How to Remove Nail Polish from Carpet – Top 5 Most Effective Methods

If you have been wondering how to remove nail polish from carpet, you are in the right place. Don’t sign off your carpet and start looking for the new one. You can remove nail polish with things you have at home – such as rubber alcohol, hair spray, and others.

People believe that nail polish is impossible to clean from carpets and rugs, but I will share some home remedies that can help.

Also, you will learn how to utilize these DIY home cleaners to get the best results. Lastly, you will learn what your options are if nothing works.

Are Nail Polish Stains Impossible to Clean?

Most nail polishes are essentially polymers dissolved in ethyl or butyl acetate. When you apply it to the nails, the solvent (ethyl or butyl acetate) evaporates in contact with air, and the polymer creates a film or the surface, usually a nail.

When you spill nail polish on the carpet, it acts the same as on the nail polish. The solvent evaporates, and the film is left. But, the film is created deep in the carpet fibers, which you cannot see with the naked eye. The result is the nasty stain of irregular shape.

If you are to clean the nail polish from your nails, you will use a nail polish remover. It removes the film, but other than drying your nails, it cannot damage them anyway. Nowadays, nail polish removers contain nurturing oils so they don’t absorb the moisture from your nails.

Removing the film from your carpet is challenging, as polymer bonds with carpet fibers and bonds fibers together. To clean it, you have to break the bond, absorb the polish and wipe the color.

It is challenging, but cleaning nail polish from the carpet at home is possible.

Let’s not waste time anymore because dried nail polish can be troublesome to remove. Here is what to do when you accidentally spill the nail polish on the carpet.

Watch this video to know more.

How to Remove Nail Polish from Carpet

If you have ever used a nail polish at home, you have probably spilled it somewhere. It is much easier to clean it from flat surfaces, such as tiles and glass.

But, luckily some things work and some methods are great for cleaning the carpet without vacuum. Check my next five methods for removing the nail polish from the carpet.

Nail Polish Remover

If your first instinct is to reach out for the nail polish remover, you’re right. Nail polish remover can be used for removing stains from carpets.

Things you need:

• Nail polish remover
• Spoon
• Paper towel
• Toothbrush
• Bucket with clean water
• Sponge

The first thing to do when you spill the nail polish is to collect the excess nail polish until it dries completely. You can use a spoon to collect it, but try not to spread the stain further. If you have a lot of nail polish to remove, clean the spoon with nail polish remover as you collect the liquids from the carpet.

Next, pour nail polish remover on the stain. Use a small amount and localize it on the stain as precisely as possible. Scrub the area with a toothbrush to ensure remover can penetrate all fibers. If necessary, rinse the toothbrush to avoid spreading the nail polish. Use a circular motion to remove the stain, and sparsely add more nail polish remover if the stain won’t come out.

Once you remove the color completely from the carpet, dip a sponge into the bucket with water and rinse the affected area. Be thorough and try to rinse nail polish remover from the carpet as much as possible to avoid further reaction with fibers and chemicals in the remover. It will also help with the harsh remover smell.

Additionally, if your nail polish includes acetone – a chemical with bleaching properties, you should react fast to prevent it from bleaching your carpet. Acetone-based nail polish removers are effective, but those need to be completely rinsed to avoid further damage to the carpet.

Let the carpet dry, and repeat the procedure if you aren’t satisfied with the results.

This method will work best if you apply it immediately after the spilling accident happens.

Hair Spray

Surprisingly, hair spray can be used for removing stains. You can try this method for almost dried stains as well.

Things you need:

• Hair spray
• Paper towel
• Toothbrush
• Rubbing alcohol
• Something to scrape dried nail polish leftovers
• Bucket with water
• Sponge

First of all, if the nail polish is still wet, use a paper towel to absorb the excess liquid. Try to be precise and not to spread the stains.

On the other hand, if the nail polish is dry, you can use a scraper or a dull side of the knife to scrape the nail polish film from the carpet.

Next, you have to wet the area. You can pour a small amount of water on the stain before you start using hair spray.

Spray the area with a hair spray until it is soaked. You’ll need approximately 15 to 20 pumps. Then scrub the carpet in circular motions with the toothbrush, and apply more hair spray if necessary.

Add a tiny amount of rubbing alcohol on the area, to help the stain to come out. When you notice the stain is slowly fading, dip the toothbrush in the water, and continue to scrub. Rinse the area with a sponge dipped into the bucket of water when you are done. If you don’t rinse, the carpet might be without stain, but it will be sticky with a harsh smell of the hair spray.

Hair spray is effective because particles of the nail polish can bond to the molecules of hair spray, and you will remove it on the toothbrush. Once you are done, use a vacuum cleaner for the carpet to remove leftover dirt.

White Vinegar

Is there anything white vinegar can’t clean? When it comes to nail polish stains, white vinegar can help you with it, but to some point. Depending on the size of the stain and the age of it, you might need something else to remove the stain completely.

However, it is quite effective for the fresh nail polish stains on the carpet.

Things you need:

• White vinegar
• Toothbrush
• Paper towel
• Sponge

For this method, use undiluted white vinegar. It will have the best results. Similar to the method I described above, collect the excess nail polish as soon as possible. Then, apply a fair amount of white vinegar to the area. Place a piece of paper towel on top of it, and let it sit for ten minutes.

After ten minutes, take the paper towel away and use a toothbrush to scrub the area. Use circular motions to clean the carpet.

If the stain is difficult to remove, stop after a few minutes, and apply vinegar one more time. Repeat the process and let the vinegar sit for ten to 15 minutes.

Keep scrubbing until you see progress.

Vinegar will break the fresh nail polish, which will make it easier to clean. But, you will probably make a mess by scrubbing, so you should rinse the area carefully. The vinegar smell will go away on its own, but the method will be more effective if you use a sponge to rinse the carpet.

If you aren’t satisfied with the results, you can apply other methods, after applying vinegar for better results.

When you are done, let the carpet dry and repeat the procedure if necessary.

Ginger Ale and Baking Soda

Baking soda is effective as an abrasive on its own, but when mixed with ginger ale, it makes a powerful cleaning solution. You can use it to get all stains from your carpet.

To clean the nail polish out of the carpet with ginger ale and baking soda, you won’t need more than 20 minutes.

Things you need:

• Ginger ale – homemade or store-bought
• Baking soda
• Toothbrush
• Sponge
• Bucket of water

To start, sprinkle baking soda on top of the stain. If the nail polish is already dry, you can wet the area with a bit of warm water or ginger ale, to help baking soda penetrate the fibers. Next, pour a fair amount of ginger ale on top of baking soda and let it sit for ten to 15 minutes.

Use a toothbrush to scrub and clean the carpet. Again, circular motions work best as you won’t spread the nail polish as much. Moreover, I recommend using a toothbrush for spot cleaning on the carpet because it will give you more precision than regular scrubbing brushes.

Rinse the area with a sponge, clean water, and let it air dry. If you aren’t satisfied with the results, complete the procedure one more time.

What is especially good about this method is that it cannot harm the carpet, no matter how many times you use baking soda and ginger ale in combination.

Lastly, don’t forget to vacuum the carpet to remove baking undissolved baking soda crunches. You can also use a carpet cleaner over the whole carpet to disinfect the area and refresh your space.

Watch this video to know more.

5 Rubbing Alcohol

Lastly, rubbing alcohol can help you as a first solution when you spill light-colored nail polish on the carpet.

Things you need:

• Cotton pad
• Rubbing alcohol
• Toothbrush
• Sponge
• Bucket with warm water

Soak the cotton pad in the alcohol, and absorb excess liquid with it. It will remove nail polish that hasn’t dried yet, and prevent the area from drying too soon. Next, pour alcohol on the stain, and use a toothbrush to make the stain come out. Rinse the brush as you scrub to prevent spreading the stain further.

As you work on the stain, add more alcohol if necessary. Lastly, rinse the area and let it air dry. Rubbing alcohol might not be effective against the dark and bright-colored nail polishes, but it can help you tackle nude nail polishes quickly.

Bonus Tip – Applies to All Methods

Once you complete cleaning with whichever method you chose from above, I recommend treating the stain with dish soap or carpet cleaner.

Things you need:

• Dish soap or carpet cleaner
• Sponge
• Bucket of water

Dissolve a small amount of dish soap or best carpet cleaner in a gallon of water and use a sponge to clean the area. That way, you will ensure that your carpet is clean from both the nail polish and cleaning solution you applied.

Let the area dry and inspect it for additional stains. Repeat the process if needed.

Does the Color of the Carpet Matter?

When removing stains from the carpet, you should think about the color of your carpet and choose the method accordingly. For example, if you own the dark carpet, you might want to try the vinegar method instead of acetone-based nail polish remover.

The longer the acetone stays on the carpet, the higher the chances are that it will remove the stain, but bleach the carpet.

The hair spray method also works great on black and dark carpets.

Next, if you have beige or any light-colored carpet, you can use a nail polish remover for stains. However, some nail polish removers are colored and contain essential oils, which can leave a stain on the carpet. If your nail polish remover is colored, wash the affected area with dish soap once you are done with nail polish remover. That will remove any color residue of the remover.

What to Do If Nothing Works?

If you tried all described methods, there is still one thing to try before you ask professionals to remove the stain. Let the carpet completely dry, and treat the area with a steam cleaner for the carpet. Steam will dissolve the stain, and help you remove it. Once you steam the stain, don’t let it dry and apply one of the methods described above.

If you don’t own a steam cleaner, try steaming the area with laundry iron. It might help.

Watch this video to know more:

Next Time, Don’t Panic

Next time, when you spill nail polish on the carpet, don’t panic. Rather, react promptly and try to remove the stain with vinegar, nail polish remover, baking soda, and ginger ale or rubbing alcohol.

The effectiveness of the method depends on the age of the stain, the color of your carpet, nail polish compound, etc.

Don’t forget to use a toothbrush and scrub precisely to avoid making a large mess!

If you liked my cleaning nail polish from the carpet guide, please consider liking it and sharing it with your clumsy friends! Let me know which method removed your stains next time you spill nail polish!