How to Remove Nail Polish from Carpet

If you find yourself with bright red nail polish spilled on your favorite carpet, don't panic! Here are many expert tips for removing nail polish from carpet.

Removing Nail Polish from Carpet

 

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If you find yourself with bright red nail polish spilled on your favorite carpet or area rug, don’t panic! Here are many expert tips for how to remove nail polish from carpet. You will find that there is actually more than one way to get dried nail polish out of carpet, including removing it with Windex!

 

Tip #1: Any non-acetone finger nail polish remover will take the nail polish off and not hurt the carpet. Take a paper towel soak it down a little and wipe the nail polish off.

 

Try to keep the area contained that you rub, at first it will look like you are smearing it around, just keep changing paper towels with a new one until stain is gone.

 

You need to change your cloth several times so you’re not sliding polish over a bigger area. When done a liquid dish soap will get the smell out of the carpet.

 

Tip #2: I use nail polish remover and blot, then Goo Gone works to remove the remaining stain.

 

Tip #3: When I spilled nail polish on my carpet I saturated it with non-acetone nail polish remover and scrubbed it with a white cloth.

 

After the color stopped coming out on cloth (and it was still slightly pink on the carpet) I made a mixture of liquid dish soap, hot water and bleach and continued scrubbing until the nail polish came out (for white carpets only).

 

If that doesn’t work for you try using a fabric marker from a craft store and color over the stain.

 

Tip #4: I spilled dark purple nail polish on my light grey carpet. When I tried nail polish remover it didn’t do a thing. Then a friend told me to try window cleaner and it worked great. I can’t even tell it happened.

 

Tip #5: Tried the window cleaner on the nail polish on the carpet and it worked a treat. The nail polish remover made the carpet turn pink…Barbara

 

Tip #6: My 2- and 4-year-old grandsons gave me a “manicure and pedicure” for Mother’s Day, and …wouldn’t you know it? Some polish ended up on the carpet. Go figure. Well, nan’s don’t complain. Inside I panicked. I had no nail polish remover, and no carpet cleaner.

 

I tried vinegar on it, just blotting it, not rubbing, as instructed by my most recent professional carpet cleaners.

 

You won’t believe how completely clean it came! Did I mention that it was BLACK NAIL POLISH? I thought my carpet was finished! Now, if only I could think of how to…ahem… deal with my nails…Loretta

 

Tip #7: I tried to remove the giant purple nail polish stain from my green carpet with polish remover and all it did was smear the stain and frustrate me. I read that someone tried glass cleaner and that it worked, so I tried it.

 

It did not take away the purple completely, but it did take away enough of it that it blends into the green enough to not be so shocking. Thank you to whoever came up with this idea. You saved my 4-year-old quite a few tears!!…Rachael

 

Tip #8: I live in military housing where the carpet is a cheaper variety and was mortified when I saw my girls had spilled nail polish on the carpet and tried to clean it up.

 

I took the advice and used glass cleaner, all I had was the green multi surface type and it worked like a charm!

 

You can’t even tell it was there, save a bit of smell. That tip saved some young girls from a major grounding. P.S. The carpet was a neutral tan…Robert

 

Tip #9: I picked up a bottle of opi nail polish. The lid was not tightened and it went all over the side of the couch and the carpet. It was a bright pink and my couch and carpet are tan & green.

 

I tried the nail polish remover. All it did was smear the polish, so I tried the window cleaner and it came right up!! Thank you so much!…Michele

 

Tip #10 Thank you for suggesting that window cleaner will remove spilled nail polish from a carpet! The nail polish remover did remove some, but the window cleaner worked great!…Christine

 

Tip #11: The windex was the trick. Thank you so much for the suggestion. I also tried the nail polish remover and it did get out a little bit of the purple polish out of the carpet but the Windex got the rest of it…Sue

 

Tip #12: After reading the tips on this site for removing nail polish from carpet, I tried it too! I spilled some red nail polish on my brand new tan colored wool carpet. I sprayed a little window cleaner and it came out so easily! Thank you so much!!…Brad

 

Tip #13: I just walked into my daughter’s room and was greeted by 3 large red spots of fingernail polish on our tan carpet.

 

I found this site, used the windex and the stain came right out! It was effortless and painless and I’m already over it! Thanks a lot for your great tip…Marie

 

Tip #14: I spilt bright orange high gloss nail polish onto my cream lounge carpet! Don’t use nail polish remover – it just smears it.

 

Use a glass or window cleaner spray – it works wonders! Next tip – don’t polish your nails on your lounge carpet!!!!!!…Amanda

 

Tip #15: Amazing!!! My daughter hid a very large spot of fingernail polish she had spilled on my carpet. I read this site for using Windex on it and PRESTO – it’s practically gone! Thank you all!…Deb

 

Tip #16: My boyfriend wanted to try to paint my nails. In his excitement, he knocked over the bottle that flipped several times on its way to the ground.

 

After trying to blot the carpet with nail polish remover and having no success, we tried glass cleaner and COULD NOT BELIEVE the results! Skip the remover!…Sharon

 

Tip #17: Windex, windex, and more windex and PRESTO! Well with some elbo grease it worked like a charm!!!!!…Debra

 

Tip #18: My daughter was painting my nails and we spilled red nail polish on light green carpet. We first tried using nail polish remover, however that left a very pretty pink stain.

 

We then attempted to use peroxide as another web site suggested, which did nothing but lighten the pink stain ever so slightly.

 

After logging onto this web site we decided to try the Goo Gone. WOW!!! there is no trace of the stain. The Goo Gone really worked. Of course we used Q-tips to get down into the carpet fibers and scrub, but it worked.

 

We can’t even tell where the stain was. Good thing because my husband would have banned us for life from painting nails in the living room. Thank you for the terrific tip…Julie

 

Tip #19: I couldn’t believe how well Windex removed red nail polish from my light grey carpet.

 

I let it soak for five minutes first, then rubbed gently with a wet cloth. There’s not a trace of the polish left. Thanks for this great tip…Maureen

 

Tip #20 Windex! Who knew???? I thought for sure all these posts about getting nail polish out of carpet had to be a spoof on My Big Fat Greek Wedding! But no, it REALLY works! Andrea

 

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Follow my cleaning tips board on Pinterest.

 

Clever tip for removing nail polish from carpet. One of my favorite carpet cleaning hacks!

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1 Comment on "How to Remove Nail Polish from Carpet"


  1. So I was painting my nails in my room (big mistake) and as I got up I knocked the nail polish onto the carpet. I recommend using window cleaner to clean it up. It works great!

    Reply

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