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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask you how to clean up nail varnish? Urgent help needed!

25 replies

suchagoofball · 06/12/2019 20:28

I just knocked a (nearly full) bottle of nail varnish onto the floor - unfortunately, the floor is porcelain tiles so, of course, the bottle smashed into a million pieces and I have now green nail varnish on the floor, wall and door.

How do I remove this? I've googled and the answer seems to be acetone but I don't have any in the flat and I obviously need to clear it up as quickly as possible as I don't think my landlord will appreciate it if the flat is stained green forever!

HELP!

OP posts:

ActualHornist · 06/12/2019 20:31

nail polish remover. acetone (which you can get as nail polish remover) when you can get it.

porcelain is probably about the best thing to spill it on, it will come off fine and shouldn't stain if they are shiny sealed tiles

Lunafortheloveogod · 06/12/2019 20:31

Acetone is nail varnish remover.. incase it’s just the name throwing you. But a supermarket will have it if you’ve none/there’s one open. If it was still wet I’d have said Chuck sugar on it, absorbs it into a crumbly weird texture that can be brushed up.

Original poster

suchagoofball · 06/12/2019 20:32

nail polish remover. acetone (which you can get as nail polish remover)

The only nail polish remover I have doesn't have acetone and I don't know if I'll be able to get any from any of the shops around me currently. I've looked on Sainsburys and Asda's websites (nearest shops to me) and neither of them have nail polish remover with acetone on their websites, only acetone free, so not sure if it's worth trying still.

OP posts:

speakout · 06/12/2019 20:34

Don't panic.
Acetone will clean even dried in nail varnish.
Depending on the surface of the tiles it may come off without leaving a stain.
If they are matt finish the pigment may adhere. If they are glazed or shiny it should come off without a mark.
Is the door wooden ar painted?
Again depends on the absorbancy of the surface If paint and still marked after acetone I would be tempted to touch up with paint. If wooden then a light sand or a snad and re-varnish.

Acetone first, then see what you are left with. But it can wait until tommorow.

dementedpixie · 06/12/2019 20:34

Just use the remover you have. If it takes it off nails hopefully it will work for tiles too

dementedpixie · 06/12/2019 20:35

You can buy bottles of pure acetone (used to remove gel nails) but try what you have first

slipperywhensparticus · 06/12/2019 20:37

Try acetone in the corner not in the middle incase you trash your tiles

Use the one you have first though

ThatssomebadhatHarry · 06/12/2019 20:38

If you can’t get any are there any local nail technicians in your area you could message. You could ask as on a local page on Facebook etc.

GinnyLane · 06/12/2019 20:38

Not sure if I'm too late, but any large wet patches on a solid surface can be absorbed with salt (or sand) and then brushed up. Makes it clump together, apparently.

Chimchar · 06/12/2019 20:38

I. Sure I've heard that you sprinkle sugar on it and it absorbs it like magic. But you'd better check that out before you do it, just in case!

Original poster

suchagoofball · 06/12/2019 20:39

If they are matt finish the pigment may adhere.

They are matt, which is why I'm eager to get it off as soon as possible. I've managed to get some off with acetone free nail varnish but it's starting to dry so that's not really doing much now. The colour on the grouting in between the tiles is not budging either.

Is the door wooden ar painted?

The door is a wooden painted door.

I've just called Sainsburys and they have some nail varnish remover in stock with acetone in so going to run out now. Hopefully that will do the trick, otherwise I'm not sure what else to try!

OP posts:

Thelnebriati · 06/12/2019 20:41

Just use whatever nail polish remover you have. It doesnt matter if it has acetone in it or not.

dementedpixie · 06/12/2019 20:41

Sainsbury shows a couple of removers with acetone- one is by cutex and the other is own brand

dementedpixie · 06/12/2019 20:43

Get the cutex, its 98% acetone

minisoksmakehardwork · 06/12/2019 20:59

When I spilled nail polish on carpet and couldn't find the nail polish, surgical spirit worked really well.

ranoutofquinoaandprosecco · 06/12/2019 21:09

I heard to throw sugar in it and then hoover up?!

Original poster

suchagoofball · 06/12/2019 21:19

Just use whatever nail polish remover you have. It doesnt matter if it has acetone in it or not.

I would have thought that too but acetone free one was pretty much useless when the nail varnish started to dry.

Get the cutex, its 98% acetone

Ugh, I wish I'd seen this before I went to Sainsburys, I just grabbed their own brand one. It seems to have done the trick on the floor and the door though.

Any ideas for the wall, the grouting in between the tiles or my chest of drawers or should the nail varnish remover work for that too? It doesn't seem to be doing much. The chest of drawers isn't so much of a problem as it's mine but it would be nice for it not to be covered with nail varnish!

OP posts:

GlamGiraffe · 06/12/2019 21:24

I think the grout may be a problem. You might have to go over and over it with a scourer or brush as I think it may just have absorbed. What are the wall and chest of drawer finishes?

MissCharleyP · 06/12/2019 21:27

You can get a bleach pen thing from poundshops/Savers and the like. That may work on the grout?

Original poster

suchagoofball · 06/12/2019 21:31

You might have to go over and over it with a scourer or brush as I think it may just have absorbed. What are the wall and chest of drawer finishes?

I'll try a brush. It has faded but it's still very green.

The chest of drawers seems to be cleaning up a bit now, I think I just needed to put more nail varnish remover on to the cloth, same with the wall, though it still has a rather noticeable green tinge.

The wall is matt paint (white, of course, just to be annoying!).

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 06/12/2019 21:33

Maybe an old toothbrush soaked in acetone will help with the grout

Mumthedogsbeensick · 06/12/2019 21:34

You can buy grout touch up 'pens' from DIY stores which should cover it up if it stains

Fluffyscamp · 06/12/2019 21:39

Window cleaner got nail varnish that had properly soaked in and dried out of a pale cardigan so it might work on tiles too. I tried nail varnish remover before that and all it did was spread the stain.

Original poster

suchagoofball · 06/12/2019 21:42

Oh cool, I'll get a grout pen tomorrow.

Chest of drawers is looking much better. The floor is still a bit tinged with green but I'm hoping if I go over it again tomorrow, that will help. The door still has a bit of a green tinge but not so noticeable, the wall is quite noticeable.

The whole flat now absolutely stinks of acetone, as does the hall and it's giving me a headache so think I'm going to have a quick vacuum to get up any little bits of glass I missed, give the floor a quick mop to hopefully get rid of some of the smell (the windows are open too) and hope I can sort the rest out tomorrow. I think it's probably gone under the chest of drawers to but that will have to wait as DP is out currently and I can't move it on my own.

I've had a particularly stressful week so this just adding to it and made me want to cry, you are all wonderful for lending a hand, thank you all so much for your help!

OP posts:

Thelnebriati · 07/12/2019 12:12

Pro tip; if you have to repaint the wall, then don't try to touch up; repaint the whole wall. Its much less noticeable.

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