How to Get Oil-Based Paint Off Skin (with items you already have at home)

Easily remove spray paint, oil based paint and stain from your hands with this natural cleaner made with household ingredients! This is a full tutorial with a video on how to get spray paint off your skin and hands using supplies you already have at home.

Are you a messy painter? No matter how careful I am, I seem to always get paint or stain on my hands. This isn’t usually a problem because water-based paint is easy enough to wash off your skin with some soap and warm water. Except, of course, when that paint is oil-based. Spray paint and stains are oil-based and will not remove with only soap and water. The water will simply glide off the paint (and your hands) no matter how much you scrub.

But, I have a trick on how to get spray paint off your skin using water and two ingredients you already have at home. Best of all is that it’s natural and it actually works to remove oil-based products like spray paint, stain, polyurethane and oil-based paint from your skin.

clean spray paint from skin or oil-based paint from skin

Ingredients to Clean Oil-Based Paint from Skin

  • Oil (any type works – vegetable, canola, olive)
  • Dish soap

Yep, that’s right.  All you need to clean up oil-based paint from your skin is two items that you probably already have sitting in your kitchen: dish soap and oil!

two ingredients to wash oil-based paint from hands or to remove spray paint from skin

Steps on How to Get Spray Paint Off Your Hands

Before putting your hand under the water, use a paper towel or scrap towel to wipe off any excess paint that might still be wet. A little pressure usually removes some of the paint. This will save you a lot of scrubbing in the next step.

steps on how to get spray paint off skin with natural ingredients found at home

Then, pour a little oil and then dish soap into your hands, and lather them up.  Rub the paint that’s on your skin and it should start to wash off. Sometimes, it helps to use your fingernails to scratch off the initial layer, or I’ve found a nail brush also works well to help remove it.

Usually, it takes two to three rounds of oil, soap, water and some scrubbing to remove most of the paint. For skin that is covered with a lot of paint, you’ll have to continue this process a few more times.

natural ingredients to clean oil based paint includes how to get spray paint off skin

The final step to get spray paint off skin is just to take a clean cloth and wipe off any remaining residue that might be left after washing.

How to Wash Oil-Based Paint and Stain from Brushes

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As for cleaning oil-based paint from brushes, I set aside one old glass jar (pickles, applesauce – one with a wide mouth) for cleaning my brushes.  I pour about two inches of mineral spirits or paint thinner into the jar (enough to cover the paint on the brush).

Simply swish the brush around, and then wipe the brush with a towel.  Often, I will cap off the jar and use it again for my next oil-based project.  I usually use the same stuff 3-4 times, and then I dispose of it.

I collect my used mineral spirits/paint thinner in a larger jug in the garage, and then when we go to the hazardous waste facility once a year to dispose of our other household products that should never go into landfills, I bring that jug with me.  Auto repair shops and even some hardware stores will also take your used paint thinner, sometimes for a small fee.

You might also like:

I’m all about taking old pieces an bringing them back to life (which is why I tend to need to use this cleaning trick quite often). I’ve written a full post comparing all the different types of paint to use on furniture and my personal preference on the best type of paint to use on furniture.

You can find that post and a few of my other favorite furniture painting posts below.

Jenny at Refresh Living (dev.refreshliving.com)

Post by Jenny Leads

Jenny is the voice behind Refresh Living. She has a passion for helping people to create a home they love without spending a lot of money.

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15 Comments

  1. I actually collect my used mineral spirits/paint thinner in a larger jug in the garage, and then when we go to the hazardous waste facility once a year to dispose of our other household products that should never go into landfills, I bring that jug with me. Auto repair shops and even some hardware stores will also take your used paint thinner, sometimes for a small fee.

      1. My husband says thank you it worked for him. His hands were completely covered in black paint along wirh the bathroom white sink. He did what you said and it had cleaned it all up. Thank you from me too.

  2. My son touched an outdoor trash bin that had been painted the day before, and the black paint was still wet. It got all over his hands. Without turpentine handy, I turned to Google and found your handy, natural method. It worked!!!! Thanks so much!

    1. I’m so glad to hear it worked! Unfortunately, it does waste quite a bit of cooking oil, but with some scrubbing, it should do the trick. Thanks for letting me know it helped.

  3. I was painting my swamp cooler and got some paint on my left eye lid.
    The dish soap and oil worked for me. Using a wash cloth with the oil and dish soap then rinsing out my eye. Thank you!!! Dan

  4. Thank you, this worked with just one round of vegetable oil and dish soap to get paint off hands as we also didn’t have any turps! My partner was really sceptical when I suggested it but it worked perfectly.