Homemade‌ ‌Paint‌ ‌Stripper:‌ ‌DIY‌ ‌Remover‌ ‌

Have you experienced spilling some paint on your floor or any surface of your area? This can be very messy, especially when you are planning to repaint your home. You may think about purchasing some paint strippers from the hardware but can be added the cost from your budget. Paint strippers are available in most hardware, but most of them have harmful substances that may be possibly harmful to you or even your family at home. Why not trying to make homemade DIY paint remover? In this article, you’ll learn about homemade paint strippers.

How to Make Homemade Paint Stripper

Using a few ingredients that you can find at home, you can easily make your own homemade paint stripper. Making a DIY paint remover will not just let you save money from purchasing paint remover products but can also prevent any harmful effects caused by chemicals in your family and environment. Using simple ingredients such as detergent, baking soda, and vinegar can easily work well on the affected surface without paint stain remain.

The following are the list of DIY paint remover that you can try at home.

Sandpaper

Sandpaper is the cheapest method that you can use for stripping the paint. However, before you try to use the sandpaper, make sure to choose the right sandpaper grit to use as you can accidentally ruin the entire surface of the painted area.

Choose heavy grit sandpaper to remove the paint. Before trying to do this method, make sure to wear a mask as you can sand the paint. You may inhale the dust, which is very harmful to health. This method is not ideal for bigger surfaces as it takes a couple of hours sanding each surface to remove the paint totally.

Vinegar

Another simplest option that you use to strip the paint is by using vinegar. Using vinegar is ideal to use for removing paint out of glass. Boil one cup of vinegar and simply wipe it off over the glass with a paint stain using a small rag. Allow it to absorb the paint for about 10 to 15 minutes. Vinegar will not remove the paint, but it helps to soften the paint making it easy to scrape after. If it does not take effect, add more boiled vinegar until you strip off the paint stain.

Baking Soda

wooden spoon full of baking soda on the white background

Another homemade paint remover that saves a lot of money and effort is baking soda. Baking soda is very effective to use if you are having a bad time removing the paint stain from brushes or every type of tool.

Here are things you need to know how to make DIY remover using baking soda:

This method may not be ideal for big surfaces, but you can rely on this method when it talks about small items such as tools and brushes. Using an old pot, combined ½ cup of baking soda into the pot filled with water.

As the water slowly heat, place the tools and brushes stained with paint. Leave it for 15 minutes or until the paint from the objects has been stripped.
Ensure that all the things in the pot are fit; otherwise, this method does not work.
Avoid adding a different object that may damage one another. This method helps you save time because it does not require any preparations and things needed.

Pressure Washer

This method does not require any product, especially when you have a pressure washer available in your home.

Here are some tips when using a pressure washer to remove paint:

The pressure washer is ideal for removing paint from wood. Before you begin to spray the wood, make sure to check if it is old or has existing damage.
Don’t use a pressure washer if the wood has existing damage or too old as it does not just remove the paint stain but leaves damage to the wood.
Make sure to use the high-pressure washers for about 2500 pounds per square inch or psi. This kind of high-pressure washer is very effective for removing old paint from wood and another surface.
If your high pressure does not spray enough water, it just cleans the surface and cannot remove the paint, so make sure to use the ideal device for effectively removing the paint.

Borax, Washing Soda, and Ammonia

Using this accessible recipe at home, you can easily make a homemade paint stripper. This method is ideal for stripping not only the new stained paint but also with older paints. Here’s how to make it:

Simply mixed 1 cup of borax, ammonia, and washing soda with 1 1/2 cups of water into the old pot.
Combine all the ingredients and make a paste consistency.
Brush the paste mixture with the stained surface and leave for about 10 to 20 minutes.
Allow the paste to penetrate before you wash it with water and scrape the paint using finer steel wool.

Liquid Detergent

Liquid detergent is reliable to remove paint and very accessible to use. This method is ideal for removing paint from metal tools but does not ideal for removing paint from large surfaces.

Here’s how to use liquid detergent as a paint stripper:

Using a small container filled with water, add about 1 ½ cup of liquid detergent.
Place the object with stained paint and allow it to absorb the detergent for about 2 to 3 minutes. Use the toothbrush to remove the excess paint.

Conclusion

Many paint remover products are available in hardware stores, but before you head into the store and purchase some paint remover, why not consider a homemade paint stripper first. DIY remover will save you a lot of money, and it’s very accessible as most of the DIY paint remover recipe is available in your home. Stained paint will not only explain why you should cover up the surface. You can always look for a better way to remove paint and make it as good as new using this DIY paint stripper option.