It is infuriatingly easy to spill nail varnish on your clothing. This is how you can remove those pesky nail varnish stains 

• Removing nail varnish from machine-washable clothing
• Removing nail varnish from delicate clothing
• Using Laundryheap

Removing nail varnish from machine-washable clothing 

If your clothes are machine-washable, meaning that they aren’t made of a delicate material, it can be easier to remove a nail varnish stain. 

What you will need:

• A small blunt tool, such as a pair of tweezers
• Microfiber cloth
• Acetone-based nail varnish remover
• Laundry detergent

Before you begin removing your nail varnish you need to make sure that the stain is completely dry. Trying to remove the stain before it is dry can lead to the nail varnish becoming embedded within your clothing, making it harder to remove. 

When the stain has dried, use a small blunt tool, such as a pair of tweezers, to peel off the largest sections of the stain.

Next, soak a microfiber cloth in acetone-based nail varnish remover and dab it along the seam of your garment. This is just to make sure that your fabric will not be damaged by the chemicals. Once you’ve made sure that your acetone-based remover won’t cause further damage to your clothing, dab the solution over your stain. You want to use a dabbing motion rather than a scrubbing or wiping motion as dabbing will lift the stain easier. Dab until it looks like your stain has faded in colour. 

Finally, put your item in the washing machine, adding some laundry detergent. You need to make sure that your washing machine is not overloaded as this could prevent the stain from being treated. Set your machine to the highest sufficient temperature on your stained items care label and wait for the cycle to end. Once the cycle has ended, if the stain is still present, repeat the process until it has disappeared. 

Removing nail varnish from delicate clothing

If you have spilled nail varnish on a more delicate fabric that is not machine washable, such as silk or lace, you need to use a slightly different method for removing the stain. 

What you will need:

• A relatively blunt tool, such as a pair of tweezers
• Coconut or mineral oil
• Dry cleaning solvent 
• Cotton pad or dry cloth

Similar to machine-washable clothing, you need to wait for your stain to be completely dry before attempting to remove it. 

Once your stain has dried, use your blunt tool to pick off large areas of the stain. You need to be careful whilst carrying out this step as you don’t want to damage your clothing.

After taking away the biggest section of the stain, make a dry spotter solution. To make your solution, mix one-part coconut or mineral oil with 8 parts dry cleaning solvent. Apply your solution to your stain and leave it to dry for a few minutes. 

Once your solution has dried, use a cotton pad or dry cloth to dab at the stain. You want to use a dabbing motion so that the stain lifts easier and the nail varnish can be absorbed. Keep blotting the stain until it is completely lifted. 

If your stain has not been fully absorbed, try repeating the process.

Using Laundryheap

The best way to remove stains is by using a professional service. At Laudryheap, if you make us aware of a stain on your clothing we will pay extra attention to make sure that it is removed to the best of our ability. You can book your Laundryheap pick-up and delivery-slot by visiting the Laundryheap website or by downloading the free Laundryheap app. We are now servicing Singapore!