Removing Nail Polish From Carpet: Important Dos And Don'ts

Oh no! You've discovered a nail polish stain on your carpet. Surely, you're going to have to replace the stained section of carpet, right? Not necessarily. While nail polish is a notoriously difficult stain to remove from just about anything, the good news is that by following a few simple steps, you can have it removed from your carpeting in no time--even if it's already had a chance to dry.

DO Blot With a Clean, Dry Cloth

If you're dealing with a nail polish spill that just occurred, the best thing you can do is to start by blotting it as much as possible with a clean, dry cloth. Blotting (rather than scrubbing) will help to absorb and remove as much of the nail polish as possible before it has a chance to set into the carpet.

DON'T Use Nail Polish Remover

You might think that nail polish remover would be the obvious solution to removing nail polish stains from carpet, but this isn't recommended. Often times, nail polish remover will remove the stain, but it will also remove some of the dye in the carpet itself. If you decide to try this, make sure you're doing it on a light-colored carpet--but it's recommended that you try other stain removal methods first.

DO Try Hairspray and Window Cleaner

One viable and often successful way to get nail polish out of your carpet is to start by spraying the stain with a generous amount of hairspray. Then, apply window cleaner to the top of the stain and let sit for a few minutes before scrubbing the stain away with a brush or sponge. You can repeat this as many times as necessary to completely remove the stain from your carpet.

DON'T Forget to Wet Dried Stains

If you've just discovered a nail polish stain that has already had time to dry, the good news is that you can still remove it. Just make sure that before you do any blotting, scrubbing, or cleaning, that you apply a generous amount of water to the stain. This will make removing it much easier and will prevent you from having to cut the stain out of your carpet. 

By keeping these tips in mind, you can easily remove even the most stubborn of nail polish stains from your carpet potentially saving you hundreds or even thousands of dollars in having to replace the carpet itself.

For more information about carpet, contact a professional like Creative Carpet & Flooring.