In a home filled with do-it-yourself people and imaginative, creative individuals, I am constantly dealing with stains on clothing. One stain that I do dread dealing with is a paint stain. Depending on the type of fabric, a paint stain can ruin a garment taking it from everyday wear to a "working on home improvements" outfit. If the paint is on a garment that is delicate, embellished or dry clean only, you must be cautious of what methods you use for removing a paint stain - - in this instance professional assistance may be your best option. However, if you have read the laundering instructions for the garment and you feel comfortable with trying to remove the paint stain, these methods have worked for our family in the past.
If the paint is dried, there are a few tricks you can use to pre-treat the paint stain and then launder as normal. After scraping off as much of the paint as possible, spring the entire stain thoroughly with hair spray until completely saturated. Rub the area with the hairspray and continue applying hair spray until the stain is gone then launder as normal. Another good pre-treatment for a paint stain is rubbing alcohol. Saturate the paint stain with alcohol and rub until the stain is gone. Nail polish remover and window cleaner have also worked in the past; however, we always try it first on a hidden spot on the garment to make sure it will not damage the clothing.