To apply some nail polish in the comfort of your own home can be quite enjoyable, but it could also lead to disaster if you accidentally have a spill. Anything could happen where you could spill some polish on something like a carpet, and removing it can be quite a daunting task!
If the whole container has been spilled on the carpet and it has had some time to dry, you are going to find it quite difficult to clean up the spill!
You need not worry too much as the cleaning process might be tough, but not impossible at all. One could get the mess cleaned up by using some products that you would normally use to clean your home.
Please look at the following pointers to assist you in this process:
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RECENT SPILLS
Method 1. If it is a fresh spill which has not had time to dry on the carpet, there is a quick-fix you could try. Use a knife that is not too sharp and scrape the polish from the carpet. If it is a larger spill you could also use a spoon for scraping most of the spill.
When you have cleaned most of the spill, use paper towels or other absorbent material to soak up whatever you can of what is still left of the spill. Dab the stain gently and keep using dry pieces of paper/material continuously until most of the spill has been cleaned.
Use a can of hairspray and spray the stain to wet it, then use a disposable cloth or piece of material and dab the stain again until you have removed all you can. Keep on doing this until the stain has been removed totally.
Method 2. The other way you could also use is the wet the whole stain area with water, and afterwards also spray the stain with hairspray. Then use a small amount of rubbing alcohol and wet the stain, then use a brush and brush it for about a minute or so.
While brushing the stain, just add more water to keep the area wet until you can see that the polish stain is starting to separate from the carpet. Keep on doing this until you have cleaned the stain completely.
OLDER SPILL THAT HAS DRIED
A proper spill of nail polish is quite different to just having a stain to clean. If a spill has occurred and you have not attended to it immediately, you have a dried spill and a more serious problem on your hands. You could the try some of the following methods and see if you can solve the problem.
Method 1. Use some type of object with an edge and attempt to scrape the dried polish off the carpet. On a denser type of rug, you could try something like a razor to do the scraping.
Use a vacuum cleaner to pick up the scraped pieces from the rug or carpet. Do this to prevent creating a further problem for yourself.
Once the spill has been cleaned, wet the area down with some hairspray and/or rubbing alcohol. If the carpet or rug has a light colour you could also try and use salt or even baking soda to try and clean the spot completely. Because the salt and/or baking soda has a rougher consistency, it could actually assist to clean the area quicker.
Leave the mixture on the stained area for a while and then brush the area with a softer type of brush. Do this for a minute or two and then dab the area dry with a disposable cloth, piece of material or absorbent paper. Repeat this process until you are satisfied that the stain has been cleaned completely.
Method 2. Again use some type of object (old spoon or knife) and attempt to scrape off most of the dried polish off the carpet. On a denser type of rug, you could try something like a razor to do the scraping. Be careful not to leave the removed polish and maybe use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of it.
Use some window cleaning agent and clean the area with a damp sponge. Use the rougher side of the sponge to brush the spot and keep the sponge clean continuously. Dab the area to dry it once you have finished and keep repeating this step until the stain has been cleared.
Below is a video that might be of some help with this process.
HOUSEHOLD CARPET CLEANERS
If you have a decent carpet cleaner, this would make the process a lot easier and quicker. These machines usually works with a bit of heat and specialist liquids that would go a long way in solving your problem.
Below is a list of carpet cleaners we could suggest.
FACTS ABOUT NAIL POLISH STAINS
This is not the kind of stain that one would normally encounter. Be sure to keep the following in mind:
Try and use a nail polish removing solution that has no Acetone added.
Ensure that the hairspray you use also does not have Tea Tree oils added as that might cause a stain in itself. Try not to use aggressive cleaning materials like bleach or peroxide as that would damage your rug/carpet – especially a darker one!
Avoid rubbing any stain as that would actually worsen the problem!
If you regularly apply nail polish the chances are very good that this has happened to you before. If not and this is the first spill that you have to clean, the above suggestions should be of great assistance to you to get the problem sorted out without a great deal of frustration or damage.
