How to remove a dry nail polish stain? Although nail polish is beautiful on our fingers, it is much less so on tiles or on clothing. It’s not always easy not to stain the objects around us when applying nail polish.
I offer you my best grandmother’s tips and remedies for easily removing varnish stains. Happy cleaning!
1. Remove a varnish stain from fabric with acetone
It is common to spill nail polish on clothing and other fabrics, so how do you clean it all up? Acetone is one of the products that can be used to remove this type of stain from a fabric.
- Start by removing the excess varnish with a spoon.
- Soak a cotton rag or swab in acetone and dab the varnish stain.
- Rinse with water and finish cleaning in the washing machine.
Avoid this trick on colored clothing because acetone can discolor the fabric. You can dilute the acetone with water as needed to prevent discoloration.
2. Remove a stain of dried varnish on a garment with heat
The use of an iron is useful for dislodging glue or wax stains but also for completely removing nail polish stains from clothing.
Here are the steps to clean varnish on a fabric:
- Dampen a rag with ammonia or acetone and rub the polish stain dry.
- Then sprinkle soil from Sommières on the stain (excellent dry stain remover to have at home).
- Then apply a paper towel or cloth to the remaining varnish stain.
- Turn on the steam function of the iron and hold it a few inches from the cloth until the stain comes off the fabric completely.
- Finish with a rinse and a normal cycle in the washing machine.
3. Remove the varnish stain with hydrogen peroxide
As some fabrics and clothes are more fragile than others, it may be interesting to use hydrogen peroxide rather than acetone, for example.
- Soak a cloth in hydrogen peroxide and gently dab the varnish stain.
- Use a clean, damp sponge to dab the stain again.
- Repeat until the nail polish stain is completely gone.
As with acetone, hydrogen peroxide can also discolor certain fabrics and colors, so it is better to test on a small piece of fabric first.
Regardless of the surface, stains of nail polish or other types of varnish must be removed as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, if the stain on the tile is dry and old, the razor blade can be useful.
- Place the blade well horizontally and gently scrape the varnish stain (make sure the razor blade is smooth and without notches so as not to damage the tiles).
- Soak the stain in acetone and leave for a few minutes to remove the varnish more easily with the razor blade.
5. Cleansing milk to loosen leather
If you have stained leather clothing or leather furniture with varnish then cleansing milk is a product that should work well and especially that will not damage the leather.
Here is how to remove this varnish stain on leather:
- Soak a pad or cloth in cleansing milk and rub the nail polish stain.
- To clean a very stubborn stain you can add a few drops of acetone to the mixture. (You must act quickly so as not to discolor and damage the leather).
- Clean again with cleansing milk only and a damp cloth to finish.
6. Scrape off the dry varnish with sandpaper
Have you just noticed an old varnish stain on a marble, concrete or natural stone floor? Sandpaper is probably a good trick to remove this stain of dry varnish.
- Use a fine grit (soft) sandpaper and gently rub the varnish stain.
- Clean the rest of the stain with a mixture of hot water and washing soda.
You can replace the sandpaper with an old toothbrush if needed.
7. Varnish stain on lino and vinyl
For a recent and still liquid varnish stain on a lino or vinyl floor:
- Blot most of the stain with a paper towel.
- Clean the rest of the varnish with a sponge and soapy water.
- Rinse with a damp cloth and dry the surface with a clean cloth.
To remove dried varnish stains from a lino floor:
- Gently rub the nail polish stain with steel wool (useful for very stubborn stains).
- Clean the rest of the stain with a cloth of warm water and baking soda.
8. Clean with insect repellent
Several products and insecticides can be used to clean stains on certain fabrics, including nail polish stains.
- Gently scrape off the excess varnish so as not to embed it further into the fabric.
- Spray some insect repellent on the remaining stain.
- Leave on for a few minutes and scrub with a brush.
- Rinse the garment in cold water and finish in the washing machine.
9. Clean leatherette with turpentine
Do you have a faux leather piece of furniture, accessory or garment stained with nail polish? Turpentine oil can help you:
- Rub the stain with a cloth soaked in turpentine and rinse with a new damp cloth.
And you, what are the best tips for removing nail polish stains?