Planning a manicure and pedicure at home is a great idea. After all, it saves you a lot of time and money that you would otherwise spend going to a nail spa and getting your nails painted with your favorite nail color.
Whether regular nail paint or gel, you can apply nail polish at home. Even if you have gotten your nails done professionally, you can further use regular touch-ups on your own to make them last longer. But do you know the DIY nail spa comes with its own risks? Spilling your nail paint on the floor and clothes is one of them.
Getting a bright streak of nail polish is a good idea, as long as it rests only on your nails and not your clothes. Staining your clothes with nail paint is one of the worst things, especially if you are wearing your favorite dress while putting the nail paint.
So, how do you deal with this unwanted situation?
How do I Remove Nail Polish Stains from Clothes?
Removing nail polish from your precious clothes is no rocket science. You only need a few ingredients and work on some tips to remove them.
1. Nail Paint Remover
Nail paint remover not only helps remove the nail color from your nails but your stained clothes as well. All you need to do is to put the remover on the stain. Rub it until it disappears. When you do it, be gentle with the rubbing process.
Do not apply remover generously, especially if you are removing the paint from delicate fabric. Use a cotton bud to perform this step.
2. Vinegar
Your kitchen pantry is full of hacks and remedies when treating all kinds of stains, including nail polish spills on your clothes.
Warm some water and add vinegar to it. Dip your cloth in the water and soak it for 20-25 minutes. The stains will eventually vanish. You can also use this hack to do away with lipstick stains on your clothing.
3. Baking Soda
Another kitchen ingredient, baking soda, helps remove nail polish stains from the fabric. This remedy works best for stubborn nail paint stains.
Add washing powder and baking soda to the water and put the cloth in it. Leave it dipped in the solution for 10-15 minutes. After it, take out the cloth and wash it properly. The stains will vanish.
4. Petroleum Jelly
You can remove stubborn nail paint stains from your clothing with the help of petroleum jelly. Rub the jelly on the stained area and leave it for 15-20 minutes.
Alternatively, shaving cream can also come to your rescue to remove the stain. Put some amount of shaving cream on the stain, rub it, and the stained will be removed.
5. Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is one of the most effective remedies to remove nail paint stains from all fabrics. Cleaning with rubbing alcohol works when other remedies don’t. Dip a piece of cotton or cloth in the alcohol and rub it over the stained area.
If your cloth is too light in color, bleach it with hydrogen peroxide for the best results.
The Remedies Also Depend on Fiber to Fiber
The above-listed home remedies to remove nail paint from your clothes depend upon the fiber you have stained. We, therefore, recommend checking the care labels on the clothing that has nail polish on it. If the fiber is natural, like linen or cotton, removing the nail varnish becomes easier.
Here’s the step-by-step method to do the needful.
- Put an ice pack on the stain to harden it. Do not work immediately with wet polish, for it encourages smudging. Your cloth will become more stained.
- Peel off the large flakes of the dried polish. Do not tug or pull the clothing while doing so. You can also use tweezers to pick the flakes.
- Soak the microfiber cloth in an acetone-based nail paint remover and test the clothing.
- Dab the back of the stain with the acetone-based microfiber cloth until you see the color of the stain fading. Do not scrub harshly. Always be gentle while performing the step.
- Once you remove the stain, machine wash with a regular good-quality laundry detergent.
If the care label on the clothing suggests it is a synthetic fabric like polyester or nylon, follow the same steps as above.
If you have stained a fabric labeled ‘dry clean only’, be vigilant while removing the nail paint stain. Test it to ensure it doesn’t change color. You can use an old credit card or butter knife to scrape off as much nail paint as possible. Use rubbing alcohol remedy to clean the stain. When finished, allow the alcohol to evaporate completely, and wash the cloth.
Other Tips to Take Care of While Removing the Nail Polish from Clothes
- Always be careful about the fabric of your cloth. For instance, nail polish remover is a great solution to remove nail paint stains, but it doesn’t work well with certain fabrics. If your garment is made using triacetate, acetate, or modacrylic, do not try the nail paint remover hack, as it will ruin the garment.
- Never rub the stain into the fabric as it will only spread the nail polish into the fibers of the garments and other areas, thus making it more difficult to remove the stain.
- It is a good idea to soak the white cloth or paper towel into the solvent and then test for colorfastness. Choose an inconspicuous part of the cloth to test. If you do not see any color coming out, you can continue with pre-treating.
- Always rub the stain gently in a circular motion from the outside in to keep the stain from spreading. Use dabbing motions to transfer the nail paint from the garment to the cleaning cloth.
- Once you are done cleaning the stain from the cloth, the machine washes the cloth as usual with your choice of detergent.
We hope the above-listed tips help you deal with the unwanted nail paint spill on your clothes. Always be careful while applying nail paint by yourself.
Keep in touch for more.
