“Will paint thinner damage vinyl flooring?” is the question that struck many homeowners’ minds.
You’re welcome if you have already installed vinyl flooring or decided to install it.
Luxury vinyl floor and new painted wall transform the overall look of a room. But even if you’re careful, some paint may spill during painting work and end up on the floor. Your floor may stain with nail polish, dye, or permanent marker. If you catch it immediately, you can wipe it up with a cloth.
But what about the dried paint stains?
If you think that using paint thinner will clean these culprits from your lovely vinyl flooring, you’re wrong.
Paint thinner is not friendly to vinyl. So, it is not recommended to use. You should not use abrasive or caustic solvents such as paint thinner to remove paint stains from the vinyl floor.
This solution won’t directly damage your luxury vinyl flooring, but it can cause discoloration.
But why can’t you use paint thinner on vinyl?
For explanation, let’s find what paint thinner is.
What Is Paint Thinner?
Paint thinner is a petroleum-based solvent that is used to thin oil-based paints. It helps to dissolve the paint and reduce the viscosity of the paint.
As paint thinner dissolves paint, the solvent removes the oil-based paint from brushes, rollers, and other paint equipment. It is also used to clean up the splatters and spills of paint. However, it only works as long as the paint is wet.
If the paint is left open during painting jobs, it becomes thicker. Paint thinner counteracts this.
It is an inexpensive and versatile cleaner. But it is caustic in nature that can cause degradation of the finish and wear the layer. Unfortunately, premature or increased wear may be seen over time if it affects the finish and wears layer.
What Removes Paint from Vinyl?
You should avoid not only paint thinner but also lacquer thinner, vinegar, and pure acetone for vinyl floors.
So, what to use to remove paint from vinyl flooring?
Don’t be upset!
There are several products that you can use to get paint off vinyl floors.
- To remove the spilled and dried paint, you can use rubbing alcohol.
This solvent can break down the paint and makes it easier to clean up. It also removes the paint stain of the color of your paint is noticeably different from your floor.
Apply a little amount of rubbing alcohol on a clean rag. Rub the spill paint for several minutes. For removing stubborn paint, leave the rag on the paint spill for 10 minutes before wiping.
Wipe the remaining paint with a damp cloth. You can also use liquid wax to remove the stubborn paint. Simply dip a superfine sell wool pad into the liquid wax and gently scrub the area.
- You can also use mineral spirits.
Never apply a solvent on your floor without testing it. First, apply the solvent to a small area to avoid the overall damage.
- To remove the stain of dye, nail polish, and permanent markers, you can use nail polish remover containing acetone. Apply the nail polish remover on a clean rag and scrub the stained area gently.
- If no method is effective, mix 10 parts of water with 1 part of thinner and scrub the affected area with caution. But don’t forget to test it in a small area. You should not use it on water-based paint.
There are some more commercial products that you can use to get paint off vinyl floors.
WD-40 works well to break down the bonds and remove water-based paints.
With Goo Gone adhesive remover you can deal with water-based paint quickly.
So, still wondering, will paint thinner damage vinyl flooring?
Hope this post helps you learn and deal with the paint spill on your vinyl surface with the safe solvent.