Remove Spray Paint Off Skin and Hands Like a Boss…It’s Easier Than You Think!
To remove spray paint off your skin after having a field day with a few cans…you just have to understand the chemistry of paint better – and use the kind of stuff that works!
If you’ve ever had a few “oopsies” that you tried to wash off with good ol’ soap and water, unfortunately you may have found it was a no-go. Why is that?
Well, the truth is that soap and water don’t cut the mustard, because unlike your water-based acrylic paints that seem to peel off on a dime, aerosol can spray paint is solvent-based.
Anything solvent based has to have something else solvent based to take it out.
So that’s the deal, it all comes down to understanding basic paint chemistry! Now I know what you’re thinking -you don’t want to have to use chemicals on top of whatever the chemical is in spray paint on delicate skin…I hear ya! And I don’t blame you, either ??
That’s why I want to share with you some great alternatives! (Keep reading…)
Products That Will Remove Spray Paint Residue
First off…you can use acetone (that’s nail polish remover btw) which is good for dissolving other messy snafus like Krazy Glue, and if you don’t have sensitive skin it is a good product to consider. If you’re looking for a more natural approach what you need to do is get your hands (pun intended ??) on an oil-based substance.
And the good news is that when it comes to removing spray paint on your skin, many of these products are probably sitting somewhere right now in your home or kitchen pantry! All of the products in this list are oil-based, which makes them ideal for this scenario.
- Vegetable/safflower oil
- Cooking sprays
- Essential oils –tea tree oil is the best
- Mineral oil
- Baby oil
- Mayonnaise
- Butter
Anything oil-based or in an emulsion of it, will do the job, and it won’t be harsh on your skin either, which is good news.
Cooking oil can help remove solvent-based paint
How To Remove Spray Paint
You’ll be surprised at how painless this method is. I’m demonstrating too, just so you know, after all I get tired of being asked “You been painting again?” Spray paint artwork has its messy side as you know is par for the course.
I don’t like the way cooking oil feels….yet it is a great product and has been proven to easily clean spray paint off hands. But here is something very similar. Surprise, surprise, it’s cooking spray!
Step 1: Get a small dab of cooking spray or oil and dab it on the stained area. I just add a quick burst deliberately on the paint smudge. Now I use my other finger to work it in.
Also, try to get to the stain sooner rather than later…although spray paint does dry quickly, it’s better if you tackle it as soon as you’re done with whatever project you have going on.
Step 2: Rub it into the stain in a circular motion. It’ll start to loosen up the paint stain naturally so you don’t need to rub that hard.
Step 3: When you see the particles look like they are breaking up, take a cloth, tissue or paper towel and wipe off the loosened paint.
At this point you can now proceed to wash your hands (or whatever else got painted) with soap and water. Now you’re good to go!
Do Any Cleaners Help?
Definitely not “soap” per se, but yes, there are some hand cleaners out there that are pumice/grit based and made for tough jobs. The ingredients like “grit” and “pumice” sound kind of harsh, but they do wonders for painty hands – it’s the paint part they’re tough on, not your skin, which is great.
And some of them have a nice scent to them too! This brand to the left, is great, and has a good orange citrusy scent to it. It definitely succeeds where “soap” fails! I never ended a long day of painting without a bottle of this stuff by the sink, for certain.
Summary
Some days we might be content to just let it wear off naturally (it will in a day or two ) but what if you’ve got some place to be and you don’t want to be asked questions? Try the above method and you’ll be so surprised!
If you’re really splattered in goofs, it might take a second mist of cooking spray or one of the other ingredients listed…Don’t lose it; it will come out!
Also, don’t give up on spray paint if you love it…it’s messy but now you have the secret to clean at your fingertips:)
