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Painting your nails is a task that you normally do on your own, but sometimes, it is so nice to get it done by someone else, a person that is an expert in this field. Unfortunately, sometimes we just don’t have the time or the resources to do so, and we decide to do it on our own. What could possibly go wrong?
So you decide to do it on your own, and you prepare everything needed to do it. You find your favorite nail polish and put on your favorite TV program, and off you go. And then out of nowhere, it happens: you drop your nail polish all over the carpet. Now you start worrying, and from sheer peace, it all turns to chaos. You start to panic, wondering, how to get nail polish out of carpet? Luckily, we have you covered; here, we will take a look at how to get nail polish out of the carpet.
The bad news is that you have spilled some of your nail polish, and you will never recover it. The good news is that you can still rescue your carpet, and return it back to normal. All you need to do is follow these steps, it is very easy.
Get Your Tools Ready
The first step towards cleaning your carpet is finding all the tools and resources to clean the mess. Anything comes useful – you can check your cupboards, first aid kit, your bathroom, or kitchen. Here is what you will need to clean the carpet:
- Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover – the emphasis is NON-ACETONE, as acetone can damage your carpet, so try to find one without it.
- Hairspray – a surprising choice, you might think, but it is actually very useful in this case, as it contains alcohol. Don’t worry, it won’t damage your carpet, and it will help you massively to clean the nail polish.
- Hydrogen Peroxide – similar to bleach, hydrogen peroxide contains chemicals that will clean your carpet in no time.
- Rubbing Alcohol – it is used to break down and clear the nail polish.
- Window Cleaner – another surprising choice of weapon that will work for getting the nail polish out. In fact, it is one of the best ways to clean it.
- Carpet stain remover – an obvious choice that will work just fine for cleaning the nail polish.
Now for some tips and tricks. The first one you need to consider is if you have a light-colored carpet, then it might be useful to use a non-acetone nail polish remover, and use it with a cloth. Scrub until no nail polish remains.
For darker-colored carpets, the non-acetone polish remover is not the best choice, as it can remove the dye from the carpet. For this reason, you can use rubbing alcohol or hairspray to clean the polish, as it will get rid of the nail polish while also retaining the color of the carpet. Hydrogen peroxide can also be considered.
In any case, read the instructions on the containers of these products, and try to stick to them. You may wish to test the product before you use it on your real project; you can try it on a surface that is not as sensitive as your carpet first before using it.
Chlorine bleach should be avoided at all costs. It can damage your carpet significantly, and that is especially the case if you have a wool carpet. Alkalis in the bleach will damage the wool carpets, and it might cause irreversible damage that you will regret once it is done. Special care should be put on wool carpets, which can be especially vulnerable.
How to get nail polish out of carpet
Timing is of the essence here, and the sooner you start cleaning, the better it will come out. Don’t wait for it to dry. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to get nail polish out of carpet.
Step 1: Act Quickly
The most important thing with nail polish is to not let it dry. You should act as quickly as possible to prevent that from happening. Once it dries, it is going to be even harder to get rid of it, and it might become irreversible. You want to blot gently and don’t rub, as it can spread the stain even larger and the surface might become wider.
As a quick fix to get it out a bit, blot it gently with a dry cloth in order to not make a mess of it. Because if you start rubbing or wiping too much or too quickly, you might spread the stain all over the carpet, and that can become a nightmare.
Step 2: Test the Cleaning Materials
Before you start using any cleaning substances that we mentioned above, perform a quick test with it on an inconspicuous area, where you will do no damage. That way, you will be able to see if the substances you will use will really work for removing the polish, and whether it causes any damage or not. Don’t worry about this piece of material, choose something that you will not miss in case it gets damaged.
Step 3: Find a Blunt Metal Tool to Clear the Dried Polish
If your polish has already dried on the carpet or a part of the polish, then you can remove it with a metal tool, such as a spoon or other similar materials. The best way, however, is to not let the polish dry at all.
Step 4: Start Cleaning
Using your preferred or tested materials and substances, you can now start cleaning. Apply the cleaning polish or substance to a cloth, and start working your way over the nail polish in your carpet. Remember to use a blotting movement and don’t rub it, as it can spread the polish all over the carpet, causing even more damage. Persist until there is no color left on the carpet.
If you use an acetone nail remover (which is not desired) for removing nail varnish, make sure you don’t use too much of it, as it can cause significant and irreversible damage to your carpet. If you use this product, you will want to ventilate the area and use some sort of protection against it. But it is better to use other products, which we listed above.
Also, try to use white cloths or the ones with no colors or patterns on it, as you are running the risk of leaving some of that color on your carpet. With certain products, that can even spread all over the carpet, which can damage your carpet.
Step 5: Wash with Soapy Water
Once you have removed all the polish from the carpet, it is time to clean up and put some finishing touches. Find a bowl and fill it with warm water. There, you will want to pour some dishwashing liquid or soap and mix it with water. Once the soap starts producing, use a cloth or a clean piece of cleaning sponge, and dip it into the mix. With it, rub over the carpet thoroughly in order to get the last hints of the polish away.
Step 6: Rinse with Warm Water
Once you have applied the soapy water, it is time to clean up. Using warm water, you can put the finishing touches on the carpet. You can add the warm water into a spray bottle, and mix it with some bleach-free detergent. Now rub over the area of the carpet.
Step 7: Dry the Carpet
The last step in the process is to dry the carpet. You can first dry it a bit with a dry towel, and then hang it out to dry in the sun, or you can use a fan to dry it. For some people, towels will work best, but it might take you some time to dry it completely.
Removing Dried Nail Polish
If you have let your nail polish dry, it can be even harder to get it out. Here is how to get nail polish out of carpet if it has dried out.
The first thing you will want to do is to use a sharp(ish) object for getting the polish out, such as a razor, or the edge of a spoon. Try to get it out as much as possible. You can also trim the surface with scissors, but don’t trim too much.
Next, use a vacuum cleaner to get the polish that you removed before out. Once you have vacuumed it, use a few tablespoons of rubbing alcohol or hairspray and scrub it over the carpet. That should get it out.
Lastly, pour some baking soda over it and let it sit. Then, scrub it with a toothbrush, and let it dry. Continue with this until the polish is out.
Ending thoughts on how to get nail polish out of carpet
Hopefully, you know how to get nail polish out of the carpet now. Removing it is not easy, but it can be done without causing too much damage to your favorite carpet.
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