Time sensitive! Nail Polish on nice dining room table.
June 23, 2024 9:35 AM Subscribe
We rented the home of friends on sabbatical. We are moving out TODAY. We just realized that at some point one of the kids spilled clear, glittery nail polish on the very nice/fancy dining room table. (Some kind of dark, hardwood, no other visible damage to table finish despite heavy use.) Internet searching is inconclusive and I have no idea how to remove it without stripped the table! Do you?? If so, please help!
If it's relevant the spill is about the size of two smeary quarters. To be clear our friends will be understanding and we will offer to pay for the table if needed but, boy, getting the nail polish off would be a preferable outcome.
If it's relevant the spill is about the size of two smeary quarters. To be clear our friends will be understanding and we will offer to pay for the table if needed but, boy, getting the nail polish off would be a preferable outcome.
Here's a video (and a transcript) from someone who tried 19 methods of removing nail polish. A quick scan of the transcript has non-acetone nail polish removers as an option.
posted by ShooBoo at 9:53 AM on June 23 [2 favorites]
posted by ShooBoo at 9:53 AM on June 23 [2 favorites]
If you find that a solvent damages the table finish, there's a nonzero chance that the solvents in the nail polish itself already did that same damage before it cured. You could work to get the polish off and find the table has been damaged anyway.
posted by phunniemee at 9:57 AM on June 23 [10 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 9:57 AM on June 23 [10 favorites]
(Yeah I think on the whole that this is going to require some refinishing or at least expert treatment, so since it's time-sensitive spot-test-for-due-diligence is probably the way to go. Let them fuck up their own table in the fixing of it, if that's what's gonna happen.)
posted by restless_nomad at 10:03 AM on June 23 [1 favorite]
posted by restless_nomad at 10:03 AM on June 23 [1 favorite]
Nail polish flakes off easily off of some surfaces; have you tried using e.g. a credit card as a scraper? Make sure to hold the edge it flat against the surface of the table, so that you can't scratch it the way using a corner might.
posted by demi-octopus at 10:25 AM on June 23 [1 favorite]
posted by demi-octopus at 10:25 AM on June 23 [1 favorite]
If it really is solid wood, that’s a good thing, because it’s always going to be more repairable than veneer. That’s one of the reasons solid wood furniture is so expensive - it can be made to last an incredibly long time without having to be nearly so precious about it.
One thing you could do is take a brand new super sharp razor blade and place it flat on the table top next to the nail polish edge. With extreme care, push it along the surface to see if you can get the bulk of the polish cut away, leaving just a thin film behind. This is easier said than done, but depending on the type of nail polish and the type of finish on the table you could have some great results. At the very least, removing most of the polish is going to be important for any use of solvents since that way you won’t be smearing dissolved polish and glitter around a larger area. Also, repairing a thin shallow scratch is a pretty easy fix, you can usually buff it out and shine it with furniture polish. Of course, do not do this if the nail polish spill is very thin and spread out or you have any hesitancy about your dexterity.
I think being straightforward about it with the owner is absolutely the way to go. They are probably not nearly as finicky about their furniture as you would be.
posted by Mizu at 10:31 AM on June 23
One thing you could do is take a brand new super sharp razor blade and place it flat on the table top next to the nail polish edge. With extreme care, push it along the surface to see if you can get the bulk of the polish cut away, leaving just a thin film behind. This is easier said than done, but depending on the type of nail polish and the type of finish on the table you could have some great results. At the very least, removing most of the polish is going to be important for any use of solvents since that way you won’t be smearing dissolved polish and glitter around a larger area. Also, repairing a thin shallow scratch is a pretty easy fix, you can usually buff it out and shine it with furniture polish. Of course, do not do this if the nail polish spill is very thin and spread out or you have any hesitancy about your dexterity.
I think being straightforward about it with the owner is absolutely the way to go. They are probably not nearly as finicky about their furniture as you would be.
posted by Mizu at 10:31 AM on June 23
The approach needs to take into account the finish as well the wood. Main types are polyurethane, lacquer, shellac, and oil, but there are also proprietary formulations. There is no general advice that would apply to every case.
Look on the underside for a manufacturer's mark. This might give you a sense of what you're dealing with. Again, do not try the DIY. Let a professional handle the repair.
posted by dum spiro spero at 10:50 AM on June 23
Look on the underside for a manufacturer's mark. This might give you a sense of what you're dealing with. Again, do not try the DIY. Let a professional handle the repair.
posted by dum spiro spero at 10:50 AM on June 23
If someone damaged my table, I would STRONGLY prefer they just TELL ME! And apologize, and offer to pay for the damage that I will fix on my own time. Then let me research how to fix my own table, and then when I have time, I can get all the supplies together and fix it AND THEN RE-SEAL it when I have time.
This is hitting a nerve because I am a person whose pretty white table was JUST RUINED LAST WEEK, by a Sharpie ink bleed through. The person didn't know that Sharpie can be easily removed from that kind of surface with rubbing alcohol. They panicked and tried to hide their mistake by hurriedly using a goddam Magic Eraser, which permanently scuffed the tabletop finish. Now there's a faded area that's not shiny, and it's ugly and not fixable. Plus now those areas are less protected and thus forever more prone to staining. I truly wish the person had just OWNED UP to the mistake and ASKED ME how I wanted to to fix it!!! Accidents happen, I wouldn't have freaked out, and I could have fixed it perfectly in under a minute!
SO.
Please don't try a bunch of remedies on one spot of the table.
Right now the nail polish is inert, it's already dry, any damage it did is done and not getting worse. And the nail polish is on the surface only, so it's not that hard to remove once they figure out the right method. Plus, nail polish is waterproof. So although the table has a surface mark from the polish, the wood itself is still well protected from MORE damage.
When you hastily try to remove the nail polish, you may accidentally scuff, de-shine, or even remove a patch of the varnish, making that area non waterproof - and thus the wood will be vulnerable to being permanently stained by the next renter wiping it, spilling water, wine, food, marker, etc. Or, different chemicals suggested here may dissolve, remove, discolour, or stain the finish. Any of these attempts might cause a deep ugly stain IN the wood that will be SUPER hard to remove and possibly require deep sanding and a huge amount of work to revert.
Even testing your solution on the legs isn't foolproof because often table legs and table tops are NOT MADE of the exact same material. Legs may be solid wood, while tabletops are veneer. Veneer is a thin glued layer that cannot be deeply sanded, and is very vulnerable to water damage, where solid leg wood is stronger, more resistant to liquid, and may have different varnish. The chemicals you try may not necessarily interact the same way on two parts of the same table.
The owners will perhaps need to sand down and refinish the whole table, which isn't ideal. BUT it's a shallow sanding job to simply remove a top layer of nail polish and a thin layer of sealant - much easier than sanding down past an area of liquid-damage that sunk deep into unsealed wood. And the owners will need to select a good time when they don't have new renters coming the next day. They will need a few days to research, test, assemble their supplies, sand, and then immediately re-seal the surface, let it cure, clean up.... it will take about a week to properly fix the table. They REALLY might not want to do it during the busiest rental time of the year!!
SO - Take good photos of the damage, showing it from a few angles, and indicating the size and placement of the blotch. Send the owners the photos, explain what happened, and apologize. Tell them you didn't try to remove the polish for fear it would damage, unseal, and thus permanently stain the table. Offer to pay for the fix. They might be mad but they'll also appreciate your forthrightness and apology!
Please don't act like a little kid trying clumsily to hide an mistake. Mistakes happen, just own up to it and LET THEM DECIDE how and when to address it! PLEASE! (I miss having an unblemished table)
posted by nouvelle-personne at 11:51 AM on June 23 [75 favorites]
This is hitting a nerve because I am a person whose pretty white table was JUST RUINED LAST WEEK, by a Sharpie ink bleed through. The person didn't know that Sharpie can be easily removed from that kind of surface with rubbing alcohol. They panicked and tried to hide their mistake by hurriedly using a goddam Magic Eraser, which permanently scuffed the tabletop finish. Now there's a faded area that's not shiny, and it's ugly and not fixable. Plus now those areas are less protected and thus forever more prone to staining. I truly wish the person had just OWNED UP to the mistake and ASKED ME how I wanted to to fix it!!! Accidents happen, I wouldn't have freaked out, and I could have fixed it perfectly in under a minute!
SO.
Please don't try a bunch of remedies on one spot of the table.
Right now the nail polish is inert, it's already dry, any damage it did is done and not getting worse. And the nail polish is on the surface only, so it's not that hard to remove once they figure out the right method. Plus, nail polish is waterproof. So although the table has a surface mark from the polish, the wood itself is still well protected from MORE damage.
When you hastily try to remove the nail polish, you may accidentally scuff, de-shine, or even remove a patch of the varnish, making that area non waterproof - and thus the wood will be vulnerable to being permanently stained by the next renter wiping it, spilling water, wine, food, marker, etc. Or, different chemicals suggested here may dissolve, remove, discolour, or stain the finish. Any of these attempts might cause a deep ugly stain IN the wood that will be SUPER hard to remove and possibly require deep sanding and a huge amount of work to revert.
Even testing your solution on the legs isn't foolproof because often table legs and table tops are NOT MADE of the exact same material. Legs may be solid wood, while tabletops are veneer. Veneer is a thin glued layer that cannot be deeply sanded, and is very vulnerable to water damage, where solid leg wood is stronger, more resistant to liquid, and may have different varnish. The chemicals you try may not necessarily interact the same way on two parts of the same table.
The owners will perhaps need to sand down and refinish the whole table, which isn't ideal. BUT it's a shallow sanding job to simply remove a top layer of nail polish and a thin layer of sealant - much easier than sanding down past an area of liquid-damage that sunk deep into unsealed wood. And the owners will need to select a good time when they don't have new renters coming the next day. They will need a few days to research, test, assemble their supplies, sand, and then immediately re-seal the surface, let it cure, clean up.... it will take about a week to properly fix the table. They REALLY might not want to do it during the busiest rental time of the year!!
SO - Take good photos of the damage, showing it from a few angles, and indicating the size and placement of the blotch. Send the owners the photos, explain what happened, and apologize. Tell them you didn't try to remove the polish for fear it would damage, unseal, and thus permanently stain the table. Offer to pay for the fix. They might be mad but they'll also appreciate your forthrightness and apology!
Please don't act like a little kid trying clumsily to hide an mistake. Mistakes happen, just own up to it and LET THEM DECIDE how and when to address it! PLEASE! (I miss having an unblemished table)
posted by nouvelle-personne at 11:51 AM on June 23 [75 favorites]
Yes what nouvelle says. Just own up, that’s it. ESPECIALLY since you at the end of the trip and frenzied problem solving is rarely good problem solving especially when it comes to solvENTS and items that aren’t yours!
posted by seemoorglass at 12:13 PM on June 23 [7 favorites]
posted by seemoorglass at 12:13 PM on June 23 [7 favorites]
I'd be pretty peeved if someone tested a solvent in a "hidden area" on my table; then my table could end up with two blemishes instead of just one! Don't touch the table. Instead, just own up to the accident and offer to pay for the repair.
posted by SageTrail at 12:35 PM on June 23 [8 favorites]
posted by SageTrail at 12:35 PM on June 23 [8 favorites]
If someone damaged my table, I would STRONGLY prefer they just TELL ME!
I could not agree more. I have confidently refinished and repaired much of the wood furniture in my own home over the years but I would not attempt this repair.
Really, just leave it and tell them and offer to pay for the repair. It's the best option. It's what I would want, if it were my table.
The good news is that solid wood (and even most veneer) is incredibly forgiving and it's likely that there *is* a fix that will leave it as good as new if not better, but the homeowner needs to be the one to decide how to proceed.
posted by mochapickle at 12:52 PM on June 23 [2 favorites]
I could not agree more. I have confidently refinished and repaired much of the wood furniture in my own home over the years but I would not attempt this repair.
Really, just leave it and tell them and offer to pay for the repair. It's the best option. It's what I would want, if it were my table.
The good news is that solid wood (and even most veneer) is incredibly forgiving and it's likely that there *is* a fix that will leave it as good as new if not better, but the homeowner needs to be the one to decide how to proceed.
posted by mochapickle at 12:52 PM on June 23 [2 favorites]
Rather, I would not attempt this repair on someone else's furniture.
posted by mochapickle at 1:06 PM on June 23 [2 favorites]
posted by mochapickle at 1:06 PM on June 23 [2 favorites]
instead of offering to pay, leave $300, an apology and note that the cash is intended as the down payment on repair and you want to know what the balance is. Check with them in 3 months. A little clear glitter polish would not bother me, but if it's an antique, or expensive, repair could be pretty spendy.
posted by theora55 at 2:17 PM on June 23 [4 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 2:17 PM on June 23 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Hmm. I must not have been clear enough in my ask. The home that we are staying in this year belongs to close friends. I am not trying to hide anything. Nor would I in any case.
We emailed our friends this morning to tell them about it and asked them if they would like us to try to do something about it or leave it up to them. And we will of course pay the cost of any refinishing.
It seems like I inadvertently touched a nerve, but some of these responses seemed more preoccupied with scolding than answering the question. Thank you to those who did.
posted by jeszac at 5:16 PM on June 23 [7 favorites]
We emailed our friends this morning to tell them about it and asked them if they would like us to try to do something about it or leave it up to them. And we will of course pay the cost of any refinishing.
It seems like I inadvertently touched a nerve, but some of these responses seemed more preoccupied with scolding than answering the question. Thank you to those who did.
posted by jeszac at 5:16 PM on June 23 [7 favorites]
A quick glance will show that the unambiguous warnings began after an interventionist approach ("try an inconspicuous part and see if it works") was marked as best answer. It was like seeing someone turn onto a one-way street going the wrong way.
Fact is, finish is not applied to inconspicuous parts of fine furniture, so really there's no good area to test.
posted by dum spiro spero at 9:04 PM on June 23 [11 favorites]
Fact is, finish is not applied to inconspicuous parts of fine furniture, so really there's no good area to test.
posted by dum spiro spero at 9:04 PM on June 23 [11 favorites]
Response by poster: For those in a similar position, Goo Be Gone on a q-tip worked perfectly with no damage to the finish- although this is possibly because the spill was relatively fresh. (The attempt was with our friends' blessing.)
And (because my usually very pro-meta-filter feelings are apparently fairly rattled by this exchange) I marked the favorite answer out of appreciation for the potentially helpful response and then left for work. I came home to several responses assuming that I was the furniture equivalent of a teen trying to water down their parents booze e.g "Please don't act like a little kid trying clumsily to hide an mistake." On an already very stressful day, it was pretty unpleasant.
posted by jeszac at 6:39 AM on June 24 [11 favorites]
And (because my usually very pro-meta-filter feelings are apparently fairly rattled by this exchange) I marked the favorite answer out of appreciation for the potentially helpful response and then left for work. I came home to several responses assuming that I was the furniture equivalent of a teen trying to water down their parents booze e.g "Please don't act like a little kid trying clumsily to hide an mistake." On an already very stressful day, it was pretty unpleasant.
posted by jeszac at 6:39 AM on June 24 [11 favorites]
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posted by restless_nomad at 9:39 AM on June 23 [5 favorites]