Dear Home-Ec 101,
One of my darling monsters spilled acrylic paint on my laminate counters. Then, being the smart little cookie he is, he placed one of my cookbooks over the stain to hide the mess. I don’t know when this happened, but it was long enough to let the paint dry. I don’t care about the book, but how do I save my counter?
Signed,
Counting to 10, 20,30, oh who am I kidding?
Heather says:
Before it dries, acrylic paint is a piece of cake to remove with water. Once dry though, you’ve got a whole new kettle of fish to deal with.
If you have a nylon scraper
, like those that come with stoneware, you may be able to scrape off a lot of the problem. Then it’s up to our old friend Bar Keepers Friend. Make a paste over the stain and gently scour in a back and forth motion. Rinse carefully. If this does not remove the last traces, you may be able to lift the rest off with acetone (fingernail polish remover). It is very important to test this in an inconspicuous area. As acetone is not environmentally friendly and gives off toxic fumes use a cotton ball or swab to apply sparingly and make sure the area is well ventilated.
Best of luck and don’t be too hard on your budding Picasso.
Submit your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.
Acrylic paints are water based, (it's the only kind I use for my decorative painting) and I've had luck getting dried-hard-and-sat-a-while paint off hard surfaces with just soap and water. Use the nylon scraper, but if there's residue, try laying a soapy dish cloth or sponge over the area a while, then scrubbing gently with just the cloth or sponge. Rinse and repeat. Hot water helps. This should work on laminate or solid (like Corian) countertops just fine.
If you've got marble or granite, i have no idea!
Take a rag you don't mind throwing away and soak it in white vinegar. Cover the paint with it and then put a piece of plastic over that, like a trash can liner. Don't use a printed grocery sack – that ink can transfer. You just want to keep the dampness in the cloth. Leave overnight. It should peel off the next morning and what's left can be scraped up with a plastic scraper.
Or you can use Goof Off if it's really stubborn, but test that first on a hidden spot, since I"m not sure what kind of laminate you have.
BTW, I totally would NOT use acetone. Not only will it dull the finish, it could turn the paint into a gluey mess.
I used a regular household cleaner, Clorox Cleaner+Bleach. Let it soak for a while and will with a green or.