Your carpets are at the mercy of so many potential stains, from coke stains to tomato ketchup stains. But one of the most common stains we come across in our adventures as the local carpet cleaner are nail polish stains.
This has probably happened to you before (or it just might): you skip out on the salon day and decide to paint your nails yourself at home. And then, disaster strikes: you’ve spilled some nail polish on your clean carpet! Desperately rubbing it out is just adding more wood to the fire, so you desperately think about possible solutions to the messy mistake.
Fret no more – we’ve rounded up some quick fixes to get you back to your relaxing mani-pedi routine and not worrying about the mess left behind.
Use household supplies
No need to panic, because a possible solution is probably sitting in your pantry. After blotting away the excess nail polish with a clean paper towel (careful! You don’t want to worsen the stain), grab either vinegar or baking soda from the kitchen. Saturate the area with plain white vinegar and place a vinegar-soaked paper towel or clean cloth on top of the stain. Let it sit for a couple minutes and then blot and scrub the area until the stain disappears.
If you just so happen to have baking soda around, you can try sprinkling a modest amount over the stain. Grab a ginger ale from the store nearest to you and pour it over the area, letting it soak for ten minutes. Scrub it gently until and rinse the area with a wet cloth.
Good old household cleaners
There’s a reason why household cleaners are so popular: they work. Whether you’ve got Goo Gone or Windex, it’s a route that is well-tested and brings good results. Before smacking it on your problem area, be sure to test the products out on an out-of-the-way area on your carpet – you want to make sure that the reaction doesn’t ruin your beautiful floor. Follow the instructions on the product and it’ll give you the results you’re looking for.
Nail polish remover? It’s a yes.
Nail polish remover is a great way to get rid of nail polish stains in the carpet, especially when it’s still wet – but hold on. Before you start, make sure to test it out on a hidden corner of your carpet. You wouldn’t want to ruin it, right? If the reaction changes the color of your rug, stop immediately. Follow the necessary guidelines to ensure the safety of your floor, and take extra care if your carpet is a dark color, as they’re more prone to being affected by the nail polish remover.
If you’re sure your carpet can handle it, soak a clean cloth or paper towel with the remover and gently dab at the stain, making sure to not smear it and make it worse. Repeat until you see it take effect.
Hairspray? Yeah right.
Believe it or not, hairspray is a pretty effective way to get rid of those already-dried stains on your carpet. Begin by wetting the stain with cold water, spraying about 10-15 pumps of hairspray on the area. Rubbing alcohol will help, add a few small splashes to activate (don’t overdo it, though). A brush will help you with the scrubbing, and don’t forget to add some cold water while you’re at it.
Use trusted dish soap
By diluting some dish soap in warm water, you might just achieve the results you’re hoping for. If you’re desperate to get the mess cleaned up, look no further than your kitchen cabinet. It’s most effective by being combined with the solutions above, like mixing it with your vinegar or nail polish remover to get rid of the strong scent and effects. It might not do miracles, but it makes the stain less of a hassle to deal with.
There’s no one way to get rid of nail polish that somehow got into your carpet. However, there are quite a few simple options to get your rug back to normal. If all else fails, you can always hire a professional cleaning team to get the job done. For now, try out the tricks we’ve given you and fingers crossed it gets the stains out.