How to get Paint off of Tile

Did you get paint on your tile? Yikes! No worries - here's an easy tutorial on how to get paint off of tile!

This is a simple tip but one that I have found very handy for getting paint off of tile.

We have recently been doing some work on our condo so that it can be ready to put on the market as soon as we find a great house. A lot of that work has been in cleanup of previous projects.

For example,  in our guest bathroom, I’m not sure if I didn’t tape off or if I just did a bad job, but I got lots of blue paint on the white tile. It’s been there for years now, and always bothered me a bit when I noticed it, but I’ve never done anything about it. So, it was time to get on that already!

Whether you got paint on your bathroom tile or tile floor, a paint spill can feel like a disaster. But, it's not a big deal to clean the tiles.

Check out our tutorial on how to get paint off of carpet, too!

How to get paint off of tile

How to remove paint from tile

I am excited to tell you that it is super easy to get dried paint off of tile. There are 3 ways to get old paint off of tile:

• Remove it with a chemical (my method below!)
• Scrape it
• Heat and peel it

The easiest way, especially for small messes, is to use a chemical to wipe it off. All you need is acetone nail polish remover (the same kind that you use to remove gel polish) and q-tips.

Supplies needed:

• acetone nail polish remover 
• Q-tips

Note that this is acetone nail polish remover and NOT the acetone-free version - that won't work to soften the paint.

No nail polish remover? Try these alternatives:

• Paint thinner
• Paint stripper
• Lacquer thinner
• Commercial paint removers
• White vinegar solution

But if you have paint thinner on hand, you probably weren't googling how to clean paint stains!

If the paint is very old and it might be lead paint - definitely wear a dust mask to avoid toxic fumes.

Warning: you might want to test a drop of the remover on a discrete part of your tile in an inconspicuous area to make sure that it doesn’t discolor it. I have only tried this on white tile so I can’t say for certain if it would work on dark or porous tiles.

How to remove paint from tile

Use a chemical

Simply dip the q tip into the remover and wipe away the paint. The paint on the tile literally wiped away with hardly any effort or pressure. Paint on the grout took a little more elbow grease, but I got it out.

Scrape it

If your paint is a bit more stuck on, you can try using a plastic scraper or razor blade or putty knife to gently scrape stubborn paint from tiles and grout.

Heat + scrape

If the paint is REALLY stuck on, heat it up in small areas with a heat gun and scrape the paint at a 45 degree angle as it softens with the heat. I encourage you to try other methods first because this is a lot of work!

A note on grout - unsealed grout will absorb paint like a sponge. You can clean it with white vinegar and warm water after scraping it, but it might be stained forever. Consider using a grout pen to refresh it to get your desired results.

This is a simple tip but I just wanted to share it in case any of you had a similar issue!

How to get wet paint off of tile

If possible, wipe up wet paint before it dries. Wipe it up with a little dish soap and a damp cloth. Try as hard as possible to keep it off of the grout, which stains super easily.

Consider sealing your grout to make cleaning easier moving forward.

Any more questions about how to get paint off of tile? Good luck!