I usually just take a razor blade and scrape it off, but that's with fresh paint splatters that haven't had too long to set.

I would think it depends on the kind of paint used (latex or oil) what will work best.

Steel wool works really well and with minimum elbow grease. When I redid my apartment's floors I just put it under my sneaker and kicked around a bit - descriptive, I know. For the really big spills (we're talking 16" across) I had to resort to furniture stripper. That was ok for me because the floors were untreated but definitely won't work on polyed floors.

If it's a blob or thicker droplet of latex, old or new, I've carefully scraped it with a razor blade or, on old pine floors (soft wood) a plastic putty knife. If it's more of a smear and has gotten into the grain, Minwax wood floor cleaner and a plastic scrubber sponge (the green ones that are like plastic steel wool) have always worked.

Thanks for posting this!
I just ripped the carpet out of my spare room to find that the previous owner let the paint splatter all over the hardwood floor! Actually, it looks like years of previous occupants allowing paint to land on the floor without caring. (our place is over 100 years old)

Before resanding the floors, I'd like to remove the paint splatters to make our floor restoration project go somewhat smoother since we are going to be doing it ourselvles.

If anyone else has had a similar experience with restoring their hardwood floors, I'll take any advice I can get.

I, too, have old floors with old paint splatters. For me, the floors are 50 yrs old, and I want to avoid refinishing.

I was successful in two rooms using 70% ethanol. The paint platters ranged from tiny drops to blobs more than an inch across. The thicker spots required soaking, and perhaps 2 treatments. I used a bit of 0000 steel wool (the really fine stuff), and for the crack under the baseboards, I used a lot of toothpicks with an ethanol-soaked rag.

I didn't think to try goo-gone. I've one more floor to go - and I'll compare all the products that I have on hand.

Depending on how many you have, a hairdryer to soften the paint with a plastic scraper (The cheap plastic putty knives at hardware stores do the trick.) works well. A heat gun if used carelessly is too hot and may blister the finish on the floor as well.

I have found the crucial ingredient is elbow grease - the other elements can be mixed and matched to equal effect. As such, I usually spray a little diluted Murphy's Oil Soap and let it sit a bit to loosen things up, and then use a moistened, double sided kitchen scrubby sponge - the kind for use on non-stick.

A coworker just recomended Krud Kutter for getting paint off anything. I'm having my small condo painted right now so we'll see if this picks up any mess.

A word of caution from a one-time house painter: be sure the product you use won't also consume the finish on your floors. ... unless you WANT to refinish them anyway.

Things like shellac are soluble in alcohol, latex paint can be dissolved with nail polish remover, and I've had decent luck with good ol' paint thinner on oil-based paints. BUT I've also not had to worry about what the surface underneath is made of or finished with... because we usually go on to paint it another colour. The best advice I can give is to be liberal with the use of drop cloths, painter's tape and plastic sheeting.

If you don't want to refinish, stick to the least-offensive materials possible and go for broke with the elbow grease!

roygbiv --

If you're completely refinishing the floors, simply ignore the paint drops and sand the floors...

You'll be going through several sanding strips anyways - one more won't matter.

However the staples from the carpets and padding are another matter - you need to pull them all out.

be VERY careful testing products out! We pulled up carpet to reveal a mess of paint splatters- but some of the 'cleaners' took the finish off with the paint! I ended up spending about a week on my hands & knees gently scraping away & then topped it off with a coat of Bona refinisher- amazing results. Unfortunately the third bedroom (our master of course) is another story- trashed. No way around it- so we're refinishing in the next few months.

Magic Eraser!

Takes a little elbow grease and time but it really works and doesn't eff with the finish on your floors.

I bought these white sponges from Japan Town they cost about a 1.00 each I call them the mystery sponge because there was no packaging or info but they take everything off, old paint marks, scuff marks, any marks on the walls, etc.

I have 2 different methods of removing paint - One a whole house of brand new hardwood that the painter didn't mask - As the latex paint was fresh I wet it with warm water (to soften) and then used one of those plastic scrubbers that you use on teflon pots and pans - this worked well but the paint was less than a week old.

The other method I used on a large number of very good clothes to remove old old paint marks as someone in my family doesn't change before decideing to paint - I have not tried on anything but clothes but it worked so well - it is that hand disinfectant - like Purell. It worked really well on clothes - I think it loosens and then dissolves the paint - this worked on latex paint also. I put it on liberally, let it sit awhile and then used an old toothbrush to gently scrub.

This is pretty reasonable also and no bad smells - hope one of these works for you.

for me it's murphy's oil soap, elbow grease, and a putty knife. takes bloody forever but it works and i haven't harmed the finish on my floors with this method.

I tried GooGone to get rid of the melamine paint that's been splattered on my bathroom floor. It didn't work, but I'll be the first to admit I didn't scrape or anything. Should I try again, or try something else?

any advice for latex paint drops on light carpet?

For the big spots, I scraped it up while wet, then soaked with hot soapy water and patted it dry.

But later I've found several little dried droplets - and considered just cutting them out, but maybe there's a better way?

This is so helpful! I am in the process of cleaning up some paint splatters from previous careless painters. I noticed that I also have paint splatter droplets on my linolelum floors in my bathroom. Any suggestions on if goo gone or another cleaner will work. I have tried scraping but the droplets are thick and its not working very well.

paint thinner

We've used goof off to get paint splatters off our hard wood and out of carpet. Just do a little test spot first!

Good luck!

razor blades get paint off any hard surface (wood, tile, linoleum, vinyl) without damaging it.

i've always cleaned up paint splatters off hardwood with my thumbnails. :) i've always gotten it off, and never hurt the floor or my nails. with that being said, i also never let paint sit for 100 yrs...

I ripped the carpets out of my rental apartment (with permission) and found that the painters had used one of those sprayers... white (or landlord grey) paint all over the old wonderful hardwood floors... and by all over I mean everywhere but the middle of the rooms. I considered just finishing their job and painting the floors white but a test of Goo Gone and the paint came right up! And it didn't hurt the finish on the floor. It smells awful so wear a mask but it works wonders

@thepragmatist:

I recently started a job and the carpet in my office had tons of paint splatters - big and little (I work for a non-profit, and some high school kids painted it for their senior project a few months ago).

I have had great luck in pouring rubbing alcohol on it, letting it sit for 20 minutes or so, and then blotting/rubbing with a cotton kitchen towel (buy cheap ones 'cause you'll ruin them!). You might have to do it a couple times, but it does get it out. This won't work on oil-based paints, though.

simple green and a putty knife work great! takes a little elbow grease, but does the job.

A steam cleaner works very well if your floors have a poly-based finish. I have a cheap one from the Shark people and just run it over any spots, dry with a towel and immediately use a plastic putty knife, the paint flecks, latex and oil, come right off. Would definitely test that method on an inconspicuous spot on floors with a wax or oil based finish...but seems like it would work. In the past have just used a green scrubby, ammonia, and some elbow grease.

Depends on the type of paint as well as the type of finish on your wood. Problem is that the kind of stuff that works on paint usually works on poly wooden floor sealer too, and you don't want that! What I did was wipe the spot with thinners and scrub it LIGHTLY with a copper pot scourger. Repeat the wiping with the thinners regularly. Test this in a corner though, otherwise you will end up with scratch marks or stains on your floor. Also, do this in bright light and step away from the area regularly. My scratches was invisible until the sun hit them at a different angle the next morning.

I made paint splatters everywhere in the bathroom when fixing up the peeling ceiling paint...I was going to use thinner but didn't want to risk it on the bathtub? So I tried the sugar spray which was really effective! Smaller blobs can be removed w a bit of scrubbing, but best to spray on larger blobs and leave on for abit- comes off without scrubbing. Only thing is have to wipe off w paper towels immediately when the splatter moves cos then it just sticks again somewhere else. Also had to wipe over with water and just too much soapiness.....