Out Dang Spot: Acrylic Paint Run Amok

Alright y’all, in preparation for all the messes we get into to, I am sharing a laundry tip that I came across on over the weekend.  As usual there’s a backstory.  I was skimming my Facebook page and came across a BOGO special at the local Painting With A Twist, and asked a few girlfriends who was up for painting with me.  Turned out that everyone was busy because it was a weeknight, and I got in my head to pitch the idea to my hubs.  You could have blown me over with a feather when he said yes.  He had no idea what we were getting into, but he liked the idea of a date night and a new experience.  Yay!

So we called in a baby sitter and armed with a thermos full of Bloody Mary (we’re not big wine drinkers) we were off on an adventure.  The painting was a two part picture that was supposed to come together in the center.  Long story short we had a blast. 

Fast forward two weeks when I grabbed my cute gray knit jacket off the back of a kitchen chair and headed out the door, only to notice while out on my errand that I had dark blue paint on my elbow.  Aaah man?!?  A few weeks later I returned to paint a picture with my son and asked the instructor if she knew of a good way to get acrylic paint out of clothing, she very quickly answered none at all. 

I was cruising the internet asking the same question several different ways and stumbled on a woman who said she was able to get it out acrylic paint with alcohol, and 409.  Now I don’t buy a lot of different cleaners, but 409 is a staple under my sink. So I thought I would give it a try, I really had nothing to lose. 

I placed a piece of wax paper and paper towels in the sleeve and poured alcohol on the stain, then I sprayed the 409 and began to scrape off the dried on paint with my fingernail.  This worked great, it took most of the paint off.  I sprayed and dabbed at the stain with a paper towel on the top, then removed and replaced the paper towel on the inside.  Check out how well the paint went through to the other side. 

When I was done only faint traces of the paint remained.  I put it in the washer with some other items and gave it a whirl. 

Now for the star of this post…check out the washer/dryer combo. 

I talked about the great deal I got on these and how much I adore them in this post.  Last year some time the hubs and I built the riser from this Ana White plan, and there has been no more bending.  I didn’t even need to sand and distress the paint job because normal wear and tear has done that for me.  I have given some thought to painting and decorating in here, but my hubby and nephew may disown me if I make them lift the washer and dryer again.

I will say this, if you are going to raise the washer/dryer splurge on one of these. It is called a laundry butler, and worth every penny. I love how convenient it is for loading and unloading.  I once ripped the rubber boot that seals the door of the washer with a blue jean button and sadly replacing it is not a DIY job, or cheap.   So now I am very gentle when loading and unloading the washer. 

This cart comes with a hanging bar, but it wasn’t really needed seeing as how I have a bar from wall to wall, and it kept banging into the door.  I removed the bar and used the end cap where I had removed the piece. 

Back to the jacket, I removed it from the washer and decided the spot was still too dark for my liking.  I wanted to treat it once more before letting it dry.  So I repeated the process a second time and gave it another washing. 

In the end there is the slightest stain remaining, but I am the only one who really can see it. 

The fabric is heather gray, which varies enough in color that it is not noticeable to anyone not looking for it. 

I was glad to save my cute gray jacket from weekend warrior wear pile.  Thank you random lady from the internet, you saved my jacket.