How To Remove Nail Polish Stains On Carpet And Upholstery

Red nail polish spill on white carpet.

How to remove nail polish stains on carpet and upholstery. Fingernail polish stains mucking up your carpet or couch? Most manufacturers put a stain-resistant finish on carpets and furniture, but it can only do so much.

Here's how to remove nail polish stains the easy way. You'll need:

  • Mineral spirits;
  • 3 clean rags or cloths;
  • warm and cool water, in separate bowls;
  • a few squirts of hand dishwashing liquid.

How To Remove Nail Polish Stains - Soften First With Mineral Spirits

Soften the polish first with a cleaning solution gentler than straight acetone - mineral spirits. Gently blot the stained area of the carpet or couch with a cloth saturated with the mineral spirits, rewetting as needed.

Be sure to move to a clean area of the cloth once the polish begins transferring from the stained area.

Blot the Stain with Dishwashing Liquid

Blot any remaining polish with a mixture of 1 cup warm water and 1 teaspoon of mild hand dish-washing liquid. Use a clean towel or rag here, and continue until the stain on carpet or couch is lifted, repeating as needed.

How To Remove Nail Polish Stains - Blot-Rinse the Stained Area with Cool Water

You'll now need to remove the cleaning solution(s) from the carpet or couch. Using a clean rag dipped in a bowl of cool water, blot - don't rub - the water into the fibers of your carpet or upholstery. 

Repeat using a clean part of the rag until there is no further transfer or the sudsy solution onto the cloth.

How To Remove Nail Polish Stains - Repeat As Needed

A polish stain can be removed if you take the time to get the polish entirely out of the fabric or carpet fibers, which often means try, try, try again.

Patience and perseverance will pay off big here - so keep at it for at least several tries. You'll be glad you did.


You Might Like These:

  • Coming Clean 2: Tips for choosing household cleaners, brick cleaning, cleaning silverware, and cleaning solutions for every room in your home.

    Coming Clean 2

    Coming Clean 2: Tips for choosing household cleaners, brick cleaning, cleaning silverware, and cleaning solutions for every room in your home.

  • Light fixture cleaning tips. Dust, bugs, airborne cooking oils - it doesn't take long for these interlopers to find their way onto your home'slighting.

    Light Fixture Cleaning Tips

    Light fixture cleaning tips. Dust, bugs, airborne cooking oils - it doesn't take long for these interlopers to find their way onto your home'slighting.

  • Cleaning carpets at home is a task you should tackle at least twice weekly, more frequently in heavily trafficked areas and during cold and flu season. (Sorry!)

    Cleaning Carpets at Home

    Cleaning carpets at home is a task you should tackle at least twice weekly, more frequently in heavily trafficked areas and during cold and flu season. (Sorry!)

  • Weekly house cleaning checklist for your home's high-touch hot spots. Using a cleaner-disinfectant saves time because it combines two steps - and gets those dirty jobs done quicker.

    Weekly House Cleaning Checklist

    Weekly house cleaning checklist for your home's high-touch hot spots. Using a cleaner-disinfectant saves time because it combines two steps - and gets those dirty jobs done quicker.

  • Summer house cleaning hacks. So, you didn't quite get around to that spring cleaning, did you? Relax. Summer is a season for second changes, and these house cleaning hacks can help.

    Summer House Cleaning Hacks

    Summer house cleaning hacks. So, you didn't quite get around to that spring cleaning, did you? Relax. Summer is a season for second changes, and these house cleaning hacks can help.

  • The best approach  to getting kids to clean is to train them while they're toddlers, so they never imagine until later years that it's even possible to go to bed with toys on the floor.

    Getting Kids to Clean

    The best approach to getting kids to clean is to train them while they're toddlers, so they never imagine until later years that it's even possible to go to bed with toys on the floor.

  • Easy spring cleaning shortcuts. Does spring cleaning still have a place in households today? Absolutely, no matter how busy you are. These spring cleaning shortcuts can help you get it all done in less time.

    Easy Spring Cleaning Shortcuts

    Easy spring cleaning shortcuts. Does spring cleaning still have a place in households today? Absolutely, no matter how busy you are. These spring cleaning shortcuts can help you get it all done in less time.

  • How to make disinfecting wipes at home. Store bought disinfecting wipes are simple to use and kill most bacteria and viruses. These ready made wipes are spendy, however.

    Make Disinfecting Wipes At Home

    How to make disinfecting wipes at home. Store bought disinfecting wipes are simple to use and kill most bacteria and viruses. These ready made wipes are spendy, however.