Water-Based Paints

• 1). Dip a rag into a bucket of warm water and scrub the paint. This will remove the paint if it has not been on the wood floor for more than an hour or two. Scrape away the white ring from the paint if there is one with a putty knife. Wash the area with warm water.
  
  
• 2). Scrub the paint with a scrubbing pad or steel wool to loosen up and remove paint that has been on the floor for an extended period of time. Wash the area with warm water.
  
  
• 3). Gently scrape the paint off the floor with a putty knife, if the paint still remains. Keep the knife as flat to the floor as possible to avoid scratching the wood. Rinse the area with warm water.
  
  

Oil-based Paints

• 1). Scrape the paint off the floor with a putty knife with the instructions listed above. Clean the area with warm water.
  
  
• 2). Heat the paint with a heat gun or hair dryer. Scrape the paint off with a putty knife after it has heated. Rinse the area with warm water.
  
  
• 3). Remove the paint with a chemical paint removing product such as acetone, or a varnish stripper. This method works better for floors that are unfinished. A chemical cleaning product will erode and dull floors that are already finished. Floors that are not finished will have to be sanded and refinished after using the paint remover or varnish stripper.