How can you repair a mark caused by nail polish remover acetone on a polished wood surface?

Answer 1

You will need:

600 Grain Sandpaper

Lemon Oil or Water

No. 0000 Steel Wool

Paste Wax

Micro Fiber Cloth

This process is super easy and super inexpensive!

Use 600 grain wet/dry sandpaper. Soak the sandpaper with either lemon oil or water and LIGHTLY sand the area (If the acetone stain is on a large continuous area like a tabletop you'll want to lightly sand the entire area as to avoid the repaired spot sticking out like a sore thumb.) I know sandpaper sounds scary, but 600 grain is so fine it's more like buffing than anything, just don't press hard! LIGHT continuous pressure! Sanding the area evens the wood finish back out and gets rid of the "ridges" or "dull" spots that acetone most commonly causes.

Ok, you've made the surface even... now it's time to restore the luster you began with.

Dip the steel wool into the paste wax and buff the surface using medium pressure. The wax will be shiny at first because of the amount of solvent in it, but as it dries it becomes hazy. This is the turning point you need to watch for. Right as it becomes hazy (half way between wet and dry), you need to buff it with a micro fiber or LINT FREE cloth to bring up the shine.

If you have a table with slats do one slat at a time.

If you have a table with a solid surface do it in CIRCULAR sections (like you're waxing a car). Don't worry about overlap. The solvent in the fresh wax will re-soften the hard wax again, so the circular sections will be seamless.

Keep up your beautiful new surface with a DIY wood polish:

1 cup olive oil

1 cup white vinegar

Spray or pour the homemade solution on a soft cloth (never spray directly on the furniture) and work it in, wiping with the grain. Right away you will see the luster return to the wood. Make sure you buff in a circular motion using firm pressure.

Answer 2

The active ingredient in nail polish is Acetone. Acetone is a solvent that disolves most wood finishes so technically, you don't have a stain, you have damaged finish. The acetone may have been "contaminated" with nail polish or something with color in it and the colored substance may have penetrated the finish on your furniture while the finish was disolved, causing a color change. The finish must be removed where it is discolored or damaged and touched-up. If that doesn't work you may need to re-finish the whole piece.

Answer 3

Windex, I'm not kidding i dropped a box of nail polish on my head and it got over the carpet and my chairs i tired nail polish remover and then hot water and soap gave up then look up how to get it off carpets and it came off so i tired it on my chairs and it worked. took time and hard work but it worked

Answer 4

If the finish of the table has become cloudy from the acetone devolving it, then you should try to buff it smooth again using a wood finish buffing compound, a rag, and some some elbow grease.

Answer 5

Nail polish remover is a chemical compound made of an industrial solvent (usually acetone) and buffering agents to protect your skin (aloe vera, etc.). Because it contains a solvent that easily evaporates, there is usually no problem with removing it from a bare wood surface. It will just evaporate.

The problem is that most household wood surfaces are painted, stained, shellacked, varnished, etc. Nail polish remover is specifically designed as a paint remover; that's why it removes nail polish! If you have spilled nail polish remover on a painted wood surface, it will immediately begin to remove the paint, stain, shellac, or varnish. That's what it is designed to do. If you are trying to limit the damage caused, which is your only option, DON'T DO ANYTHING! Do not try to blot, soak up, wipe, blow-dry, or in any manner touch or disturb the puddle of nail polish remover. Doing these things just makes the situation worse. Let the nail polish remover dry naturally. By doing this, you do not remove any of the stain or color that is on the wood. There may be bubbles or "crazing" of the finish. There is very little you can do about this.

However, you can partially repair the finish. Buy a sheet of "between coats" sandpaper from an auto supply retailer or perhaps even Home Depot, Lowe's, ACE Hardware, etc. These sandpapers have a Grit rating of 600 or higher. Higher is better. Make sure the nail polish remover has completely dried and the finish has re-hardened. Gently wipe the uneven finish to smooth out the bubbles or wrinkles. DO NOT SCRUB; wipe in a single direction, going with the natural lines in the grain of the wood. Stop after each wipe with the sandpaper and clean the surface with a towel or paper towel. Look at the condition of the surface. If it has gotten better, wipe again. If it is getting worse, stop wiping and go to the next step.

If the paint or varnish did not dry to the correct color and no longer matches the look of the surrounding finish, you have two options: live with it, or refinish the whole surface. If the paint or varnish is close enough in color to the surrounding finish, the last step is to restore the correct "sheen". If the sheen is already pretty close, you are done. If it is too glossy or shiny, you can remove some of the gloss by using a mild abrasive like Bon Ami and a Teflon scrubby pad or Scotch-Brite. Once again, wipe in the direction of the grain of the wood, clean it with a towel, look at the result, then repeat if necessary. If the sheen is too dull, use a furniture polish or wax on the surface. Once again, wipe in the direction of the grain of the wood, buff in that same direction, look at the result, then repeat if necessary.

This is about the best that you can do in a situation like this. Last thing I will say is this: Nail polish remover cannot penetrate aluminum or glass. Whenever you are using nail polish remover, make sure to set the bottle on a small cookie sheet (type with a turned up edge) or into a shallow glass dish that has a paper towel inside it. Make sure the sheet or dish is wider in all directions than the bottle of nail polish remover is high. Then you won't have to worry about this anymore.

Answer 6

Sand it and repolish it. The acetone dissolved the polish.

Answer 7

Sorry, but you're going to have to strip your table and revarnish it. Go to your hardware store and ask them for advice as to how to do this effectively.