Nail polish stains on your favorite shirt or dress can be annoying and difficult to remove. However, you don’t need fancy stain removers to get the polish out – an item you likely already have at home can do the trick: hairspray.<\/p>\n
If you’ve got a fresh nail polish stain you need to tackle quickly, here’s a speedy solution: Spray hairspray directly on the stain, let it sit for a few minutes, then rub it with an old toothbrush and wash as usual. The hairspray’s alcohol content will break down the polish.<\/p>\n
An aerosol hairspray is a must for this DIY stain removal trick. The spray nozzle allows you to precisely coat the stained area with a fine mist. Pump hairsprays don’t work as well. Choose a cheaper hairspray, as you’ll need to use a lot.<\/p>\n
Aerosol hairsprays contain alcohol which will help break down the nail polish stain.<\/p>\n
You’ll need an old toothbrush or scrub brush to work the hairspray into the fabric. This helps dissolve the dried nail polish so it can be removed. Make sure to use an older brush you don’t care about ruining.<\/p>\n
Paper towels are perfect for blotting up the dissolved nail polish as you work. They’re more absorbent than rags or cloth towels. You’ll go through a lot of paper towels, so make sure you have plenty on hand.<\/p>\n
Once you’ve gotten up the nail polish stain, launder the item in hot water with an extra amount of laundry detergent. This helps remove any residue left behind by the hairspray and polish.<\/p>\n
For tough stains on white fabrics, adding an oxygen bleach like OxiClean can help lift out any remaining discoloration. Follow the package instructions and avoid using this on colored fabrics as it may cause fading.<\/p>\n
If a fresh coat of wet nail polish ends up on your clothes, the first critical step is to quickly blot away as much as possible<\/b>. Grab a clean paper towel or cloth and press it gently on the stain without rubbing.<\/p>\n
The goal is to lift the still-wet polish off before it has a chance to set into the fabric and become much harder to remove.<\/p>\n
You only have a narrow window while the polish is freshly applied, so act fast! Blot and press repeatedly with clean sections of paper towel. This will soak up a good portion of the spilled polish before it dries.<\/p>\n
Contrary to what you may expect, once you’ve blotted away excess wet polish, it is best to allow the stain on the fabric to air dry<\/b>. If you try treating or rubbing the stain while still wet, it may just smear the pigment further across the fabric and make the stain bigger.<\/p>\n
Give the fabric plenty of air circulation until all traces of moisture from the spilled polish have evaporated. This may take a couple hours, but do not proceed until it is fully dry<\/b>. The hardened polish will lift off more easily in the next steps.<\/p>\n
Patience is key here. It is tempting to attack the stain immediately, but that will likely make removing the polish stain much more challenging and damaging to the fabric.<\/p>\n
With the area fully dry, place the garment on a clean stack of paper towels or white rags<\/b> with the stain facing downwards<\/b>. The paper or cloth underneath will wick up and absorb the polish as it loosens in upcoming steps.<\/p>\n
Lay garment flat with as little creasing as possible around the stained area to allow good contact with the paper towels underneath. You want to give the polish somewhere to transfer so it doesn’t sit on your clothing.<\/p>\n
Change out the paper towels or cloths as needed if they become saturated with remover solution and nail polish residue.<\/p>\n
This downward stain placement is an often-overlooked but key component to successfully getting nail polish out of clothes!<\/p>\n
When applying hairspray to the nail polish stain, it’s important to hold the can about 10-12 inches away from the fabric. This gives the spray room to disperse before hitting the stain, ensuring even coverage. Getting too close can result in a concentrated stream that only hits part of the stain.<\/p>\n
Holding the can further away prevents over-saturating just one area.<\/p>\n
Don’t be shy with the hairspray here! You really want to saturate the entire stained area to give the hairspray its best chance at dissolving the nail polish. Spray back and forth over the fabric until it is thoroughly wet with hairspray. The more you use, the better it will work.<\/p>\n
Just be careful not to spray the surrounding area of clean fabric if possible.<\/p>\n
After spraying the stain, allow the hairspray to sit and work its magic for 5-10 minutes. This gives the alcohol in the hairspray time to break down the nail polish so it can be more easily removed. Don’t immediately start rubbing or blotting at the stain.<\/p>\n
Letting it sit prevents pushing the stain further into the fabric. The longer you can wait, the better! For stubborn stains, let it sit for up to an hour before attempting to remove.<\/p>\n
When working with hairspray to remove nail polish stains, it’s best to use an old or spare toothbrush as a scrub brush. The bristles on a toothbrush provide the ideal gentle abrasion to work the hairspray into the fabric.<\/p>\n
Other options like a grout brush, dish scrub brush, or even an old washcloth folded into quarters can also be effective.<\/p>\n
Make sure to use a scrub brush that you don’t need for other purposes, as the nail polish could permanently stain the bristles. An old toothbrush destined for the trash is perfect. Just be sure to avoid using anything too stiff or rough that could damage delicate fabrics.<\/p>\n
Once you’ve sprayed hairspray directly on the nail polish stain, use your toothbrush or scrub brush to gently rub the area. The mechanical action helps activate the hairspray ingredients to dissolve the stubborn polish. Take care not to scrub too hard or you may damage the fabric.<\/p>\n
Use small, circular motions concentrated on the stained area to work in the hairspray. Let it sit for 15-30 seconds before scrubbing again. The repeated action helps lift the polish from the fabric over time. You should see the stain transferring onto the toothbrush as you scrub.<\/p>\n
Plan to gently scrub the nail polish stain for 2-3 minutes. The hairspray and scrubbing action take some time to penetrate and dissolve the dried polish. But you should notice the stain gradually lightening and releasing from the fabric.<\/p>\n
Check the stain every 30 seconds or so to gauge progress. Once it appears almost gone, you can rinse the area with cool water. Avoid hot water, as that can set any remaining stain.<\/p>\n
Be patient and persist with scrubbing if the stain seems stubborn at first. The key is gentle, consistent agitation over time. Letting the hairspray sit helps, but scrubbing really activates the magic.<\/p>\n
Removing nail polish stains from clothing can seem daunting, but don’t panic! With a few simple steps and ingredients you likely have at home, you can get those pesky stains out in no time. Let’s walk through the process step-by-step.<\/p>\n
The first step is to simply wash the stained item as you normally would with your regular laundry detergent. The surfactants and enzymes in most detergents can help break down and lift out many stains on their own. Choose the warmest water setting recommended for the fabric and wash as usual.<\/p>\n
Here are some tips for this initial wash:<\/p>\n
This first wash with detergent should lift out much of the still-wet nail polish. If any faint staining remains after air drying, don’t worry – the next steps will tackle any leftover residue.<\/p>\n
After washing, it’s best to air dry the clothing in direct sunlight if possible. The UV rays in sunlight act as a natural bleaching agent to help break down and fade stains. Simply hang or lay the garment in a sunny spot until completely dry.<\/p>\n
Some things to keep in mind for sun-drying:<\/p>\n
By allowing the clothing to fully air dry in sunlight, you give the UV rays time to naturally lift and fade any residual staining. Check the results once dried – you may find the stain is now completely gone!<\/p>\n
If pale staining still remains after washing and sun drying, it’s time to bring in the big guns – oxygen bleach! This powerful stain remover uses color-safe oxygen to lift tough stains and is safe for most washable fabrics. <\/p>\n
Here’s how to use it:<\/p>\n
The activated oxygen in products like OxiCleanTM penetrates fibers to break up and lift out any remaining staining. With a good oxygen bleach, your clothes should come out looking like new again!<\/p>\n