The Genius Dryer Sheet Hack For Cleaning Up Nail Polish Stains

Anyone who has ever painted their nails before knows how easy it is to knock the small bottle over. They've also experienced how quickly the panic can set in as thick nail lacquer spills all over the carpet, counter, or table. Even if you mop up the majority of the polish before it sets, getting rid of the dried on remainders can be quite the hassle. Acetone is the tried and true nail polish remover, so if you ever paint your nails, you probably have some around the house. If you don't, rubbing alcohol also works as a polish remover in a pinch, though it shouldn't be used on some common things, and there are non-acetone removers available as well. However, rather than using a cloth or a paper towel to apply the nail polish remover to the stain, some recommend using a dryer sheet for the job.

Wet nail polish on clothing, carpeting, or other upholstery requires dabbing the spot instead of rubbing to avoid spreading the stain into a larger area. For a polish spilled on a solid surface or a spill that has dried on any material, scrubbing it off is what's best. However, some surfaces are too delicate to scour effectively with rough pads, as you don't want to risk scratching your counters or tabletops. That's why a dryer sheet is such an effective solution.

Dryer sheets aren't just for laundry. They have a mildly abrasive surface, just tough enough to scrub away dried nail polish stains but not so tough that it will damage your furniture. To use the dryer sheet on these difficult stains, soak a section of it in your nail polish remover, then scrub the remover onto the spot until it lifts away completely. This is especially helpful for textured or glittery nail polishes, as they may need more scrubbing power to be fully removed.

This will work for recent nail polish stains as well as those that have been sitting for a while. So if you have a small child who decided to paint their nails the last time they were in the bathroom and you didn't find it until the next morning, you can still scrub the stain away without a problem. This hack is also a great way to reuse dryer sheets that have already gone through a dry cycle. Simply collect them and save them to clean up any future nail polish spills.