Accidents with fingernail polish happen all too often. However, they don’t need to leave a permanent mark. You can easily remove nail polish from your clothes if you act quickly.
Check the garment labels.
Cleaning products
Follow the instructions on the label for cleaning.
Check the Garment Label
The label on the garment will tell you what fabric it is. Cotton and other natural fibers are easy to clean. Synthetic materials like polyester and nylon need a bit more attention, but the process is the same.
Ingredients you should be aware of:
Acetate
Triacetate
Modacrylic
Fabrics made from acetate must be left alone. These items need specialist care and should be cleaned by a professional.
Acetone dissolves acetate when applied to it. The fabric will melt. You should not treat acetate fabric yourself.
What to do with dry, clean-only fabrics
It’s best to leave it to professionals, particularly if you have a garment that you would like to preserve.
You need to take your garment that is labeled as dry-clean-only to a reputable dry-cleaner if you want it restored to its pre-polish appearance. As soon as possible, please take it to a dry cleaner and make sure you point out any polish stains. You might want to bring in a bottle of polish so that the ingredients can easily be identified.
When transporting, if the polish is still moist, take care that the polish stain does not touch other parts.
Gather Nail Polish Cleaning Solutions
Several stain-cleaning solutions will remove nail polish. You can try a few different things. Most of these items are likely to be found in your home.
Nail Polish remover
Acetone or nail polish removers based on acetone can be used as long as the clothing is machine-washable and colorfast. For color transfer, you’ll need paper towels as well as a clean white cloth.
Rubbing Alcohol
Once the nail polish has been removed, you can use this to remove any remaining traces.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Only on white natural fiber clothing.
Bug Spray
If you cannot get acetone or nail polish containing acetone, then OFF! You can use a toothbrush and bug spray to get rid of them.
Hair Spray
Use cheap hairspray if the bug spray does not remove all the stains.
Nail Polish Cleaning Methods
Check the label on your garment. You can continue if you confirm that the garment you have is free of acetate.
If the polish has not dried completely, use a paper towel in white to gently absorb larger splotches.
Use acetone or nail polish remover containing acetone on a microfiber towel to check the colorfastness of a hidden seam. You can proceed if there is no color transfer or fading.
Protect your work surface by using several layers of paper towel. Acetone can cause damage to some fabrics and textures.
Use acetone on a white microfiber cloth or cotton ball. Gently dab the stain using this. Do not rub or wipe it, as this will cause the paint to spread.
Keep moving the cloth as the stain is transferred onto the microfiber. This will ensure that you apply a new white material for every dab.
Check the paper towel underneath. Put down a new layer of paper towel if they have polish marks.
Repeat the steps above until you see the stain disappear.
You can dab some rubbing alcohol onto any remaining polish traces using a cotton swab. This should remove all residue.
You can use hydrogen peroxide if you still see traces of polish on your white garment. This is often the case with red nail polish that has a dark pigment. This method is not suitable for colored clothing.
After removing the stain, wash your garment as usual to remove any residue from the removal product.
Method of Cleaning without Acetate
There is still hope if you cannot find nail polish removers containing acetate.
Spray OFF! Apply Bug Spray to a cotton swab and test the colorfastness of the fabric on a hidden seam. You can proceed if there is no color bleed from the garment.
Use a paper towel if the polish is still wet to remove excess polish.
Place fresh paper towels under your stained garment on the work surface.
Spray the OFF Bug Spray onto the stain (avoid getting any on the clean parts of your garment). Spray the OFF! Spray the bug spray on the color, but not so much that it soaks the fabric.
Use a clean, old toothbrush to massage the stain gently in circular motions. Take special care not to spread the color.
Repeat steps 3, 4, 5, and 6 as necessary until the stain disappears.
If there are still traces, spray the area with hairspray containing alcohol (the cheaper the product, the more effective it appears to be for this purpose).
Let it sit for a couple of minutes.
Massage gently with an old, clean toothbrush.
Launder your clothing as normal once all traces have been removed.
How to Remove Nail Polish from Clothes
The sooner you treat nail polish spills, the easier they are to remove.
If you use white paper towels or cloths, no color will be transferred from the fabric or paper to your clothing.
Be extra careful not to spread a stain
Never use acetone on acetate fabrics.
Professionals should examine delicate and dry-clean only garments. When you hand your item to be treated, make sure that the stain is clearly visible.
You can’t get to a Dry-Cleaner if you really want to
Sometimes it’s not possible. You can try the instructions for non-acetate above or buy some dry-cleaning solution. Take your time. Identify the fabric composition of the garment. Check for colorfastness at a hidden seam or on the inside of the hem. It is impossible to continue without causing damage to your attire if there is a color change. You can continue with caution if there is no change in color. Follow the instructions on how to use it on clothing.
