Removing Nail Polish From a Wood Floor

Nail polish is designed to stick on hard surfaces -- under normal circumstances, your fingernails -- resisting damage from moisture, acids and friction. Although it eventually does start to chip off of your nails, a nail polish stain on a static surface such as a floor is difficult to remove. If the floor is finished wood, it's even more of a challenge, as the risk of damaging the finish is high. With care, however, removing the stain can be done.

Paper towels
Isopropyl alcohol
Cotton pads
Plastic putty knife
Non-acetone nail polish remover
Cotton swabs
Oil soap
Sponge
Sandpaper
Wood lacquer

Instructions

- 1
  Blot the nail polish with paper towels immediately, if the spill is fresh. Do not rub. Once the polish has soaked into one paper towel, replace it with a fresh one, repeating until as much of the polish has been removed as possible. Wipe any remaining nail polish with an isopropyl alcohol-moistened cotton pad.
- 2
  Scrape dried-on nail polish from the surface gently, using a plastic putty knife. Be careful, as the dried-on nail polish may take the wood finish with it; if the polish won't budge, don't force it. If you're able to scrape the polish away, wipe the area with isopropyl alcohol.
- 3
  Remove a tough nail polish stain by spot treating it with non-acetone nail polish remover. Soak the tip of a cotton swab with remover and rub it on the nail polish, avoiding contact with the wood. Blot the dissolved polish away with a a paper towel as you go, until the polish has been removed. When you've almost reached the wood finish, switch from the remover to isopropyl alcohol.
- 4
  Clean the remaining nail polish residue with oil soap and a damp sponge. Allow the spot to dry.
- 5
  Spot-repair the finish, if necessary. Lightly sand the spot and wipe with a moist cloth. When the spot is dry, apply wood lacquer with a cotton swab. Allow the spot to dry overnight.

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