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Home / Cleaning Guides / House / Surfaces / How to Clean White-Out from Vinyl or Plastic

How to Clean White-Out from Vinyl or Plastic

Table of Contents:
  1. You Will Need
  2. Steps to Remove the Stain

Lovina asked: How do I remove white out from vinyl or plastic in a van? My child painted the van rear seat armrest/cup holder next to the window with a bottle of white out. It’s not fabric. I think it’s a plastic or vinyl.

White out is much like a paint. But don’t worry, it can be much easier to remove from surfaces than actual dried paint. This simple solution works for removing White-Out from multiple surfaces, including vinyl, plastic, wood, and even fabrics.

You Will Need:

  • WD-40
  • Cloth scouring pad
  • Mild dish soap
  • Water
  • Paper towels

Steps to Remove the Stain:

  1. Open the car windows and/or doors to provide ventilation when working with WD-40. This is especially important in an enclosed space.
  2. Saturate the White-Out with WD-40.
  3. Allow it to sit for just a few moments. The WD-40 will lubricate the White-Out and allow it to release from the surface more easily.
  4. Use the cloth scouring pad to scrub the stain away, adding more WD-40 if necessary.
  5. Once the white-out is gone, wet a paper towel. Add a drop of dish soap to the paper towel and wipe the area clean of any remaining WD-40 residue.
  6. Rinse with a clean cloth moistened with water.
  7. Dry with a second cloth or paper towel if desired.

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About the Author

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Susan

I'm a stay-at-home mom who used to run a small housecleaning business. These days I consider myself more or a mad cleaning-scientist. I do most of the testing for our articles - as well as helping Mark & Melanie write them.

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Comments

  1. Gayle says

    March 19, 2012 at 3:06 pm

    De-Solv-It; wipes off really well, most of it easily. You may need to use a soft terrycloth and/or soft scrubbie for some parts.

    Reply
  2. Rope-a-dope says

    April 30, 2014 at 4:30 am

    It works!!!!
    Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Tom B says

    March 30, 2015 at 5:02 pm

    Acetone is easy to use. You don’t have to scrape the White Out. Just wet a rag with the acetone and rub it off. It dries very fast too.

    Reply
  4. Susan says

    August 27, 2015 at 3:32 pm

    Acetone will melt the plastic and ruin it.

    Reply
  5. Christina says

    July 24, 2016 at 10:38 pm

    I spilled Whiteout all over the vinyl seat on a fold up chair.

    All you need is Goo-Gone and a rag.

    Reply
  6. Perla says

    February 9, 2017 at 12:58 pm

    Any ideas on how to remove white-out from the rubber mat part of my treadmill??

    Reply
    • Avatar photoMelanie says

      February 9, 2017 at 9:16 pm

      Perla,
      WD-40 is safe to use on rubber, so this method should work. Good luck!
      Source: WD-40 – Did you know that WD-40?

      Reply
  7. Dorothy says

    May 24, 2017 at 5:11 pm

    How do I remove correction fluid from the bottom of a couch which is brown vinyl? So far nothing has worked that I have tried.

    Reply
    • Avatar photoMelanie says

      May 26, 2017 at 3:46 pm

      Dorothy,
      Try using alcohol (isopropyl alcohol, hand sanitizer that contains alcohol, or even hair spray). Test them on a small hidden area first to be sure they don’t damage the couch though. Another option is to try other kinds of oil, such as cooking oil or baby oil. If those doesn’t work, you can try using Windex or acetone nail polish remover, but be sure to test those as well as they are very likely to damage the vinyl.
      Source: HowToCleanStuff.net – How to Remove White-Out from Clothing

      Reply
  8. Zelbie says

    February 18, 2018 at 3:57 pm

    Goo Gone sure worked well on my leather house shoe and wooden desk top.

    Reply
  9. Jackie says

    October 1, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    How do I clean the perspex panels that’s yellowed over the years in my retro pram?

    Reply
    • Avatar photoMelanie says

      October 5, 2018 at 11:30 pm

      Jackie,
      This is the guide you need: 4 Ways to Whiten & Renew Yellowed Plastic. For your pram, the Peroxide Method would probably be best. Cover the fabric surrounding the windows with tape or plastic wrap to keep the mixture from getting on the fabric and staining it. Good luck!

      Reply
  10. Maxi says

    January 12, 2019 at 12:56 am

    How do I remove white-out from a photo?

    Reply
    • Avatar photoMelanie says

      January 15, 2019 at 4:43 am

      Maxi,
      Photos often can be gently washed without harm; test yours on a small hidden area first and if safe, wash gently with soapy water. If the white-out remains, you can try gently rubbing a drop of cooking oil into the white-out, then washing the area again with soapy water. Good luck!

      Reply

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