How to Get Nail Polish out of a Carpet
Go on, we’ve all done it – been happily concentrating on creating an awesome manicure, when we accidentally knock over the bottle of polish. We watch as it slowly slips like the glossiest lava flow, towards the edge of the table. Jumping up, we grab the paper towels, but too late. It slides over the precipice, and drops in a vibrant sheet to the carpet waiting innocently below!
What next? How do we save the flooring?
Well, there’s no need to panic, because we can save it. Your poor carpet will live to see another day.
There are several methods, but this first one depends on speed.
- Before the polish has a chance to set, blot up the liquid with paper towels. Keep blotting until the paper comes away clean.
- With a blunt knife, scrape up any that left deeper down in the carpet.
- Next, pour a little nail polish remover onto a cloth and blot the stain. Keep doing this until no more polish comes off onto the cloth.
- Mix up some dishwashing detergent and hot water. You only need a tiny amount of the detergent, and make sure it doesn’t contain bleach.
- Dab the mix onto the stain, and repeat until the stain is gone.
- Blot thoroughly with paper towels to remove the dampness.
Super Nail have made a great, oil-free polish remover that’s awesome for removing nail polish from carpets – as well as from nails! This is my go-to remover as it’s cost effective, readily available and does what I want it to do.
Super Nail Pure Acetone, 16 fl. oz.
- High quality
- Pure acetone formula
- Great value
For less dramatic stains, use household vinegar or window/glass cleaner:
- Soak a paper towel in vinegar and rub away at the stain until it disappears or
- Spray the area with window/glass cleaner and dab until the stain lifts.
If your carpet is a light color, you can use a mix of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda
- Pour a small amount of hydrogen peroxide onto the stain and blot, removing as much of the stain as possible.
- Mix a paste of baking soda and a little water.
- Apply this mix over the stain forming a thick layer.
- Leave in place for an hour or so
- Scrape up the paste and vacuum to remove any powder.
In the unlikely event that your carpet is still stained after these methods and if it has a pile, very gently trim the fibres under the stain – don’t trim too low though otherwise, it will be noticeable. Failing that, it’s time to call in the professional cleaners.
