christmas is ruined

December 24, 2010 3:14 PM

How do I remove nailpolish from a wooden floor?

My sister just dropped a bottle of nailpolish and it exploded onto our wooden floor that is polyurethaned. We wiped up what we could but how can we get the rest off without completely stripping the floor?

posted by pintapicasso to home & garden (9 answers total)

A non-acetone nail polish remover? Honestly I'm pretty sure regular acetone remover would be OK as long as you applied via a soaked cotton ball or qtip rather than just pouring acetone over the floor. But I'd use non-acetone if at all possible.
posted by Sara C. at 3:33 PM on December 24, 2010

The internet also suggests hairspray or Magic Eraser.
posted by Sara C. at 3:35 PM on December 24, 2010

I would try Goof Off in an inconspicuous place and see if it doesn't harm the finish (it didn't on my floor) and then try it on one spot of polish. It does what few other things seem able to do. Available at most big box stores.
posted by Old Geezer at 4:10 PM on December 24, 2010

If you go with Magic Eraser or hairspray let the nail polish fully dry first.

The nail polish may have very slightly softened the poly. If you start buffing away at it, then you'll mar the finish. Normally you need to attack stains right away, but in this case I'd make sure it fully dry.

I'd let it dry completely. Then try Crud Cutter first, followed by magic eraser. If that doesn't work, then go with non-acetone remover.
posted by 26.2 at 4:10 PM on December 24, 2010

You might also b able to peel it away when it's 90% dry. I did that when I got some enamel paint on my floor and it came right off with a dull butter knife.
posted by fshgrl at 5:00 PM on December 24, 2010

It sounds like acetone is safe on polyurethane, but I would test in an inconspicuous spot...
posted by gregr at 7:18 PM on December 24, 2010

Goo Off.
posted by onepot at 10:58 PM on December 24, 2010

Want to remove nail polish? Use paper towel and nail polish remover. Acetone and non-acetone based should both rip up the nail polish much faster than they soften the polyurethane. Test in an inconspicuous spot to find out just how hard you can go at it before you leave marks.
posted by flabdablet at 5:27 AM on December 25, 2010 [1 favorite]

I used Oxy-Clean to get nail polish out of carpet. Perhaps it would work well on your floor without damaging it too much.
posted by Simon Barclay at 4:50 PM on December 25, 2010