Home Hacks month has inspired us to undo all of the bad DIYs left in our home by previous inhabitants. For example, the 4-foot-long vintage mirror in the bathroom was callously splattered with paint when someone constructed a questionable homemade shelf next to it. Luckily, removing the paint was easy, non-toxic and didn't damage the glass at all.
What You Need
Materials
White Vinegar
Water
Equipment
Rag
Saucepan
Instructions
1. Boil 3 tablespoons of white vinegar with 3 tablespoons of water.
2. Dip the rag in the hot vinegar and water mixture, being very careful not to burn yourself.
3. Rub the rag on the painted glass, slowly at first as the heat loosens up the paint and then scrub a bit harder once the paint starts to come up.
Additional Notes: This worked to remove our paint in minutes, but if the paint is very stubborn, you can use a razor blade to scrape off the paint once it has been loosened by the hot vinegar mix. Be sure the surface is wet and scrape very carefully so you don't scratch the glass.
MORE TIPS FOR REMOVING PAINT FROM GLASS:
How To Remove Paint From Textured Glass
Best Way to Remove Paint from Windows?
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(Images: Sarah Rainwater)
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I have always scraped it off with a razor blade. never nicked the glass.
Window cleaner and a piece of cloth. Viola!
Yeah, a razor blade or even a sharp putty knife has always worked for me. But vinegar does get glass nice and clean.
"Dip the rag in the hot vinegar and water mixture, being very careful not to burn yourself."
And refrain from putting beans up your nose.
Boiling vinegar lets loose a very pungent odor--does it really need to be boiling?
Does this work on wood? the previous owners got paint spatter all over the beautiful cherry trim around our windows.
I don't think this would work on wood in the same way but if someone has a similar solution for wood, I'd love to know. The previous owner of our house got white paint all over the edges of our (nice, not 80s) oak trim.
i've never scratched the glass when using a razor blade to remove paint. in fact, i removed paint from every single one of my apartment windows with a razor alone - no problems and incredibly quick to do.
I was a painter during the summers in college and I do my best to avoid the glass but sometimes its inevitable, and the best way to take care of it is: let it dry and then take a razor blade to it, works wonders for getting stubborn stickers of your car too. As long as the razor is sharp and at an angle to the mirror/glass it won't leave any scratches.
how about a sharp pearing knife?
i've repainted 3 mirrors i have over 20 times trying to get the right color. scraped the glass every time. never harmed them.
I always used a razor blade scraper too. I am a pretty messy painter so I use it a lot!
I always carry a bottle of rubbing alcohol with me on my painting jobs. It is great for removing dried latex paint from almost any surface: carpet, wood, hands. It will not remove oil paint.
I always use a sharp razor blade, the dull ones really can scratch glass. In very delicate situations use the vinegar, or alcohol and cover credit card with a thin , soft rag and use it to scrape. this works well on floors. cabinets and other delicate surfaces.