Does Spray Paint Come Out of Clothes? Regular Spray vs Fabric
Even if you do not have a graffiti artist in your home, spray paint does get into clothes and it is not a nice situation when it does. Spray paint can spread easily as well. Overspray, the wind, or other factors means that even your nicer fabrics may get some paint on them.
Does spray paint come out of clothes? It is possible to remove both fabric and spray paint from clothing. The key is to do it as soon as possible before the paint has a chance to dry. Fabric paint is a bit more tricky to remove as you have the design on the fabric to think about when mistakes occur.
To learn more about removing both fabric spray paint and regular spray paint from clothing just continue to read our article. it has the details you want to know about so your clothing can look as good as new again.
Spray Paint on Clothes 101
Does Spray Paint Work On Clothes?
Yes, spray paint does but before you run out and buy a can or two, you need to assess your own spray painting ability. Not everyone who can push a spray paint can button can spray a nice design on a shirt or other fabric. You do need some artistic ability.
There is a whole process involved and many steps to consider and take before starting your new creative project. That means you have to make sure you are up to the task and have a large amount of time available to start and finish the job.
Quitting in the middle after starting is not an option. Not only will you be wasting your money on the paint and time you already spent, but you will also be wasting a good piece of material or clothing item.
So make sure this is a task you want to do before you buy your supplies and pick out that T-shirt, etc. It will take some time to do a good job.
Will Spray Paint Stick to Fabric?
Anyone who has ever spray painted any object, whether it is their first bike or a treasured decorative piece, will tell you that most spray paints stick to fabrics. We say most as not all spray paints will and are not made to cover material.
Spray paint on clothing is also well known to those many mothers of young children or teens who want to be creative. In other words, it is easy to get spray paint onto clothes and see it stick there. The trick is learning how to get it out of those fabrics before the stain becomes permanent.
But if you are an artist who likes using different canvases, you can use spray paint made for fabrics. Your designs will look a lot better and no one should be mad at you for altering the look of your clothing. Also, paint and design should last a long time.
The best thing to do when spray painting fabrics or other objects, is to use old clothing no one cares about anymore. Then you can get as much paint on your clothing as you want while concentrating better on what you are doing.
How to Set Spray Paint On Fabric
First off, there are several different types of spray paint you can use on fabrics. The first is, of course, fabric spray paint; the second would be puff paint and the third is acrylic spray paint. Finally, you can use any spray paint made for fabric.
To set the paint, some options just need a nice warm well ventilated are to hang in and take their time drying. For fabric paint, you will need to heat set the design to make sure it stays on the fabric. You can’t heat set it until the paint has dried thoroughly.
If you are not patient enough and try to heat set the artwork before it is dry, you can ruin it. Plus, you may get paint on your iron or other heat sources if you are not careful. Using a fan or hair dryer may spread wet paint a bit and again ruining all that effort you put in.
When working with paint, you can’t put the cart before the horse even if the horse, in this case drying time, takes longer than you expected or wanted. When painting it is always best to wait a day at the least before heat setting the artwork.
What Kind Of Spray Paint to Use On Fabric
You have several options as we mentioned earlier. There is fabric paint, puff paint, acrylic paint, and spray paint. fabric paint comes in the spray variety as do all the other paints. You just need to select the right brand, color, and paint for the fabric you are working on.
That is going to be the hardest decision to make in this process. They won’t take long, you just need to know what you want to do, what colors will look the best, and read the labels to find the right paint.
The most difficult paint you may have to work with is acrylic paint. Because without the medium it will dry hard and not be flexible enough to handle the washing machine or dryer.
It is virtually impossible to add medium to acrylic spray paint so that isn't going to be the best option unless you are painting your fabric to be just a wall hanging that will never get washed. You can mix the regular acrylic paint with a medium then use a different spraying method like airbrush, etc. to get the paint on your fabric.
Can You Use Regular Spray Paint On Fabric?
Yes, you can and it may be wise to read the labels first as not all spray paints will work on fabric. The labels will be clear on what you can cover and what you can’t so make sure to take a few minutes to read those labels.
When you spray paint fabric though, you will need to practice a lot before you do the actual work. It takes a steady hand to move the can at the right speed and to get the most paint on the fabric with each coat.
Going too fast may result in too little paint on each coat and overspray while going too slow may result in over spraying or running paint. Plus, you should have some artistic talent to help guide your work and design construction.
Then you have to know how far away and how close to hold the can of paint. The same risks are involved when you get too close or too far away. So practice makes perfect and those words are good guides to help you do the task the way it should be done.
Can Krylon Paint be Used On Fabric?
Yes, it can. If you want to become your own amateur fashion designer this is a good paint brand to use. You have lots of fabrics to work with as well as lots of colors. Then a good idea when you use this paint is to use either stencil or pre-draw your design.
The type of fabrics you can use Krylon paint on are the same ones that make jeans, jackets, t-shirts, hats, tennis shoes, bracelets, earrings, belts, lampshades, table cloths, and more.
The only thing that is stopping you from using this paint on those fabrics is how big the size of fabric you want to paint, and your budget. It is easy to get stencils are your own designs put on the fabric and guide your work.
Also, you should cover those areas you do not want to receive paint with good painter’s tape or masking tape. Those items should peel off easily without harming the fabric or your artwork.
Proper preparation is one of the keys to a successful paint job on fabric. When working with paint, always be patient and do not let yourself get rushed.
Metallic Spray Paint On Clothes
It is possible to use this paint option on your fabrics. The paint comes with unique color hues and often a little glitter effect so your clothing should look unique and original. Also, this is a good idea to use on your jogging or other outdoor clothing.
Metallic paint can also be a very reflective style of paint. This texture helps reflect light so that drivers of cars and trucks, etc., can see you when you are out jogging or walking in low light conditions.
Plus, it is a good paint to use when you go hunting. People often mistake humans for wild animals when out in the woods so it is a good idea to cover some of your hunting clothes in colors that are never seen on those hunted animals.
Special precautions may be needed to be made to effectively get the metallic paint on your fabrics but in some risky activities, it is a smart move to spend that time making sure the paint is applied right.
The proper application saves you time and also makes you safer while making the paint remain on for a long time.
Can You Use Enamel Paint On Fabric?
It is also possible to put enamel paint on fabric. It may be like acrylic in that it won’t stay on for very long unless you use some additives to change the nature of the paint. Also, you may have to wait up to weeks for the paint to fully cure.
The brush you use to apply the paint is important as well. That is if you do not get it in the spray can form. Most sources we have run into do not recommend using enamel paint on fabrics, in fact, none of them have mentioned this paint option in any of their lists.
It should be best if you stuck to puffy paint, fabric paint, acrylic paint, and regular spray paints if you want a nice job without more hassles. Enamel paint may not be worth the effort and you may get mixed results.
Take your time and do a little more research on using this paint on fabrics. It is better for walls and solid objects than it is for flexible fabrics. Don’t waste the money if you can avoid it.
Can You Use Rustoleum Spray Paint On Fabric?
The good news is that yes you can. But wait, there is even better news as the Rustoleum company actually makes a version of fabric paint so you do not have to use acrylic or other spray paints.
On top of that, the company also makes outdoor fabric paint so you can revitalize old outdoor fabrics and make them look new again. There is a fabric and vinyl paint you can use and have your fabrics or vinyl items remain looking good without any rubbing off, peeling, and so on.
It might be an interesting website to search as their color of the year is paprika. According to their website, the fabrics remain soft to the touch without adding any other ingredients to the paint.
The only issue you may have with using this brand of paint is that it can be more expensive than the other types of spray paint it makes. If you want great results, then the extra expense is worth it.
Compare brands to find the best monetary deal as you may get the same results from different brands of spray paint at a lower cost.
Best Way to Spray Paint Clothes
The best way to spray paint your clothing is to make sure you have a large block of free time to handle the project. Each layer will need the same amount of free time as well as drying time so you are not looking at getting this done in an hour.
Next, you should already have your design picked out and bring the necessary tools and supplies to your painting area. Stencils, markers, airbrushes, and other tools will make sure your project comes off right.
Cover all areas around, underneath, above, and on the fabric that you do not want to be covered in paint. Spray paints travel faster and farther than you realize. Cover those areas even if you think the paint won’t go that far.
Then make sure you have the right spray paint. You have lots of options to choose from and get the best paint for the purpose of the fabric. Don’t use indoor spray paint when you are spraying outdoor fabrics.
In addition to that, budget enough time to allow each layer or coat to dry thoroughly. This is important as applying wet paint to other wet paint will not make your design better.
How to Make Spray Paint Stay On Clothes
Unless it is a fabric paint you have used, this is not going to be that difficult of a task. The hard part is removing the spray paint once it has dried on the fabric. Regular spray paint has a way of staying forever on fabrics when it has been sprayed in the wrong spots.
Fabric paint, on the other hand usually needs to be heat set for it to stay permanently in place. If you do not heat set it before washing the clothing item, the water should remove a lot of the paint.
Fabric paint is made to be flexible so it needs extra help to stay on your clothing. Regular spray paint needs no extra help and you will find that even with scraping it with a butter knife or other knife the paint remains in place.
Check the instructions on the different spray paints you can use to see what their manufacturer recommends. There is no one way to set the paint and each brand may have different methods you can use. After all not every paint is made in the same way using the same chemicals.
Can You Wash Spray Painted Shirts?
Yes, you can wash spray painted shirts but there is some discussion on if washing will fade the paint, or ruin it in some way. The recommended laundry detergent is a mild soap that should be good for your clothes as well. Just soap and water will do the trick.
Do not add bleach, spot removers, stain removers, and other cleansers if you want the design to make it through the wash. Bleach, etc., can harm the paint just like it can harm any dye.
Then make sure you have used the right paint. Acrylic or oil-based paints on their own do not stick that well to fabric. They will be damaged or removed when you go to wash the painted fabrics. You will need an acrylic spray paint that has a medium added to it and then when that happens it is just normal fabric paint.
Then either hang dry the painted fabrics or put the clothing between two towels when using your dryer. The towels protect against any friction tumble drying creates and will protect your painted effort from being ruined.
Can You Get Spray Paint Out Of Clothes?
To say the very least about spray paint on clothes, it is very difficult to get this type of paint out of fabrics. To say the most, you will find at times it is impossible to do especially when the paint has dried.
When the paint is wet, you should blot the stain with a clean rag or paper towels and avoid rubbing it. Then spray with stain remover or water if it is a water-based paint. You may be able to use liquid dish soap as well. Water-based paints are easier to get out than other paint varieties.
The key to getting paint out of fabric is to act quickly and not let the paint dry. For oil-based paints, you can go to turpentine, WD-40, hair spray, and other strong chemicals but do not hold much hope for the look of your fabric if you do.
Once you let the paint dry, you are in another cleaning league, and removing the paint may not be an option. But if you want to try and get the dried paint out, you can start by scraping the stain with a dull knife. A sharp one may get the paint faster but it may also damage the fabric.
If that doesn’t work you can move on to acetone, alcohol-based cleansers, or stronger paint removers to see if you can get that dried paint off. Again there is no guarantee that the fabric will survive such chemicals.
After treating your fabrics to those chemicals toss them in the washing machine and see if the water and soap will finish the extraction task. If that doesn’t work, you can always use permanent markers or fabric pens to cover the stains. Paint can be covered and these pens will do that job.
Finally, if all else fails, you can take the paint-stained clothing or other fabrics to your dry cleaners and let them get the stain out. Save yourself the effort and time and let someone else worry about it.
Or just forget about the stain, wear the clothing, or replace it with a new one. Some people love to find good reasons to go out to shop for new clothes. Having paint on your clothing items is a good reason to buy new.
Some Final Words
Getting paint on your clothing is no reason to not spray paint fabrics. It is a fact of life when you paint that mistakes will happen and the paint goes where it is not supposed to. Just take the right precautions and deal with those stains before the paint dries.
That way you have a better chance of cleaning the stain and keeping your fabrics looking good.
