What attracts homeowners to vinyl siding is that it is practically maintenance-free. The only real problems arise when people choose to paint without doing the proper research that prevents it from chipping and fading quickly. Knowing how to remove paint from vinyl siding is an excellent skill to have if you’re trying to remove a huge paint job or if some paint accidentally spilled onto it from another project.
Nowadays, there are so many different colors of vinyl siding to choose from. Sometimes, after people purchase a house, they aren’t in love with the previously selected color and decide to paint their home’s exterior.
Although a good paint job lasts for several years, all paint fades and is prone to discoloration over time, meaning it eventually requires a touch-up. If you don’t want to repaint the vinyl surface, there are easy ways to clean vinyl siding and remove paint stains from different paint types.
Painting Vinyl Siding
There are various reasons you’d want to get paint off vinyl siding, but how did it get there? There’s a chance the owner painted it themselves, either on purpose or by accident, or there could’ve been someone else who graffitied the building with spray paint.
Regardless of what happened, here are some things to know about painting vinyl siding so that, if you do choose to go that route, you do the best job possible.
Always start by cleaning the siding with a power washer to remove all the dust, dirt, and mildew.
Most professional painters recommend using a high-quality primer before any large paint job, so you have a smoother surface that helps the paint adhere to the material.
Choose lighter colors that absorb less heat and prevent warping or buckling. Also, understand that vinyl is designed to expand and contract with the seasons, so there may be a paint gap during the winter months.
Painting vinyl siding is great if you’re willing to touch up an old paint job, but some people prefer to remove the paint entirely so they won’t have to maintain it in the future. That’s when knowing how to remove paint from vinyl siding comes in handy.
How to Remove Paint from Vinyl Siding
Vinyl is made from materials that quickly absorb some paint. The type of paint on the siding is changes your strategy to remove it.
Acrylic-based and urethane-based paints are some of the hardest to remove. If you’re unsure of what type of paint you have, you may need to try a small test area for each strategy to determine what ways lift the color the easiest.
How to Get Paint off Vinyl Siding that is Water-Based
The two types of water-based paints are acrylic and latex paint. These are the two most popular paints used for painting homes and other large structures. This kind is also the easiest to clean up and has high durability.
Similar to our homemade vinyl record cleaner recipe, this solution utilizes rubbing alcohol.
To make the paint remover and DIY vinyl siding cleaner, add about one part laundry detergent to four parts warm water in a large yard sprayer. Ensure the laundry detergent doesn’t have bleach in it, or it may affect the vinyl color.
Spray the solvent over a small section of dried paint and let it sit for five minutes before using the scraper to remove the paint. Use a pressure washer to get rid of the remaining particles.
If there are small spots that didn’t come off, brush some rubbing alcohol onto those areas, let it sit for five minutes, and then give it a final rinse with the pressure washer again.
How to Clean Paint Off Vinyl Siding that is Oil-Based
Oil-based paint is usually used for trim painting. The painter may have let some slip onto your vinyl siding by accident. Hopefully, you can remove the paint before it dries because these types of paint take much longer to dry.
The first method for removing spray paint from cement or concrete walls or vinyl siding or for removing spray paint from wood is to use mineral spirits. Start by grabbing a clean, soft cloth and wet it with mineral spirits.
Rub the mineral spirits over the affected area and let it sit for a few minutes. Begin scrubbing the color with a soft-bristle brush. Rinse the section of the vinyl with a pressure washer.
How to Clean Paint off Vinyl Siding with Household Products
If you overlooked the area where oil-based paint got on the siding, and it has dried and been there for a while, some household items may be used as a paint remover. Start by scraping the outer surface of the paint with low-grade steel wool. Of course, never use this method to clean painted wood siding.
Soak a soft cloth in acetone, the main ingredient found in nail polish remover, and rub it over the area until the paint lifts off the vinyl surface.
The acetone works as a paint thinner that isn’t as strong and with as many dangerous chemicals. Wash the area with soapy water made from mild soap or dish soap.
You may find that this home remedy also works to get spray paint off glass surfaces like windows, too. It also helps to remove paint from tiles.
Homemade Paint Remover
One of the simplest recipes that help clean paint off vinyl siding includes mixing Goof Off or Goo Gone with baking soda. Spread a thin layer of Goof Off over the affected area and sprinkle some baking soda onto the wet surface.
Use a scrubbing pad on the site. The Goof Off helps lift the paint while the baking soda adds abrasion. Rinse the area thoroughly with clean water.
How to Safely Remove Spray Paint from Vinyl Siding
If your siding has been vandalized with spray paint, one of the best products to remove it is Graffiti Remover. This spray removes most aerosol paints and lacquers for both soft and porous surfaces.
Graffiti is one of the most difficult things to remove, so turning to a product with many harsh chemicals is often necessary when trying to get paint off vinyl siding.
This product also comes in handy when trying to remove deck stain that has splattered somewhere it shouldn’t be.
After removing the paint stains, it’s a good idea to give your siding an all-over clean so you don’t have just a single clean area. Wash vinyl siding with bleach only if your siding is lightly-colored so it doesn’t damage darker siding.
Of course, bleach is also a valuable part of a homemade mold and mildew remover, whether it is for your vinyl siding or your shower walls. Be sure to use carefully.
Whether you’re sick of touching up the paint on your vinyl siding or have a few small paint stains to remove, you don’t have to hire someone to get the job done.
Removing paint from vinyl is pretty straightforward once you understand what eats through paint. However big your project is, the work will be worth the result when you get to see your vinyl siding back in its original condition.
If discovering how to remove paint from vinyl siding helped you complete a large home-improvement project, share this list of ways to clean paint off vinyl siding on Facebook and Pinterest.