As careful as you may be when painting your fingernails or toenails, accidents do happen. An
elbow nudge can easily knock over an open bottle of nail paint and spill it on your clothes or,
even worse, your carpet! Other times, you may accidentally touch your wet fingernails to your
clothes or drag your freshly painted toenails over the carpet to leave a line of color behind you.
Whatever the case may be, nail polish stains on your carpets or fabric lead to panic!
While it’s natural to feel a little anxiety and dread, it’s important that you don’t waste any time in
getting on with the removal process for best results. Bear in mind, this will take quite a bit of
time and effort, but if you go all in, you’re sure to succeed! Below are two separate methods for
getting nail polish out from carpeting and fabrics.
For Carpets
- Things you’ll need:
- Carpet stain remover (the highest strength available)
- Acetone
- Paper towels
- White cloths
- Water
- Carpet brush or old toothbrush
Now, let’s get to the removal process.
1. If the nail polish is still wet, begin by folding up a paper towel, just enough for you to place it
over the stain and pick up as much of the nail paint as possible. Do this by pressing down on
the sides of the paint and pinching it together between your fingers before lifting the paper towel
up. Repeat this step using fresh paper towels until you can no longer pick up the nail polish.
2. After the nail polish has dried up completely, pour acetone over the infected area to soak it.
Wrap a clean, white cloth around your index finger (or which every finger you’re comfortable
with) and start scrubbing along the stain. Avoid scrubbing outside of the infected area as much
as you possibly can. After every scrubbing motion, check to see if the cloth is stained and use a
fresh side as and when needed.
3. Apply your carpet stain remover over the nail polish stain and gently wipe off any excess
foam using a cloth. Next, pour a small amount of water over the stain to wet it and begin
scrubbing using a fresh cloth. Apply more acetone if needed and repeat the process using a
carpet brush or an old toothbrush for more scrubbing power. Bear in mind, removing nail polish
from carpeting generally requires repeating the entire process a minimum of three times to get it
out completely.
4. After the stain has been removed, use a clean damp cloth and wipe over the area to rinse off
the acetone and carpet cleaner.
For Clothes/Fabrics
Things you’ll need:
- Paper towel/cotton swabs/cotton
- Acetone
- Washing machine
Below is a simple and effective method for removing nail polish from clothing or fabrics.
1. Place the stain facing downward on a glass, granite or metal surface. We choose either of
these surfaces as they are easy to clean up using nail polish remover (should any of the stain
get transferred onto them).
2. Next, soak a corner of a paper towel/cotton piece or the tip of a cotton swab with acetone and
dab at the stain (i.e. the material behind the stain while it still lies face down). Do this gently and
remember to soak a fresh side or new piece as the stain gets picked up. Repeat this process
until most (if not all) of the stain is removed.
3. Depending on the level of heat the fabric in question can tolerate (check the label), wash the
item using a warm-hot cycle and it will come out clean and free of that dreaded nail polish stain!
WARNING: Before you use acetone on your carpet or fabrics, test it on an inconspicuous area
to make sure that it doesn’t bleach the material. Wait for the area to dry completely before
observing it for any whitish marks. If you find the area to be lighter in color, purchase a non-
acetone nail polish remover which, again, must be tested to be on the safe side. This option is
also effective in removing nail polish stains; however, the downside is that non-acetone
removers require a more scrubbing power and time to work.