It’s a situation that makes you gasp in horror: You’ve dropped an open bottle of nail polish on the sofa or carpet—yikes! You worry that the stain will never come out. Have no fear! With the right cleaning tools, that mess can disappear.
Nail polish on hard surfaces, carpet, or upholstery
Attack the spilled nail polish immediately. Using a clean, soft white cloth or paper towel, clear up the bulk of the polish by plucking the liquid upward and picking it up with the fabric rather than wiping it back and forth, which will spread it.
If this initial step leaves a residual stain on a hard surface, wet a soft cloth with water and clean it with the same plucking motion, lifting the stain off the surface rather than smearing it from side to side.
You can use dry-cleaning solvent on carpet or cloth upholstery, but first, look for a tag describing the material. If the material contains acetate, triacetate, or modacrylic, call a professional carpet-and-upholstery cleaning service instead of doing it yourself.
Acetone-based nail polish remover also works, but test first in an inconspicuous place to ensure the surface is colorfast.
Pluck up the excess polish with a clean, wet cloth as described above. Then, blot the stain with solvent until it is soaked. Wait a few minutes, then use a dry, soft white cloth to pluck up the stain until it comes clean. You may have to repeat the process a few times. Then rinse the area with water and pat it with a clean cloth.
Alcohol can be used as an alternate cleaner if necessary.
Spills on clothes
If you spill polish on delicate clothing that must be dry-cleaned, take the garment to the cleaners.
If a spill occurs on washable clothing, follow the same steps recommended for carpet, using the same solvents and plucking motion.
Afterward, soak the garment in warm water with laundry detergent, then wash as usual.
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