Remove Nail Polish from Wood Surface

Last night I decided to paint my nails Wishful Pinking — a really bright, Barbie pink — and clumsy me, I dripped two big splats on my favorite maple wood writing desk. I searched far and wide for this desk and had to drive an hour outside of town to pick it up last year. So I went online to find a homemade solution to remove the bright pink stain and save my favorite writing desk.

First of all, whatever you do, DO NOT USE NAIL POLISH REMOVER! The alcohol in nail polish removers will dry, discolor, and ruin the wood furnishing. You will have an even worse unbearable stain than what you started with!

Also, DON’T USE A RAZOR BLADE and attempt to scrape off the polish because you can take off the original staining of the wood. You will end up with scratches and a blotchy desk!

To fight the battle, you need to understand the enemy.

Nail polish is a type of lacquer, which is polymer dissolved in a solvent base. As the solvent evaporates, it leaves an extremely hard coating and what you have left is matte or glossy nail polish. So the process of removing lacquer involves re-introducing a solvent which the lacquer polymer will re-dissolve in so that it can then be wiped up.

After about an hour of research on the internet and a few trial and errors, I found a solution that will safely remove the nail polish without damaging the wood furniture. You will need hairspray, dish washing soap, and wood oil polish.

1. Spray a small amount of hairspray directly over the nail polish and wait 15 seconds before wiping it up with a warm moist towel. I tried with two different types of hairsprays — Herbal Essences’ Body Envy left a clear coat over the stain whereas TRESemmé’s Tres Two Extra Hold left a white blotchy residue. But don’t worry, the hairspray only acts as the solvent that dissolves the nail polish.
2. Mix dish washing soap in hot water and swish to make a great volume of suds. Dip a sponge in only the foam and apply on the area of hairspray. Let it sit for a few seconds before scrubbing the area with the soft side of the sponge. Wipe the area with a towel and repeat this step until the hairspray is completely removed from the wood.
3. Rinse the area with a clean cloth when you see that the hairspray is completely gone.
4. Use a new sponge to scrub the area with wood oil. This will polish the wood, leaving a clean and sparkly finish.

My writing desk looks nearly new and you couldn’t tell it had bright pink splotches on it the day before! I was really scared that I would have had to live with a lifetime of guilt but this solution worked like a charm. I’m more in love with my desk now because no wooden table top is worth a whit without some character flaws and stories to go with them!