How to Get Old Paint Goofs Off Walls

When you buy a home, one of the first things you will likely do is clean the entire home, including the walls. If you notice paint residue from old paint jobs on the walls, removing it will help give the walls a clean, tidy appearance. When you drip paint while painting, wiping up the spills is easy with a damp rag. If the paint has had time to harden, the process will require a little more effort.

Sandpaper
Scraper
Paint thinner
Cotton swab

Instructions

- 1
  Sand the excess paint off the walls using 150-grit sandpaper. The sandpaper will grind through the excess paint quickly, even if it has had ample time to harden. To sand the area effectively, especially if the globs of paint are small, wrap a small sheet of sandpaper around your index finger.
- 2
  Scrape larger amounts of paint off the walls with a scraper or other sharp-bladed instrument, such as a box cutter. Using these tools will scrape the paint off quickly but can also damage the surrounding paint. Avoid using a paint scraper, if you do not plan to repaint the wall.
- 3
  Apply some paint thinner to the tip of a cotton swab and gently dab the excess paint. This method is most effective if the paint is relatively new and has not hardened for an extended period. It is a useful paint removal technique because it will not damage the area around the paint globs.

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