Nail polish on hands look trendy and cool but what about a spill of it on your favorite shirt or top? You will not like it for sure! If you have recently ruined your lucky shirt with nasty nail polish stains and worried about how to remove nail polish stains from clothes, there is a good news for you. We are going to share some super cool ways to get nail polish off your clothes with simple home items. So take a look at how these simple everyday items can save you a lot by removing those freaky stains from your clothing.
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How to clean nail polish from clothes:
Well, nail polish stains are thought to be quite easy to remove but stains are not fun, really! And nail polish ones are trickiest. We are sharing some tried and tested methods to remove nail polish from clothes quite safely. Give them a try to find which one works best for you.
Get nail polish off your clothes with Acetone or Nail Polish Remover:
Acetone is the best thing to treat the pesky nail polish stains on clothing. But it is important to know that not all fabrics well tolerate acetone. Carefully read the care label on your clothing to find if it’s safe to use.
First, place an ice cube or an ice pack on the nail polish stain to harden it. With the help of a tweezers, gently peel off any large flakes of dried polish from the fabric, but do not attempt to tug or pulling it hard. Soak a Q-tip cotton swab or a paper towel in an acetone-based nail polish remover or an acetone, and perform a spot test to check that the solution does not discolor the fabric.
Lay some paper towels on a flat surface to safe your floorings from getting the nail varnish. Now place your fabric with the nail polish stain facedown. With an acetone or nail polish remover soaked cotton swab or paper towel, dab the stain (backside of the stain) quite a lot. Repeat the process, each time by changing swabs or sides of paper towel (to prevent the stain from spreading) until the stain is completely removed. Launder straight away with a good quality laundry detergent and the warmest water, safe for the fabric, to remove any nail polish remnants left.
Note: Do not use acetone or acetone based nail polish remover on fabrics that contain acetone, or triacetate. Check the care label on the clothing carefully. Also, test acetone on an inconspicuous place, if you are attempting to use it on fabrics that tolerate acetone.
Get nail polish off your clothes with Hair Spray:
Your hair spray can do much for you, apart from styling hair, believe it! You can use it to remove grease stains from clothes and you can also get off nail polish from clothes with it. Lay your fabric on a flat surface and directly spray your hair spray generously on the nail polish. Let it sit for an hour to work. Gently scrub the area with a tooth brush until the nail polish is removed. Repeat the process twice or until the nail polish completely disappears. Launder with a good quality laundry detergent and the warmest water, safe for the fabric.
Get nail polish off your clothes with Insect Repellent Spray:
Before attempting to use a bug spray on your favorite top, perform a spot test to ensure it is safe and does not fade the color of the fabric. Lay some paper towel underneath your fabric to avoid ruining your place with nail polish. Saturate nail polish with bug spray and let it sit for few minutes to absorb. With an old toothbrush (discard right away) gently scrub in a circular movement to remove the nail polish flecks. Repeat the procedure if necessary. Launder with a good quality laundry detergent and the warmest water, safe for the fabric.
Note: Attempt on a well-ventilated place.
Get nail polish off your clothes with Vinegar:
Perform a spot test to check if acetone solution takes out the fabric color. If it does, then vinegar would be a safe bet. Pour enough white vinegar on the nail polish stain to saturate and leave it for half an hour to work. Gently scrub with a tooth brush to clean away the nail polish flakes, repeat the procedure if necessary. Wash it straight away in washing machine with a good quality laundry detergent and the warmest water, safe for the fabric.
Get nail polish off your clothes with a Hot Iron:
Ironing the area with a hot iron works best to melt and absorb the nail polish fast. Always check the label to make sure how much temperature is safe for the fabric or otherwise you end up burning the fabric. You can use this technique for fabrics like cotton, linen and denim, but to be on a safe side do check your iron’s manual of temperature settings according to the fabric type.
Note: Do not use this technique for Acetate, rayon, silk, acrylic, nylon, satin, spandex and woolen fabrics.
Get nail polish off your clothes with Ether:
You can try this for fresh nail polish and especially for silk and woolen fabrics. Carefully scrap the excess polish from the fabric or sweep it with a paper towel. Then, lay some paper towels under the stained fabric, so the stain is facing upwards. Soak cotton ball or paper towel with ether and gently rub on the stain. If there is still nail polish left, saturate a cotton ball with alcohol and rub the stain. Launder with a good quality detergent.
Get nail polish off your clothes with Hydrogen Peroxide:
If you have any concerns about the safety of using acetate on clothing, then you may be glad to know that hydrogen peroxide is a safe bet. But do a spot test on the part of the fabric that is not visible to ensure that it does not fade the color of the fabric away(hydrogen peroxide may bleach color out of some fabrics). Once hydrogen peroxide wins the test with flying colors (not in a real sense), all is set to go.
Start by laying some paper towels on a flat surface to safe your floorings from getting the nail varnish. Now place your fabric with the nail polish stain facedown. With a saturated hydrogen peroxide paper towel or cotton ball, blot the stain on face-up side of the fabric which is actually the backside of the nail polish. By doing it this way you are actually transferring the stain to the paper towel. Wash off the area with warm water to remove the nail polish residues. Repeat the process again if any nail polish is left but make sure that you change the paper towel underneath the stain frequently, by changing the sides of the paper towel ,as paper towel get soiled with nail polish. Wash it straight away in washing machine with a good quality laundry detergent and the warmest water, safe for the fabric.
Get nail polish off your clothes with Rubbing Alcohol:
Rubbing alcohol is a cheap yet effective way to remove nail polish from clothes. Lay some paper towels on a flat surface, place your fabric with the nail polish stain facedown. Soak a cotton ball or a paper towel in rubbing alcohol. Gently blot the stain on face-up side of the fabric which is actually the backside of the nail polish to transfer the stain to the paper towel. Repeat the process again till the nail polish is completely removed but remember to change the paper towel underneath the stain frequently, by changing the sides of the paper towel, as it gets soiled with nail polish. Wash it straight away in washing machine with a good quality laundry detergent and the warmest water, safe for the fabric.
Get nail polish off your clothes with Dish Detergent and Vinegar:
Liquid dish detergent and vinegar work surprisingly well in removing nail polish from clothes. Prepare a solution by mixing some liquid dish detergent and white vinegar. Lay some paper towels on a flat surface, place your fabric with the nail polish stain face up. Soak a cotton ball or a paper towel in the solution and gently scrap. Change the cotton ball or sides of the paper towel if gets stained. Repeat the process again till the nail polish is completely removed. Wash it straight away in washing machine with a good quality laundry detergent and the warmest water, safe for the fabric.
Important things to remember:
- Always check the care label on the clothing and opt for an option accordingly.
- Never use acetone or acetate based nail polish remover on Acetate, Fiberglass, Rayon, Silk, Triacetate, and Wool fabrics.
- After attempting a spot test on an inconspicuous area, you can use acetate or acetate based nail polish remover on Acrylic, Burlap Cotton, Linen, Modacrylic, Nylon, Olefin, and Polyester, Rope or Spandex fabrics.
- Act promptly after the mishap or spill to save your clothes from getting stains. Remember, fresh stains are easy to remove and much effortlessly. With an absorbent paper towel or a cloth, wipe out as much nail polish as you can. Then follow any of the techniques discussed above.
Well, these simple techniques do work to a great extent but if you have any reservations about using them on your expensive garments or a piece close to your heart, it would be better to get your clothes to a professional dry cleaner to avoid any mishaps.