Nine Ways to Use Nail Polish Remover at Home
Nail polish remover is a common household item you might have on hand if you’re doing your own manicure, but it’s more useful than you think. Since the active ingredient in nail polish remover is acetone, it can be used as a solvent to clean a variety of things. Here are a few places around the house where you can use nail polish remover to remove common stains and maintenance, and a few places where you should avoid it.
Remove melted plastic
Have you ever accidentally left a spatula too close to a hot burner or perhaps leaned against a pan? If so, you might think there’s nothing you can do about the remaining plastic. But you can use nail polish remover to remove melted plastic from surfaces such as pots and pans and the stove. To use it to separate plastic from the surface it was cooked on, apply some nail polish remover to the edges of the ball, pushing it into all the cracks and crevices.
Remove sticky sticker
You can use nail polish remover to remove any remaining price tag or remove a sticker you don’t want on the surface. Since it is a solvent, be careful when using nail polish remover on any type of plastic and apply a small test patch in an inconspicuous area before accidentally ruining your favorite mug with you. You can use a paper towel to apply nail polish remover to the adhesive sticker and then press firmly onto the surface to wipe off the adhesive.
Erasing ink and permanent marker
You can use acetone to remove ink and permanent marker stains by soaking a cotton swab or rag in a small amount of acetone and then applying it to the stain. For larger ink stains, you may need to repeat this several times, replacing the ink cotton swab with a new one, to avoid re-contaminating the area with partially dissolved ink.
Clean porcelain
Acetone will dissolve most substances that can stain the surface of porcelain, from a coffee cup to a bathtub. You can remove water, coffee, or hair dye stains from sinks, toilets, bathtubs, and dishes using acetone. Be careful not to use acetone on surfaces made from dissolvable plastics or coated with epoxy resin, as the solvent may damage them.
Remove superglue
Did you accidentally spill superglue or perhaps get it on your fingers while making repairs? To remove it, you can use nail polish remover, but you should use this method with caution when it comes to leather. You can use a rag or paper towel to apply a little nail polish remover to any spilled superglue on a surface, such as a table, if it is not coated with shellac or varnish, since this coating can be dissolved by acetone. To remove super glue from skin, use a cotton swab.
Use it as a metal disinfectant.
While the concentration of acetone in nail polish remover won’t act as a medical-grade disinfectant, you can use it to clean your eyebrow tweezers in a pinch. Nail clippers, scissors and razors can be cleaned with nail polish remover.
Remove paint from glass
You can use a rag with nail polish remover to remove dried paint from the glass. If you made a mistake while painting a window frame or got a couple of drops on your vanity mirror, you can clean it up by wiping it with acetone. Be careful not to get acetone on the paint you want to preserve—it can remove that too.
Get rid of graffiti
If you notice a new magic marker mark or fresh spray paint on a glass, metal surface, or concrete floor, you may be able to remove it with nail polish remover—if you can get to it within a day. Because some spray paints use acetone as a solvent, partially cured spray paint can sometimes be removed with spray paint, as can marker marks. The best way to remove graffiti with nail polish remover is to use a rag and blot it to prevent the paint from bleeding as it dissolves.
Clean Limestone Tile
Limestone tiles can leave behind oil stains that are difficult to get rid of, but nail polish remover can be safely used on limestone tiles and will remove nasty oil stains from limestone floors. Sealing the tile can help prevent oil stains, but sometimes the oil will still seep into the porous stone. Use a rag to saturate the area with the remover, then dry it before re-sealing the area.
Where you should never use nail polish remover
Do not use nail polish remover on hardwood floors as it may dissolve the finish. You should also avoid using nail polish remover on certain types of plastic, foam, and electronics. Since it is a solvent designed to remove nail polish, you should keep nail polish remover away from painted surfaces, epoxy, and glue (unless you are trying to remove it). Always wear butyl, latex or nitrile gloves when handling nail polish remover to avoid getting it on your skin.