How To Get Nail Polish Off Hardwood Floors

Accidentally spilling nail polish on your beloved hardwood floor can be a nightmare. Nail polish staining on hardwood floors might seem like permanent damage, but that’s not always the case. In this guide, we will go through each step of removing nail polish from hardwood floors. With the right products and tools and a little bit of patience, nobody will ever notice the nail polish stain was there.

Products and Tools Needed:

• Sugar
• Clean cloths
• Paper towels
• A plastic scraper or credit card
• A bowl of warm water
• Dish soap
• Acetone or nail polish remover

Step 1: Act quickly

If you spill nail polish on your hardwood floor, you need to act quickly. The longer you wait, the tougher it’ll be to remove the stain. Don’t let the nail polish dry on the floor, or it’ll be more difficult to remove. 

Step 2: Use sugar

When you act quickly after spilling the nail polish, you might be able to remove it with the “sugar method”. Start by sprinkling some sugar onto the wet stain and press it down gently with your fingertips. This should help absorb the nail polish and minimize the damage. Then, take a plastic scraper or credit card and scrape off as much of the nail polish as possible. Use caution when scraping to avoid damaging your floor’s surface.

Step 3: Use clear nail polish

If the nail polish has already dried or not all the nail polish came off with the previous step, apply some clear nail polish on the stained area. This softens the polish. Rub the area with a clean cloth or paper towels to remove it. Keep repeating this step until all traces of the stain are gone. Next, clean the area with a damp cloth to remove any nail polish residue.

Step 4: Use nail polish remover or acetone

Nail polish remover, which contains acetone, or pure acetone are the most effective products to remove the nail polish stains from your hardwood floor. However, both products will damage most wood floor finishes, including polyurethane ones. Use this as a last resort.  

Take a soft cloth and dampen it with acetone or nail polish remover. Rub the stained area gently with the damp cloth until the stain starts to come off. Use a plastic scraper or credit card to scrape off any stubborn bits of nail polish.

Step 5: Clean the area

After you’ve removed the nail polish with the nail polish remover or acetone, clean the area with a mixture of warm water and dish soap. Dip a clean cloth into the mixture, wring it out to make it damp and gently rub the stained area to remove any acetone or nail polish residue. Dry it afterward to avoid water damage.

Step 6: Inspect the area 

After you’ve cleaned the stained area, inspect it to make sure you’ve removed all the nail polish. If there’s still any remaining stain, repeat the process until it’s completely removed.

Removing nail polish from your hardwood floor can be a challenging task, but it’s not impossible. With the products and tools mentioned above, you can easily remove the stain. The key is to act quickly, protect the rest of the floor, and use gentle methods to remove the stain. By following these steps, you can make your hardwood floor look as good as new again.