the oil will prevent the paint from hardening, disrupt its structure and facilitate the removal procedure.
• You can wipe off fresh dirt with laundry soap, or rather, with a thick solution based on it, since soap also dissolves the paint structure well.

For particularly stubborn stains, you can purchase a special solvent from the hardware store to remove acrylic paint from surfaces. But before you buy a product, you need to study the features of your own linoleum and make sure that it can be treated with aggressive chemical solutions without harm to the pattern and shade.

Useful Tips

Keeping your linoleum clean and tidy will be easier if you follow some valuable guidelines.

• When carrying out repairs or any painting work, the floor must be carefully covered with foil, newspapers or other materials, paying particular attention to the corners and places at the joints. This will help prevent floor stains in principle.
• If a stain does appear, it is necessary to wipe it off immediately, the sooner you start removing it, the more chances that there will be no trace of pollution left.
• Before treating linoleum with chemicals, you must first test the solutions in an inconspicuous corner or on a small piece of linoleum left after repair. This will allow you to understand whether household chemicals will not cause serious damage to the floor covering even with a short contact.
• When trying to wipe dirt off linoleum, do not use metal scrapers, hard brushes or iron sponges. All these devices will scratch the flooring, and even if the paint can be removed, the beauty of the linoleum cannot be returned.
• Particularly stubborn dirt can be gently scraped off with a razor or a thin knife, but this should be done with very careful movements, making sure that the blade only touches the surface of the dirt and not the floor.

To protect linoleum from stains and other dirt, the floor covering must be properly maintained. It is recommended to regularly process linoleum with special non-slip polishes, they will create an additional protective film on the floor surface. Even if paint does get on the floor, it will take longer for it to penetrate the protective layer and absorb.

Conclusion

It is easy to wipe paint off linoleum if it is fresh, and much more difficult if the dirt has dried properly.However, household and chemical products allow you to gently soak any paint stain and wipe it off the floor without damaging the coating itself.