How to clean nail polish from your clothes

If you want to know how to get rid of nail polish from your clothes, then you need to read this article. We are bringing you all the remedies to get rid of these stains.

One of the hardest stains to get rid of from clothes and one that causes most problems is nail varnish.

The most important thing is to act without delay. If we clean the nail polish stain from our clothes before it has time to dry, it will be much easier to get rid.

We also recommend checking the label on your clothes to find out how best to proceed.

How to remove nail polish from cotton clothes (silk, synthetics, etc.)

To remove nail varnish stains from silk or wool garments, you will need to carefully scrape off any excess or soak it up with a towel if it is a recent stain. If it has already dried, scrape it off with a spatula or the blade of a knife to get rid of as much as possible. You must be very careful not to damage the fabric though.

Then place a cloth under the garment with the stain on the upper side. Using a little cotton wool, moisten it with ether and gently rub the stain.

If any is left over afterwards, pour a little 90º alcohol on a cloth and rub the stain again. Then leave the garment to soak in warm water mixed with specific soap for the type of fabric, and one spoonful of ammonia per each litre of water.

How to remove nail polish with acetone

If it is a recent stain, we recommend removing any excess with a towel. If it has already dried, scrape it off with a spatula or the blade of a knife to get rid of as much as possible. Moisten a cloth or piece of cotton wool with acetone and test it on a part of the garment that will not be visible, just to make sure the acetone doesn’t damage the fabric.

If it doesn’t damage it, place a cloth under the stain and then use a cloth moistened in acetone to gently rub out the stain until it has completely disappeared. We should always rub the stain using a soft cloth and working inwards to avoid spreading the stain further. Then wash the garment as usual. This tip is very useful for cotton or linen fabrics.

Another trick is to spread some acetone directly onto the stain and then leave it to work for at least 10 minutes. Rinse it off afterwards with water, and check if the nail polish has come out. If it hasn’t and there is still some stuck on, add a little more acetone. Then rinse it off again with water and wash the garment with the rest of the washing as normal.

How to remove nail polish without acetone

Insecticide

Did you know that insect spray is also very effective to get rid of stubborn nail polish stains from clothes? Just try it to find out.

Remove any excess nail polish from the garment and then spray the product directly over the stain you want to remove. Leaving it to work for around 3 minutes should be enough. You then need to scrub the stain with an old toothbrush in small circular movements. If any nail varnish is left behind, repeat the process until it has completely disappeared. Rinse the garment with warm water afterwards, and then wash it in the washing machine. There will be no remaining signs of nail varnish on your clothes!

With talcum powder

Sprinkle some talcum powder over the nail varnish stain to remove and allow it to work for a few hours. To make this even easier, leave it on all night and the next day remove any remains with kitchen roll or a toothbrush and then wash the garment in the washing machine. The stain will have disappeared!

Hydrogen peroxide

You are sure to have heard at some point that hydrogen peroxide is well-known for removing stains, particularly blood stains. But what you may not know is that it is also ideal for getting rid of nail polish stains from clothes without damaging them.

We recommend using this tip on lighter coloured clothes, to avoid it bleaching brighter colours and damaging them. Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on the stain and rub it in using a microfibre cloth for a few minutes. Then wash it as normal, and the stain will have gone!