How To Remove Spray Paint from Plastic [5 Easy Tricks]

The great thing about colouring or painting is that you can be free to create a mess and to make mistakes without having any repercussions…..unless it is spray painting. We can all agree that spray painting is the most fun (whether you’re making a costume or just decorating some plastic for fun) but also the most difficult to clean up if you make a mistake. Because if you don’t know how to rightfully remove paint from plastic, then you’re in big trouble.

Luckily, we’ve got you covered! We have tried, tested and made a list so you know how to remove spray paint from plastic, quickly and easily.

How to Remove Spray Paint from Plastic:

These 5 simple tips will let you strip paint from plastic in minutes, like a pro!

SOLVENT	INTENSITY LEVEL (TOXICITY)
Water and Detergent	1/5
Vegetable Oil	2/5
Oven Cleaner	3/5
Denatured Alcohol	4/5
Acetone	5/5

1. Warm Water and Detergent

Use some good ol’ fashioned, easily accessible, DIY warm water and detergent solution to clean up some unwanted spray paint from a plastic surface.

The best thing about it is that it is basically free and very safe. And it hardly takes 5 mintues for this process, so nothing wrong in giving it a try before you move towards other solutions

Using Warm Water and Detergent to Clean off Spray Paint:

Pour a generous amount of detergent into a bowl
Add warm (or hot but not very hot) water and mix
Soak the rough side of a cleaning sponge into the solution
Rub it on the painted surface (no too aggressively so to not damage the plastic)

Note: If the paint stains are too stubborn, this solution will not work and you will need something stronger like oils or alcohols. (Continue reading the list below for more anecdotes).

2. Vegetable Oil

This is the simplest tip to remove spray paint from plastic. Mainly, because it is the one thing that almost everyone already has in their cupboard. So for this, most of us won’t even have to leave our home!

Since it does not have any strong chemicals, you won’t damage any plastaware in the process.

How to remove Paint off Plastic using Vegetable Oil:

Take a small amount of the oil on a rag or cloth
Rub it over the painted surface (don’t be afraid of being a little aggressive with it) until some of it starts to come off
Leave the oil on the surface for a bit
Use a scrapper or a putty knife to easily the rest of it

Note: For some plastic surfaces or some types of intense and old spray paints, vegetable oil might not be strong enough to remove it, so try something a bit stronger for it.

3. Oven Cleaner

Oven cleaner works like a charm when it comes to removing paint from plastic. It is also something that almost everyone has easy access to, either it is already in our cleaning cupboard or easily available from any general store.

For this too, you need to have rubber gloves and a mask on, for your own safety.

How to get Paint off Plastic using Oven Cleaner:

Spray a generous amount on the painted surface
Use a rag or a cloth and start rubbing it off
Let rest off the cleaner rest on the plastic for a bit (not for too long)
The scrub off the rest using the same rag

Note: Do not let the plastic surface soak too much of the over cleaner because it can sometimes be damaging to the plastic coating.

4. Denatured Alcohol

If you require something stronger to take off spray paint, then denatured alcohol is your friend. Especially if the stains are older. We all know that alcohols are best at clean up jobs, whether the mess is outside, or inside!

However, some precautions are required when using denatured alcohol to remove spray paint from plastic; Wear gloves, cover your mouth and your nose and work in an open space.

How to use Denatured Alcohol to Remove Paint:

Dab a little on a rag and apply it on the plastic surface (to see if there is a reaction)
If not, then thoroughly and carefully apply some more on the painted plastic
When you see the paint crumbling, switch to a scrapper or a plastic knife to take off the rest

Note: Denatured alcohol is extremely strong so you need to be careful when using this.

5. Acetone

Acetone is another quick and easy way to clean spray paint off plastic. It is something found in most nail polish removers so you can use those too.

But if you have access to acetone, that would be best because it will be more effective that way. You can easily get that from your local pharmacy nearby.

How to clean Spray Paint off Plastic using Acetone:

Pour some acetone solution into a container
Dip the painted surface into the solution and leave it for a bit
Use a rag (also dipped a little in acetone) to thoroughly clean the surface

Note: DO NOT use acetone without thick rubber gloves and a mask because it most definitely can damage your skin on contact.

Conclusion:

Never let a little mess stop you from doing what you love! With these easy DIY tips on how to remove spray paint from plastic, you can be free to create your art without having to worry about the clean up. So go crazy!

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