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The worst thing imaginable just happened; you spilled nail polish on your carpet while painting your nails. You start to panic and think, “how do I get nail polish out of the carpet?”.

Nail polish, no matter what color, is one of those things that make your heart palpitate when you think of the possibility of getting it on your carpet. Or one of your favorite rugs.

First, don’t panic. We are here to help you abolish that nail polish stain from your carpet or beloved rug.

If you have a dried nail polish stain that won’t budge, contact TLC Cleaning to get the job done. We will get your carpets clean and stain-free while you finish your polish job.

How to Get Nail Polish Out of Carpet: Blot Don’t Smudge

If the spill just took place, grab some paper towels and gently blot up any excess nail polish. Take care not to smudge, scrub, or smear the remaining nail polish. Doing so will only spread the existing stain and drive it further into the carpet fibers.

If the polish is already dry, use a dull knife to scrape off excess before bringing out the cleaning solutions.

Always Do a Patch Test

Testing your solution and assessing what it does to your carpet or rug is essential when choosing a cleaning solution.

No matter what solution you use, you should do a patch test on your rug or carpet first. It is best to do a small, barely visible area for the test. If you see any color transfer on your clean cloth or discoloration, change your solution.

Try Pantry Staples Vinegar and Baking Soda

You read that right; in some cases baking soda and vinegar can be a solution for how to get nail polish out of carpet, depending on the type of carpet you have.

Vinegar: Use plain white vinegar and soak the stain entirely. Once saturated, place a vinegar-soaked paper towel over the stain and let the solution sit for ten minutes. After ten minutes of soaking in the solution, gently blot the area until the stain is removed.

Baking soda: Generously sprinkle baking soda onto the polish stained area. Once covered, soak the area with club soda and allow the mixture to sit for ten minutes. Then gently scrub and blot the stain until lifted. Once removed, rinse the area with warm water and rag or a carpet cleaner.

Common Household Cleaners

Depending on your carpet, baking soda or vinegar might not do the trick. If this is the case, two common household cleaners have shown results: Windex and Goo Gone.

Good Ol’ Nail Polish Remover

Before you grab your 100% acetone nail polish remover and slosh it all over the stain, there are a few caveats. Acetone is a powerful solvent that can potentially chew through the fibers of your carpet or leave it discolored.

You want to use a small amount of the non-acetone, dye-free nail polish remover. This solution can be very effective on light or white colored carpets.

Apply the solution to a corner of a cleaning cloth, cotton ball, or paper towel and gently dab the stain. Be mindful not to scrub the stain into unaffected areas.

(Pro Tip: Nail polish remover is most effective on a fresh stain, so be quick. Don’t forget your patch test!)

Products You Can Find in Your Bathroom

Time to check under your bathroom sink. Your solution for how to get nail polish out of carpet could be there – hairspray and rubbing alcohol.

It’s important to note these solutions work best on dried stains. Dampen the stain with cold water, generously spray with hairspray, and follow up with about three splashes of alcohol.

Once you apply the solution to the carpet, gently scrub with a toothbrush for about sixty seconds. Slowly add more water as you scrub. Once you notice the stain is lifting, blot dry.

Does the Color of the Carpet matter?

As a general rule, different solutions work best depending on the color of your carpet. But this is why it is crucial to do a patch test to see for yourself.

Dark: For dark carpet, it is better to use hairspray and rubbing alcohol. Using nail polish remover, you may risk bleaching your carpet.

Light: As mentioned earlier, non-acetone nail polish remover works best on light or white colored carpets. Just make sure you’re using one that is dye-free, or you’ll risk dying your white carpet!

However, no matter your carpet’s color, it is important to keep them stain-free and clean to keep your home warm and healthy!

Kitchen Dish Soap

You can mix up a small amount of dish soap with water, but this method is best when combined with one of the other solutions. The smell of the dish soap will help combat the strong odors from the other solutions.

If you are going to use dish soap, make sure there is not an excessive amount of bubbles in the mixture. The bubbles and surfactants in the soaps will make it hard to see if the stain is being lifted.

Stubborn Stains Got You Down?

The truth is that there are just some stains that are better off left to the professionals. Depending on the fibers of your carpet and the size of the stain, you may struggle to lift the stain yourself.

If you’re in the Fargo, Grand Forks, North Dakota, or Detroit Lakes, Minnesota area, TLC Cleaning can help with stubborn stains. Let us do what we love and worry about those impossible stains for you!

Muddy footprints. Kids’ spilled Mac n’ Cheese. Dog vomit. Red wine from a mom’s night-in. What do all of these sloppy substances have in common? If you have carpet in your home, just reading this list might prompt you to think about how to remove set-in stains.

Keeping the carpet in your home fresh and clean can be a challenge. If you have kids or pets, your carpet is even more at risk.

The truth is, regardless of your household size or lifestyle, chances are, you’re going to need to attend to a carpet stain or two at some point. Accidents happen, and when they occur on your carpet, you’ll want to know how to remove set-in stains.

woman cleaning rug in slippers and pink cleaning gloves

If cleaning your home and your carpet is something you frequently don’t have time for, maybe hiring a professional cleaning service is the right choice.

TLC Cleaning, your cleaning experts, are ready to help you keep up on the housework.

Whether you’re looking for weekly services, or deep cleaning once a month, we are here to get your house looking its best. Our experienced staff will make your home shine. You’ll love having extra free time to spend doing things you enjoy, instead of working on chores.

While you wait to set up your cleaning services with TLC Cleaning, you might be facing a mess on your carpet. If you need to remove stains right away on your own, take a look at these helpful hints.

You might find just the remedy to get your carpet looking new again. When tough stains hit, you don’t have to worry.

Pet Stains

yellow lab puppy smelling a spill on carpet

Let’s start with some of the worst of the worst when it comes to how to remove set-in stains. Pet stains.

Pet stains not only look terrible, but they can smell horrible as well. Even when you think the stain is gone, the smell can linger.

Your pet might be one of the loves-of-your-life, but their messes on your carpet are anything but lovable. If your four-legged best friend has left you a surprise on your carpet, don’t stress. You can take action to take care of the stain.

If the stain is fresh, use a towel to soak up the mess. Blot the stained carpet until it is virtually dry. If in the unfortunate event, you find the stain too late and it’s already dried, you can re-wet the stain to clean more effectively.

a calico cat watching human clean carpet stain

If you like to clean using natural household products, give white vinegar a try. Mix with warm water and spray on the stain.

The vinegar will also help neutralize the yucky smell. Let the vinegar solution sit on the stain for a few minutes. Blot the stain with a towel until it is gone.

Do you want an alternative to vinegar? Try using laundry detergent mixed with water instead. Use the same technique as the vinegar mixture, but rinse the stain with warm water after and then blot dry.

Coffee Stains

blonde woman in robe pouring coffee on to counter and missing her glass

A morning isn’t morning without your cup of Joe. But what do you do if you have a spill?

It happens all too often. In your still half-asleep stupor, you clumsily knock over your mug, creating a hard-to-remove stain right on your beautiful carpet.

Like with any stain, the first thing to do is to blot the stain to dry it up. Don’t rub or smear, just dab with a dry cloth.

To clean, try either a vinegar and water mixture or a laundry detergent and water mixture. Both solutions are gentle on your carpet but effective on those spills.

You can also try and use a store-bought carpet spray cleaner to try and remove the stain. Always do a spot-test first. Test the product on a hidden spot, such as in a closet, to make sure the carpet won’t discolor.

Blood Stains

young girl pointing to a band aid on her elbow

Did the kids’ roughhousing go too far, and now you have blood on your carpet? Or perhaps a wounded pet is responsible. Whatever the case, blood in your carpet can be a difficult stain to battle.

Just like treating laundry with bloodstains, use cold water instead of warm. Bloodstains might be one of the more stubborn stains to tackle, but there is hope.

Add about two teaspoons of dish soap to a spray bottle of cold water. Saturate the bloodstain and use a white towel to blot up the blood. Use cold water to rinse the spot and continue to repeat until the stain is no more.

Mystery Stains

Set-in stains can make your carpet look old and nasty. If your carpet has mystery stains throughout, several home remedies may be effective in removing them.

If you have these ugly spots on your carpet, invest in a stiff brush, and get to work getting rid of these unsightly stains.

Hydrogen peroxide is an inexpensive possibility for removing set-in stains. Soak the stain with hydrogen peroxide, but only after testing on an out-of-sight area.

Once you soak the stain with peroxide, let it sit for fifteen minutes. Take your stiff brush and scrub gently to loosen the stain.

If you have a steam cleaner, feel free to use that to suck up the peroxide. If not, go back to the trusted blot method using towels.

Club soda is also a tried and true method for stain removal. If you like home remedies, you can use club soda to try and remove set-in stains. Club soda is a fantastic choice for laundry stains as well.

Let the Professionals Take Care of Your Carpet Woes

If you’re reading over this list thinking you’d prefer professionally cleaned carpets instead of working through your set-in stains, TLC Cleaning is ready to help.

Let us take the stress and time out of cleaning your carpets. You’ll enjoy a thoroughly clean home as well as extra time to relax, regroup, and live your life.

Don’t let household chores and stained carpet keep you from the things in your life that matter most.