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How to get nail varnish out of a carpet

By 26th November 2021May 9th, 2022No Comments

How to Get Nail Varnish out of Your Carpet

Trying to figure out how to get nail varnish out of your carpet might seem insurmountable. But it doesn’t have to be. There is a tried-and-true procedure for restoring the appearance of your carpet. Continue reading to find out how to remove nail paint off carpet and what products you can use.

Image by – Marco Verch Professional Photographer

How to Get Nail Polish Out of Carpet

Step 1

Firstly, you must remove any remaining wet polish from the rug before it has a chance to dry and solidify. Remember that anything you use to remove the polish will most certainly be damaged. So delicately wipe the stain with an old tea towel or t-shirt. It’s critical to constantly shift the blotting material to a clean region. This is done to avoid adding additional colour or widening the stain’s surface area. This is only to help the drying process and eliminate excess. So there is no time pressure here, and you can work slowly and carefully.

Step 2

Nail polish has the advantage of solidifying fast into carpet fibres. This implies that, often, cleaning doesn’t need the use of harsh chemicals. A lot of progress may be achieved by merely scraping the area lightly. Get a dull, firm instrument to serve as a scraping device, like the end of a spoon. But if you’re especially careful, a credit card will suffice. The goal here is to pick at the dried polish with your preferred tool. Doing that will unstick the hardened colour from the rug fibres. Scrubbing too vigorously risks harming the fibres. So save the difficult areas for the following step.

Step 3

Despite the urge to just douse the stain with nail paint remover and scrape away, this is a bad idea. Instead, after removing as much dried polish as possible, wipe the discolouration with acetone.
Remember that acetone is a very harsh chemical, so handle it with caution. If there is an area of the rug that isn’t usually visible, you might test the acetone on a tiny section. This will allow you to see whether there is a colour change or if the fibres seem damaged. To be extra cautious, check the percentages of acetone in different polish removers. They vary in strength, so one for damaged nails is far more likely to be gentle on your carpeting.
Instead of applying the nail polish remover straight to the carpet, apply it on a cotton towel. Simply blot the stain again in the same manner as in the first step. You should notice some spilt colour showing on the white cloth.
After blotting the whole area, use a dry towel to blot again and soak up any residual acetone/varnish on the carpet.

Step 4

The next step is to sprits the stain with a detergent – make sure it’s not bleach-based to avoid a colour change. You want the detergent solution to be very mild. One method is to fill your spray bottle with detergent and water as usual, then empty it and refill with water. It may sound stupid, but it will assure that only a smidgen of the detergent remains.
Then all you have to do is spray the stain and dampen the surrounding area. It’s preferable to wait a few minutes before doing the final blotting of the rug. To do so, use another clean towel and gently press it against the moist portion of the rug. It is critical not to blot with anything other than paper towels. Other types of towels might dissolve and cause additional issues with the rug.

Image by – Stephani Spitzer

What You Can Use to Remove Nail Polish From Carpet

How to Get Nail Varnish Out Of Carpet Using Vinegar

Use enough vinegar to completely soak the discolouration. Wet a sponge or paper towel with vinegar and set it on top of the stain for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, gently wipe with a paper towel and scrape in a circular motion until the stain is gone. Allow to dry after rinsing with water.

How to Get Nail Varnish Out Of Carpet Using Hairspray

Wet the stain with hairspray and dab with a moist paper towel. Then, using a scrub brush, remove the discolouration in tiny circular strokes. If necessary, reapply hairspray. After the stain has been removed, clean the area with water and allow it to dry.

How to Get Nail Varnish Out Of Carpet Using Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover

It’s entirely possible to use acetone on your carpets, but be sure the product is labelled non-acetone and dye-free. Soak a cleaning cloth or paper towel in the remover, then gently dab the stain. Make sure you are careful not to spread the stain to previously unaffected areas. Continue until you observe an improvement. If your carpet is darker, proceed with caution. Nail polish remover can cause darker rug colours to change more than white or neutral tones. If you’re concerned about leaving marks, use a different cleaning solution.

How to Get Nail Varnish Out Of Carpet Using Baking Soda And Ginger Ale

Place baking soda over the stain and pour ginger ale on top to moisten it. Allow this to soak for around 10 minutes to release the stain before scrubbing in a circular motion. Afterwards, rinse the area with water and allow it to dry.

How to Get Nail Varnish Out Of Carpet Using Rubbing Alcohol

Scrub the stain with rubbing alcohol in a circular motion. After the stain has been removed, rinse with water and allow to dry.

Image by – Marco Verch Professional Photographer

Removing Fresh Nail Polish vs Removing Dried Nail Polish

Removing fresh nail polish is usually much easier if you act fast. All you need is a paper towel to blot the area before the nail polish dries and hardens. Often, paper towels are enough for fresh nail polish stains, but if you don’t really take everything out with a paper towel, follow the steps above. Dried nail polish is much more stubborn because it gets into the fibres of the carpet. To take care of dried nail polish, you’ll need a solution to dissolve the nail polish first. You can use any of the products we listed above and the steps to get rid of dried nail polish.

Need Professional Cleaning Help?

This technique should assist to correct all of your nail varnish stains. But, if your stain is pretty bad, or you do not have the time it may be worth discussing with a professional cleaning agency. Hiring professionals to do this for you means you can’t damage the carpet further. Professional carpet cleaners have special tools and solutions to deal with the stain. Contact us to find out more