First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Act while the paint is wet. After latex has dried for 6 to 8 hours, removal is very difficult.
- If you can't treat oil-based paint right away, wrap the item in plastic or airtight wrap to keep it from drying.
- Blot liquid paint, and scrape thick paint with a rounded spoon, working from the edges inward.
- Check the can for the recommended thinner, and test any solvent on a hidden spot first.
Paint on a bed sheet comes out or stays depending on its base. Water-based paint responds to detergent only while it's still soft, and after it dries the mark can refuse to budge. Oil-based paint calls for whatever thinner the can specifies, so reading that label before you touch the sheet matters most.
Acrylic paint on bed sheets needs quick action, so don't let it sit while you deal with the rest of the room. Colored or patterned sheets can react to rubbing, so test a hidden corner before you work on the stain. Silk or wool sheets need an even gentler approach, and a professional is worth calling if the stain won't budge.
Before you start
What sheets, towels & table linens can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
9 items
What you'll need
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- Sponge or clean clothLifts wet paint without spreading it. (opens Amazon)
- Heavy-duty liquid detergentRubbed into the paint, then used for the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Commercial pre-wash spotTreats latex paint before the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Stain remover (opens Amazon)
- Commercial cleanerSponged onto latex and oil-based paint.
- Thinner recommended on the paint canThe solvent oil-based paint needs.
- Mineral spiritsThe fallback thinner when no container or label is available. (opens Amazon)
- Rounded spoonScrapes thick paint off without pushing it deeper.
- Plastic or airtight wrapKeeps oil-based paint from drying while you wait. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Sponge out wet latex paint
If the paint is latex, start here. Sponge the stain with a damp cloth, rub in a little liquid detergent, and rinse the area with water until no more paint comes off on the cloth.
Tip. Rinse the cloth often so you lift paint rather than smear it.
Step 2 of 6
Pre-treat, then wash with detergent
Apply a commercial pre-wash spot and stain remover to the stain and let it work. Then wash the sheet with heavy-duty liquid detergent at the temperature the care label allows.
Careful. Leave a liquid pretreatment on only as long as its label says, and keep gels on bright or fluorescent sheets to a few minutes.
Step 3 of 6
Soak the paint loose in cool water
Sponge the stain with a commercial cleaner, then soak the sheet in cool water until the paint loosens. Launder it after the soak, and check the stain while the sheet is still damp.
Step 4 of 6
Sponge oil-based paint with cleaner
If the paint is oil-based, start here instead of the latex steps. Sponge the stain with a commercial cleaner, then rinse the area well.
Step 5 of 6
Work the label's thinner into the stain
Treat the stain with the solvent the label recommends as a thinner, or mineral spirits if the container or label isn't available. While the stain is still wet with solvent, work liquid detergent into it.
Careful. Solvents need good ventilation and no open flame, pilot light or sparks nearby.
Step 6 of 6
Soak oil-based stains overnight
If the oil-based stain is still visible, soak the sheet in hot water overnight. Launder it afterward, and repeat the soak and wash if the paint hasn't fully come out.
Careful. Check the care label first, since hot water is only for items it allows.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for paint on sheets, towels & table linens
Pick a commercial pre-wash spot and stain remover along with a heavy-duty liquid detergent. For oil-based paint, buy the thinner the paint can names, and keep mineral spirits on hand for when there's no label.
Utopia Kitchen White Flour Sack Towels
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on sheets, towels & table linens, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
Each rinse should carry less color out of the spot than the one before it. Look at it once the sheet has air-dried fully, since damp fabric hides the last traces. If the paint has stopped leaving the fabric, it has set, and the dried-stain section is the next place to go.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your sheets, towels & table linens
Acrylic paint
Acrylic paint is water-based, so the latex steps are where to start. Sponge it with water and detergent while it's still wet, then follow the rest of the latex steps.
If it has already dried, the stain is in set-in territory and may not come out completely. Work through the set-in options below before you decide the sheet is ruined.
Oil-based paint
Oil-based paint isn't water-soluble, so the latex steps won't lift it. Start with the oil-based steps: a commercial cleaner, then the thinner the label recommends, with liquid detergent worked in while the solvent is still wet.
The solvent step does most of the work, so give it time before deciding the stain is still there. If paint remains after it, move on to the overnight hot-water soak, and check the care label before you start that.
Colored or patterned sheets
Colored and patterned sheets can lose dye, so the steps stay the same but the choices around them change. Test any bleach or peroxide on a hidden spot before it goes near the stain, and skip them if the fabric isn't colorfast.
Oxygen bleach is the gentler choice for colored sheets, and chlorine bleach stays a last resort for colorfast items only. If you're unsure of the dye, keep to the detergent and cleaner steps and let the stain take a little longer.
Silk or wool sheets
Silk and wool sheets can't take chlorine bleach. Silk also rules out the rubbing alcohol remedy, so stick to the cool-water and detergent steps and check the care label before any wet treatment.
The hot overnight soak is off the table for these fabrics unless the care label allows it. If the stain stays after the cool-water steps, take the sheet to a professional rather than pushing harder.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old paint that has been through a wash or two is harder than fresh paint, and it may only lighten rather than vanish. Repeat the steps in order rather than skipping ahead, since each pass lifts a little more.
Once paint has dried, or has been heat-set in a dryer, the odds drop sharply, so stronger options come only after the steps above. If the stain is still there after the overnight soak, repeat that soak once before moving on.
If stain remains after everything is rinsed out, an oxygen bleach is the gentler choice on colorfast sheets, and chlorine bleach is the very last step. Test either one on a hidden spot first, and accept that some stubborn paint may leave a faint shadow even after your best effort.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on paint on sheets, towels & table linens?
Plenty of household remedies come up for paint on sheets. Most of them don't belong in these steps, so this list shows which ones are worth trying and which to skip.
Skip6
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't rub bar soap into fresh paint.
Bar soap sets many stains, so it can make a fresh paint mark harder to lift. Use the liquid detergent from the steps instead.
Don't guess at the solvent.
Use the thinner the label names, or mineral spirits only when no label is available. Skip other solvents; don't try one just to see what happens.
Don't scrub the spot while it's wet
Scrubbing pushes wet paint deeper into the weave and drags it onto clean threads. Dab with a cloth or sponge, working from the outside of the mark toward the middle.
Don't skip the test on colored sheets
Dyes can shift under a remover or bleach, and a patch you never tested can fade. Try any product on an inside corner first, and check the result before you treat the whole stain.
Don't leave a pretreatment on past the label
Some sprays and gels can fade bright dyes if they sit too long, even when the mark looks like it's lifting. Set a timer for the time on the label, then rinse the sheet thoroughly before it goes in the wash.
When to call a professional
A dried paint mark that spreads across a sheet or runs close to a hem is best handed to a dry cleaner, especially if the fabric is fragile or the label says dry clean. Tell them the fiber content and which solvent or product touched the stain before it arrived.
Questions
Will paint come out of sheets with just water?
Only if it's latex paint and still wet. Sponge it with water and detergent right away, because once it has dried, water alone usually won't lift it.
Can I use a hair dryer to dry the paint faster?
No. Heat sets stains, so skip the hair dryer, iron and dryer entirely. Keep the sheet at room temperature while you work.
What if I don't have the thinner the can recommends?
Use mineral spirits, which is the fallback when the container or label isn't available. Work liquid detergent into the wet stain as the steps describe, then launder.
Does white vinegar help with paint on sheets?
No, skip vinegar: it can weaken cotton and change the fabric's color. It can weaken cotton and change the fabric's color, so leave it out and use the detergent and solvent steps instead.
What if I don't know whether the paint is latex or oil-based?
Test a small hidden spot with water and detergent first. If nothing lifts, stop and read the paint can or label before using any solvent.
Can I wash white sheets in the hottest water once the paint is out?
Yes, but only after the paint is fully gone and the care label permits hot washing. Until then, keep the sheet in cool water, because hot water isn't safe on a stain you can't identify yet. Cotton whites can take the hottest setting the label allows.
Is it safe to bleach colored sheets to fix a paint mark?
Only when the label permits bleach and a hidden corner passes the test, since bleach can lighten dyes that look fine at first. If the color changes at all, stop and switch to an oxygen-based product, which is usually the gentler choice for colors.
Should I leave a stained sheet soaking overnight?
For oil-based paint that hasn't lifted, an overnight soak in hot water can loosen what's left, as long as the fabric can take heat. For latex, a cool-water soak is the better choice, and you should launder afterward and repeat if any color remains.
Paint on other materials
Other stains on sheets, towels & table linens
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.