How to Remove Rustoleum Spray Paint off Your Hands

In your quest to paint your kitchen cabinet or any other surface, you got some rust-oleum paint on your hands.

You are not sure how you can remove rust-oleum spray paint from your hands.

Well, you have come to the right place, I will not only show you how to remove rust-oleum paint from your hands.

I will also show you, several DIY options that you can use to remove rust-oleum paint from your hands.

Find out how to get spray paint out of your hair if you got some stuck in there

Facts to note before removing rust-oleum paint from your hands.

Rust-oleum is a company that manufactures protective paint and coatings.

These paints come in various types and forms.

Fact 1-

The first thing to put in mind is the type of rust-oleum spray paint you have on your hands.

Whether you are removing paint from your house, your car, or any other surface.

This is very important because while water-based paints are quite easy to get rid of, oil-based paint is not that easy.

If you don’t follow the right steps to remove the right type of paint, there may be side effects.

Fact 2-

Another very important fact is that it is much easier to remove paint while it is still fresh.

Whether it’s on your hands, car, or any other surface, the easiest way to remove any type of paint is when it is still fresh.

Now that you have these facts, let me show you the different methods you can follow to remove rust-oleum spray paint off your hands.

Methods to remove rust-oleum spray paint off your hands.

When you want to remove rust-oleum paint from your hands, there are several ways to go about it.

You can either follow the manual method or the chemical method.

Manual method.

To remove rust-oleum paint manually, you will need the following things.

• Water.
• Olive or vegetable oil.
• Pumice soap. After getting these tools, all you have to do is follow these steps;

Step 1-

Wash with running water:

Wash your hands with warm running water.

If the paint is still wet, most of the paint will be removed with water alone.

If the paint is spilled in several areas, you might want to do this in a shower.

Step 2-

Rub pumice soap on your hands:

Pumice soap can either be in a bar or liquid form.

Pumice soap is useful to remove paint because of its mild abrasiveness.

When you rub pumice on your hands, it will gently scrub off the paint.

Step 3-

Use vegetable or olive oil to remove the remaining paint:

If after following steps 1 and 2, you still have some paint residue on your hands.

Use vegetable or olive oil to remove the remaining paint.

Using olive oil or vegetable oil will also help soothe any skin irritation that the rust-oleum paint might have caused.

Step 4-

Wash off the vegetable or olive oil:

After rubbing the oil on your hands, wash it off with clean water and dry it off with a soft towel.

When you follow these steps, you can be sure that the sticky rust-oleum paint on your hands will be nowhere to be found.

Tip:

You can find pumice soap in a bar, liquids, and pump dispensers.

You can buy them in local stores or auto parts stores because mechanics use them to remove grease from their hands.

Some brands of pumice soaps also contain moisturizers.

Safety precaution: Be careful not to let your hands contact your face while you are removing the paint. Especially when using the pumice soap.

Chemical method.

To remove rust-oleum paint chemically you will need the following tools;

• A pint of glycerin.
• A pint of solvent.
• Soap and water.
• A clean towel.

After you have gotten these tools, then you need to follow these steps. 

Steps	Procedures
Step 1	Apply the glycerin to the paint on your hands.
Step 2	Pour solvent on your hands.
Step 3	Wash your hands with soap and water.
Step 4	Clean your hands.

Step 1-

Apply the glycerin to the paint on your hands.

The glycerin helps to loosen the rust-oleum paint and dissolve it.

Step 2-

Pour a small amount of solvent on your hands:

You can either use turpentine or mineral spirits.

Pour them on your hands.

Rub your hands together to remove the rust-oleum paint.

Continue to add more solvent that’s needed until all of the paint has been removed.

Step 3-

Wash your hands with soap and water:

After you have gotten rid of the paint, wash your hands with soap and running water.

You need to wash your hands to get rid of the solvent or turpentine and sometimes the paint residue.

Step 4-

Dry your hands:

Get a soft and clean towel and dry your hands.

That’s how you remove rust-oleum paint chemically.

Safety precaution:

Whenever you are using any type of solvent, ensure you are putting on a mask.

It’s safe to wear masks because solvents can cause lung irritation.

Although the chemical method is faster, I advise personally that you follow the manual method, because it’s safer.

How to remove the different types of rust-oleum spray paint off your hands

As I mentioned earlier, Rust-oleum paints can come in different types.

It can either be oil-based or water-based.

While oil-based paint also called enamel paints are durable and can cover stains and rust, water-based paints also known as latex paint are less durable and are usually used for indoor purposes like kitchen cabinets, etc.

You may think it’s unnecessary to know which type of rust-oleum paint you are dealing with.

Can’t I just remove it either manually or chemically as we have seen above?

Well, it’s not always that way, because while just soap and water may get rid of one type, the other may require something more abrasive.

How to remove oil-based rust-oleum paint off your hands.

To remove oil-based paint rust-oleum paint from your hands, you have quite a several DIY options.

I will take you through the different options you can use.

These options include;

• Alcohol.
• Acetone.
• Nail polish remover.
• Vinegar.

Alcohol

Alcohol is a very important element for removing oil-based rust-oleum paint.

To use alcohol to remove oil-based rust-oleum paint from your hands, you need the following items;

• A bottle of alcohol.
• A piece of clothing.
• Soap and
• Running water.

Simply follow these steps;

Step 1-

Grab a bottle of alcohol:

The first thing is to get a bottle of alcohol.

(Not to drink it though)

Step 2-

Rub the alcohol on your hands:

Pour some of the alcohol on your hands.

Rub your hands vigorously until the rust-oleum paint gets washed off.

Step 3-

Wash with soap and water:

After rubbing the alcohol on your hands, wash your hands thoroughly with a bar of mild soap and running water.

This will wash off the alcohol from your hands and also remove any residue of paint remaining.

Step 4-

Clean your hands with a rag:

After washing with soap and water get a clean rag and wipe off the water.

Those are the steps to follow when using alcohol to remove oil-based rust-oleum paint.

Acetone

Acetone is another common solvent that is potent for removing oil-based rust-oleum paint.

However, I will like to put a disclaimer.

Acetone paint can cause skin irritation, there it is not advisable to use it in an environment that is not well ventilated.

To use acetone to remove oil-based paints you will need just follow these steps;

Step 1-

Grab a bowl of acetone:

You can either make it on your own or buy one yourself.

Step 2-

Rub acetone on your hands:

Carefully rub the acetone solvent on your hands to remove the paint.

Applying acetone to the paint will loosen the paint’s bond.

Step 3-

Wash off the acetone with water:

After rubbing the acetone on your hands wash off the acetone with soap and water.

This will ensure that you remove the acetone from your skin and also get rid of any residue of paint remaining.

Nail polish remover

In case you can’t find acetone, nail polish remover is a very good alternative.

Most nail polish removers have acetone as their primary active ingredient.

To use nail polish removers to remove paint all you have to do is;

Step 1-

Get a bottle of nail polish remover:

You can easily get one of them in a local supermarket.

Step 2-

Rub the nail polish remover on your hands:

This is to ensure that oil-based paint loses its bond.

It also removes a substantial part of the paint.

Step 3-

Wash your hands with soap and water:

After rubbing the nail polish remover on your hands wash off the acetone with soap and water.

Disclaimer: Nail polish removers contain a high percentage of acetone. Ensure you use them in a well-ventilated area to prevent lung or skin irritation.

Vinegar.

Vinegar is a very nice option because it is, cheap, safe, and easy to use.

Disclaimer:

I must warn that vinegar as effective as it is, it does not completely remove oil-based rust-oleum paint.

However, it gets 90% of the job done.

When using vinegar to remove oil-based paint just follow these steps;

Step 1-

Get a cup of vinegar:

You can get vinegar from a local store.

Step 2-

Warm the vinegar:

Applying vinegar directly is not effective, you need to warm up the vinegar.

You can either use a microwave oven or a stove.

However, keep it at a very low boil, you don’t want to burn your hands.

Step 3-

Rub the vinegar on your hands:

Thoroughly rub your hands with the warm vinegar.

This will get rid of the majority of the oil-based paint.

Step 4-

Wash with soap and running water:

After rubbing the vinegar on your hands, wash it with soap and running water.

This will remove the vinegar and any remnant of paint on your hands.

These are the different solvents and materials you can use to remove oil-based rust-oleum paint.

How to remove water-based rust-oleum spray paint.

Unlike enamel rust-oleum paint which is oil-based and requires solvents, water-based rust-oleum paint is quite easy to remove.

To remove water-based paint from your hands you need the following items;

• Soap and water.
• Rubbing or Isopropyl alcohol.
• Clean rags.

Step 1-

Wash your hands with soap and water- When the water-based paint gets spilled on your hands.

The first thing to do is get wash it off with soap and water.

If cold water doesn’t do the trick, then warm water will do it.

Step 2-

Rub your hands with Isopropyl alcohol:

If after using soap and water, the water-based paint still doesn’t leave your hands, then you need some rubbing alcohol.

Rubbing alcohol contains 70% to 90% Isopropyl, and this is very effective when removing paint.

Just pour a sizable amount of rubbing alcohol on your hands and carefully rub your hands together to get rid of the water-based paint.

Step 3-

Rinse and dry your hands:

Rinse your hands with running water to remove the alcohol and get a clean towel to clean your hands.

That’s how you remove water-based rust-oleum spray paint from your hands.

Consequences of having rust-oleum spray paint on your skin.

Most spray paint has some level of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and solvents.

These VOCs include toluene, xylene, acetone, benzene, etc.

These volatile organic compounds are hazardous, especially when they contact the skin.

Some of the dangers of having rust-oleum spray paint on your skin include the fact that;

• It can cause skin irritation:

When spray paint especially oil-based paint contacts your skin, it causes skin irritation.

• Rashes:

Another dangerous effect is the fact that it can cause rashes on your skin.

• Itching:

When the paint is exposed to your skin, it causes uncomfortable itches, which may lead to injuries.

• Dryness:

Skin exposure to spray paint makes the skin dry.

• Dermatitis(skin inflammation):

This is a rare but very possible and hazardous problem of having spray paint on your skin.

• Eczema:

Although rare, some VOCs in spray paint can also cause eczema.

Solutions to skin problems caused by exposure to rust-oleum spray paint.

The best solution is to seek a dermatologist.

However, as the saying goes, ‘Prevention is better than cure.

It’s better not to have spray paint on your hands in the first place.

Here are some of the ways you can prevent rust-oleum spray paint from spilling on your skin.

Ways to prevent rust-oleum spray paint from spilling on your skin.

1. Wear gloves:

Either when you are thinning the paint on or when you are spraying it.

Ensure you wear gloves at all times.

This will prevent the paint from spilling on your hands.

• Wear overalls:

The aim is not just to prevent the paint from spilling on your hands but to remove it from spilling on your body.

Wearing overalls will reduce the potential risk of the paint contacting your body.

• Wear a mask:

Wearing a mask is by far the most safety precaution to follow when spraying paint or even removing paint.

This is because inhaling paint fumes can cause lung irritation and other respiratory problems.

• Wear safety goggles:

It is advisable to wear safety goggles when dealing with paint.

Failure to do so can cause eye irritation.

So there you have it, the various ways to remove and prevent rust-oleum spray paint from contacting your skin.

FAQs