Best Paint Remover – TOP 5 & Buyer’s Guide

Do you struggle with picking out what paint remover works best for your project?

Does the specific type of paint you would want to remove require extra attention? Is your surface tricky to deal with? Or do you just want that special feel for your project?

Editor's choice
Great All-Purpose Cleaner
Heats Up To 1112℉ In Seconds
Kleanstrip Prep-All Wax & Grease Remover, Gallon (KLE-GSW362)
Sunnyside Corporation 68932 Ready-Strip Graffiti Remover, Quart...
MiracleWipes for Paint Cleanup - All Purpose Cleaner, Brushes,...
Premium Spray Stripper Aerosol Non-Methylene Chloride 16 oz,...
Heat Gun, Mowis 1800W Heavy Duty Hot Air Shrink Gun with LCD...
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Versatile use. Quick action. Economical.
Works on both interior and exterior surfaces. Biodegradable. Non-flammable.
Versatile. Portable. Gentle for skin.
Reduced setting time. Healthier alternative. Applicable on most surfaces.
Highly versatile. Large LCD which allows for temperature adjustment. Supercooling model. Unique stainless-steel design.
Editor's choice
Kleanstrip Prep-All Wax & Grease Remover, Gallon (KLE-GSW362)
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Versatile use. Quick action. Economical.
Best Eco-Friendly Choice
Sunnyside Corporation 68932 Ready-Strip Graffiti Remover, Quart...
Works on both interior and exterior surfaces. Biodegradable. Non-flammable.
Great All-Purpose Cleaner
MiracleWipes for Paint Cleanup - All Purpose Cleaner, Brushes,...
Versatile. Portable. Gentle for skin.
Rapid Stripping
Premium Spray Stripper Aerosol Non-Methylene Chloride 16 oz,...
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Reduced setting time. Healthier alternative. Applicable on most surfaces.
Heats Up To 1112℉ In Seconds
Heat Gun, Mowis 1800W Heavy Duty Hot Air Shrink Gun with LCD...
Highly versatile. Large LCD which allows for temperature adjustment. Supercooling model. Unique stainless-steel design.

Paid Links / Last update on 2020-12-09

This article offers you a few pointers on how to identify what would give you the best results and user experience from the bunch, plus give you a few options to choose precisely.
wood paint remover

1. Editor’s Choice Paint Remover: Kleanstrip Prep-All

Kleanstrip Prep-All Wax & Grease Remover, Gallon (KLE-GSW362)
  • Prep-All works on metal,...
  • Perfect for surface prep - use...

Paid Links / Last update on 2020-12-09

The Kleanstrip Prep-All Wax & Grease Remover is most suitable for metal, plastic and fiberglass surfaces. It is best used to prepare surfaces before both sanding and painting. It comes in one-gallon and is highly recommended in autobody and car restoration dealerships. As a result of VOC regulations, it is not the easiest product to come across.
It is ideal for the removal of wax, tar, grease, tree sap, sanding residue, and road film. It works best as a cleaner and degreaser for the surfaces mentioned above.

Performance

This formula works well on several automotive surfaces. Its quick action gives it an edge above its peers. When used before sanding, it prolongs the life of sandpaper. It can also be used post sanding to clean the surface before the application of a topcoat. By applying this product, you can eliminate old wax before re-applying your new desired wax. This will help to give your surface a mirror-like finish.

Note that not all surfaces work well with this product. Therefore, test it on a smaller, non-conspicuous surface before wholly applying it to ensure you will get the desired results with no significant damage. Additionally, you are strongly discouraged from using this product on surfaces that have been freshly painted.
Besides, it is advisable to adhere to the recommended paint curation times before using it on top paint coat surfaces. Moreover, avoid any form of contact between the treated surface and direct sunrays or strong breezes.
Caution is also advised during this product’s use due to its flammability.

What Users Say

One user claims the product is the best they have ever used. He used it for prepping surfaces as well as checking for straightness of surfaces. Besides, the user claims that the product evaporates quickly from any applied surface. Some people tell that when using on filler/glaze or poly primer, it is advisable to give it time to dry out. It helps you to avoid any adhesion failure or blistering. Moreover, the mixture of mineral spirits contained in the product is perfect; hence it dries fast and doesn’t leave residue on the surface.
From another user, the product’s package was as indicated by the manufacturer. More so, it helped the user in removing old wax and stains on his Mustang hence allowing them to prep for application of new paint.

Pros
  • Versatile use
  • Quick action
  • Economical
Cons
  • Flammable
  • Irritant to the skin and eye

2. Best Eco-Friendly Choice: Sunnyside Corporation 68932 Ready-Strip Graffiti Remover

Sunnyside Corporation 68932 Ready-Strip Graffiti Remover, Quart...
  • Water-based formula designed...
  • Use to remove lipstick, dyes,...

Paid Links / Last update on 2020-12-09

This is a water-based formula that can remove aerosol spray paint and varnish. It’s also ideal in the easy removal of lipsticks, crayon, and ink. The remover is a product of Sunnyside Corporation which was founded in 1893. They have a history of manufacturing paint solvents, friendly paint removers, paint additives and cleaners for hardware and paint retailers, thus giving you greater assurance on quality.

Performance

This product is known to work on brick, steel, concrete, vinyl, wood and plaster surfaces. It is also known to remove rust from surfaces, giving them a renewed lifeline. With this product, aerosol spray paints, enamels, acrylics, and primers stand no chance. This makes it a domestic must-have since it equips you for most household painting damages.

This is also an eco-friendly choice since it doesn’t have any methylene chloride. It is also biodegradable thus making it safe for the environment even in the long run. Additionally, it is a non-flammable choice.

What Users Say

One user was a graffiti victim with red spray paint left on his concrete sidewalk and wall. The product suggests that you need to wait about 30-60 min for it to work. However, this user reports that the remover worked instantly especially on the sidewalk since it has a flat surface which allows the remover to pool.
On the other hand, the concrete wall required a lot of product to clean up. Besides, the worse spot needed 2 treatments to clean.
Another user reports using the remover on their interior wall that had rust marks. The product removed every trace of the rust marks. The user also claims that graffiti remover was also effective in removing rust from old fabric car mats.

Pros
  • Works on both interior and exterior surfaces
  • Biodegradable
  • Non-flammable
Cons
  • Not ideal for vertical surfaces
  • Requires substantial amounts to work

3. Wipes for Removing Paint: MiracleWipes

MiracleWipes for Paint Cleanup - All Purpose Cleaner, Brushes,...
  • DUAL TEXTURED - With a soft...
  • LARGER WIPES - At 12” x 6”...

Paid Links / Last update on 2020-12-09

Are you looking for a highly portable alternative that allows you to get hands-on? The MiracleWipes for Paint Cleanup could be the product for you. It is dual-textured with a soft and abrasive side. The wipes are 12” x 6” in size, which cover most palm’s surface area. This gives the user deeper and significantly intense clean.
The wipes rehydrate the skin which in turn prevents cracking, cuts, chapping, and the dryness that comes with the use of most conventional wipes. The more popular applications of these wipes include works in the interior, exterior, hands, tools such as adhesives, brushes, clothing, trays & liners.

Best glue removers TOP 5.

Performance

The first selling point of this product is its versatility. The MiracleWipes for paint removes built-up dirt, acrylic paint droplets, caulking, wet oil, and stains. It is also used on a variety of surfaces ranging from brushes, rollers, canvas to adhesives.
The MiracleWipes container is quite lightweight making it easy to carry about and manage hence you can keep it in your vicinity at almost all times.

The wet wipes are also a skincare routine on their own. They contain coconut oil extracts among other proprietary solutions which allow it to be gentle on the skin but still actively combat built-up grime and greases. Besides, they can clean spots on canvas edges as well as clean your baseboard and hands off the paint. Additionally, the wipes can help you remove droplets that may fall on your floors as you work on the upper surfaces.

Moreover, MiracleWipes also come in commercial-grade quality hence you can use them in restoration and DIY painting projects.

What Users Say

One user bought the wipes to remove spray paint from their black leather couch. He reported that the wipes did work exceptionally well. They add that although about 95 percent of the paint was removed, the white paint remained slightly visible. According to him, this product is worth the money. However, the user warns that depending on the amount of paint spilled you might have to scrub the surface vigorously which will also require a higher number of wipes.
Another user complains of the builder who did a sloppy painting in his dining-room and left paint splatters all over several bits of hardware and floor. Although it took some elbow-grease, the wipe removed the paint. The user recommends one to consider wearing gloves as the wipes can irritate the skin if used on a sizable mess.
Another reviewer noted that despite requiring you to scrub a bit harder the wipes are quite efficient. This proved true when they used wipes to remove paint on the user’s doorknobs left by previous house owners. Moreover, they helped the user remove dried paint from metal surfaces.

Pros
  • Versatile
  • Portable
  • Gentle for skin
Cons
  • Can irritate the skin if used with bare hands

4. Spray Paint Remover: KLEAN-STRIP Premium Spray Stripper Aerosol

Paid Links / Last update on 2022-08-20

Do you want a paint stripper that works at a rapid speed? Maybe the KLEAN-STRIP Premium Spray Stripper Aerosol is what you need. With a minimum stripping time of 30 minutes, the aerosol is one of the fastest in the business.
It is safer than paint strippers that use methylene chloride or NMP in their composition without compromising on its results. It is known to effectively remove both paint, varnish, shellac, lacquer and epoxy from a diverse list of surfaces such as wood, metal, and masonry. Moreover, it is an ideal choice for both professional applications and refinishing projects at home.

Performance

By chemically replacing methylene chloride from its composition, the KLEAN-STRIP Premium Spray Stripper Aerosol gives you the benefits of using non-poisonous paint stripper.
Another key feature is that it strips out paint after only 30 minutes of exposure, something very significant in this field of work. This is applicable for wood, metal, and masonry walling among other surfaces. Besides, the stripper also removes lacquer, varnish, and shellac hence making it ideal for DIY projects.

Although it is well known for rapid stripping, one downside of the stripper is that its smell is not easy to shake off. Therefore, it is advisable to use it in well-ventilated spaces.

What Users Say

This product has a broad spectrum of responses. One customer used it to remove multiple layers of paint applied on a significantly old set of cabinets made of historic Folsom. By using the product, the layers came off effectively and worked just fine. Another user put it down as reasonably easy to use. After applying it on a surface with varnish, the varnish peeled off immediately the stripper had set. Hence, they rate it as very powerful.
On the other hand, other users have not been satisfied with this product. One complained about the strong smell that it leaves after use. Another one claimed that the stripper left a very big mess on the surface and despite following the recommendation of cleaning it up with mineral spirits, not much changed with this approach.

Pros
  • Reduced setting time
  • Healthier alternative
  • Applicable on most surfaces
Cons
  • Rather strong smell
  • Highly flammable

5. Best Tool for Removing Paint: Mowis 1800W Heat Gun with LCD Display

Heat Gun, Mowis 1800W Heavy Duty Hot Air Shrink Gun with LCD...
  • ADJUSTABLE TEMPERATURE & WIND...
  • POWERFUL 1800W MOWIS HOT AIR...

Paid Links / Last update on 2020-12-09

Would you like to have a tool that works for almost any surface? Equally so, would you like the tool that does much more than just clear up your painted surface? The Mowis 1900W claims to offer just that.
The Mowis is a popular choice for many due to its versatility and its ease of use. The gun is suitable for disinfection, paint removal, softening welding material, bending pipes, repairing waterproof tarpaulin, removing stickers, softening dry paint, removing rusted bolts and so on.

Performance

The Mowis 1800W Hot Gun is suitable for almost any DIY project. It has a built-in ceramic core, offering a two-modes switch which gives the user variable temperatures through its digital control system. The maximum temperature makes it one of the most powerful hot-guns in the market. It can heat up to 1112℉ in seconds using its high-powered turbofans and 1800-watt power rating. This also makes it a must-have electronic heat gun for other tasks such as shrinking a heat shrink tube, a shrinking wrap, heating of PVC components, electronics, cell phone repairs, vinyl wrap or other multiple jobs.
Additionally, it has a unique cooling mode which cools the surface after getting heated up.

Another extra incentive for getting this hot air gun is its LCD which shows you the temperature you are operating on in real-time. It also comes with a fishtail surface nozzle, a three-layer round nozzle, a five-layer concentrator nozzle, and a spoon reflector nozzle. These four come attached to the package, offering you different choices for each specific task.

Its ergonomic design helps to counter repetitive strain injuries among other muscular and skeletal disorders hence making it user-friendly. Moreover, with a length of 1.8 meters, its power cord also supports a wide variety of uses.

What People Say

One user noted that this product was quite helpful. They had purchased a few different heat guns from discount stores and they were all disappointments. They were not long-lasting and gave the user no control overheat. Unfortunately, the user ended up resorting to a high-quality hairdryer for their needs. This one, however, gave him a different feel due to the high and low settings which help set the temperature. The high speed also has a higher allowance of temperature.
Another user put it down as having a lot of heat at the finger-tip and easy to control. His best part is how well it fits with the all existing adapters that he had from Harbor freight tools. Although he thought Mowis was a bit high priced, he went for it anyway. He was very pleased with the product, especially with digital reading, which allowed him to know what degree it needed to be heated and for how long.

Pros
  • Highly versatile
  • Large LCD which allows for temperature adjustment
  • Supercooling model
  • Unique stainless-steel design
Cons
  • Relatively high price
  • Can burn up the surface if not careful

FAQ

1. How to remove paint from skin?

You can follow this easy steps to remove the paint from the skin of your hand or in your body:

● Wash your hands and make sure that it’s clean
● Using a cotton ball, pour the mineral oil or the olive oil to be rubbed in the affected area in circular motion.
● Use more oil as necessary
● Continue applying the oil if necessary
● Wash your thoroughly so no painting leftover is left out

2. How to remove old paint?

Removing an old paint varies from the material you will remove the paint from. The standard procedure includes for you to dish soap and a protective razor blade will remove dried-on paint even from old. Mix the dish soap and warm water until sudsy, then wet the surface thoroughly with a sponge or rag.

Denatured alcohol, a clean rag, and plenty of patience to remove latex paint without destroying the surface are the key instrument. Oil-based splatters of paint require mineral spirits, but be careful not to soak the product, as this will destroy the surface. Wipe clean water vigorously, then dry until the paint is cleaned. If the surface has slight discoloration, press a repair pen to finish.

3. How to remove paint from wood using grit paper?

In small projects, sanding is better kept unless you employ an industrial sander to remove paint and varnish from your floor. Attach 40- to 60-grit sandpaper to a sanding block or palm sander to remove paint. This is coarse grit so if you apply too much pressure, it can damage the wood. Rub the sandpaper over the wood to remove the old color, using the wood grain. Change the paper if necessary.

4. What to use to remove spray paint?

The common ingredients in lacquer thinners are acetone, amyl or ethyl acetate, ketone and toluene. The lacquer thinners are built for thin lacquers and clean lacquer finishing equipment. Some of the paints will soften and dissolve even after they have hardened. It is highly efficient for spray paint removal.

5. What can I use to remove paint from clothes?

You should start using 1/2 cup of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of mixed baking soda. This mixture must be thoroughly rubbed with a sponge onto the shirt surface, and rinsed out to remove the silk paint. It’s a fabric, try to hold a hot cloth down to soak some of the hardness out of the paint.

Buyer’s Guide & Lifehacks

All your paint removers can be classified into either of three categories: solvent, caustic, and biochemical.
Caustic paint strippers

Caustic paint strippers are mostly water-based and contain a pH of 13 to 14. The active ingredient in these removers is lye which could be in the form of caustic potash (potassium hydroxide) or caustic soda (sodium hydroxide). As the lye component reacts with the oil component contained in the paint, the paint coat is loosened from the surface, hence turning it into soap. This type of stripper is dangerous because it can result in lung irritation as well as skin burns.

Solvent strippers

Solvent strippers remove the paint by either softening or dissolving the bond existing between the substrate and the paint film. This results in the paint coat bubbling up. Methylene chloride is a common solvent used as a paint stripper. However, other usable options include toluene, acetone, and ketone. Methylene chloride strippers may be effective but their health hazards are more extreme than those associated with caustic strippers.

Biochemical strippers

Biochemical strippers are made up of plant-derived solvents. These may also contain terpenes obtained from pine or citrus, dimethyl sulfoxide obtained from wood pulp, lactic acid obtained from corn sugar, soy oil, or even citric acid. The danger with some of these solvents is the capacity to induce skin irritation.

Besides chemical paint strippers, there are other alternatives to help you remove the current coat on your surface.
Heat

Heat is also an efficient method of paint removal. You can either use a torch, heat gun or a low-intensity infrared heating system. The use of open flame, as in the case with a torch, is hazardous hence not recommended. Using a heat gun is also not risk-averse. The fumes that come from a heat gun may be toxic and wrong use may result in a fire.
The safest option here is clearly the low-intensity infrared heater due to its manipulation of low heat only. If you intend to use heat as a means to strip paint, consider the standards set by the EPA since certain paint formulas result in toxic fumes when heated.

Sanding

Another option for paint stripping is sanding. You can do this either by hand or with a power sander. This technique rapidly removes the old coating through the action of abrasion, grinding the surface together with its finish. When the working substrate is wood, sanding can remove some of the surface, which may include its intricate carved designs. For certain surfaces, especially those onto which details are engraved, sanding can be applied as a preliminary method of paint removal, then completed using other paint strippers.

Power washing

For the exteriors of a building, power washing provides an exceptionally viable option. Spraying at high-pressure rates gives effective results when stripping paint from surfaces such as stone, wood, bricks, and concrete. However, it requires familiarity with the strength of the power washer to avoid damage to the surface being stripped, especially in the case of wood substrates.

Lifehacks That Get Your Repainting Job On Track

For the assured success of your repainting projects, it’s always recommended to remove your old, peeled off paint first. Before, it was common for paint stripping products to contain potent chemical makeup that had adverse effects on humans and the environment. Fortunately, today most companies have come up with alternative manufacturing processes that ensure the products are friendlier to the user and environment.
Here are a few tips that will help you with your repainting job.

1. Be patient. Paint removers made up of non-toxic products require higher physical effort and take more time to work compared to their toxic counterparts. However, the good news is that although these paint strippers take more time to work, a single application will help you strip more paint quite easily.
2. Wear safety gear. This may include gloves, goggles and breathing masks. These will protect you from paint chips and dust from the surfaces you want to work on
3. Protect your environment especially on outdoor projects. Although some paint removers are safe around human beings, they may affect the surrounding plants.
4. Have a preference for products that do not contain harmful chemicals such as formic acid, methylene chloride and toluene which are a hazard to both you and your surroundings.
5. Make sure you read the labels carefully. This will help you decide on whether the paint stripper is applicable for your intended use.
6. Try soy- or citrus-based gel products. These paint strippers are not only biodegradable and work efficiently, but also smell better than their more toxic rivals.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has provided sufficient insight into the world of paint stripping, and the necessary steps you would need to take in ensuring your surface is stripped and ready for work. For best results, remember to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and when in doubt, keeping a clear, reasonable head will go a long way in keeping you safe from harm.