8 Smart Ways to Use Nail Polish Remover to Tackle Household Chores (2025)

Your bottle of nail polish remover may be a staple in your manicure and pedicure kit, but its abilities go beyond rubbing off chipped lacquer. The potent acetone-filled formula is a great cleaning tool, and there are several things around the house you can clean with nail polish remover.

This expert-backed list will make you knowledgeable on all the ways this solvent goes beyond your nail beds, and some of the things you should never use it on, too.

Meet the Experts

• Petya Holevich is a house cleaning expert and supervisor at Fantastic Service.

• Gerrit Jan Reinders is a cleaning and decluttering expert and founder of storage company BOXIE24.

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Ink Stains

If you get ink from pens onto tile, ceramic, or laminate, it's time to break out the nail polish remover.

"Acetone dissolves ink’s oil-based formula, making it lift off surfaces," says cleaning expert Petya Holevich. "To use it, аpply a small amount on a paper towel or cotton swab, lightly rub the stain in a circular motion and rinse the area with water and dry it."

Permanent Marker

If you're fear-stricken thanks to an accidental permanent marker stain, don't sweat. In some cases, they aren't as everlasting as their name touts.

"Like with ink, the solvent in nail polish remover breaks down the pigments and binding agents in the marker," says Holevich.

Just saturate a cotton ball or pad with the formula and wipe down the surface that has said stains. Once the stain comes off, follow up with a quick rinse of soap and water.

Sticker Residue and Glue

Nothing is quite as annoying as a price tag or sticker that leaves a gunky residue on your home goods. Luckily, acetone is a great way to remove stickers and any traces they leave behind.

"Nail polish remover works for the removal of sticker residue and label glue because the acetone in it is a strong solvent that breaks down sticky adhesives," says Holevich.

Just soak a cotton ball or pad in nail polish remover and rub it over the sticker; it should come right off. This is best for glass and metal objects rather than plastic or wood.

Metal Hardware

Before you replace hardware that's seen better days, try this cleaning hack first. By using a cloth to gently work acetone onto the knobs, pulls, or handles, you can quickly clean up hardware.

"Acetone will remove years of grease and grime from metal hardware such as doorknobs or cabinet pulls," says cleaning expert Gerrit Jan Reinders. "The acetone penetrates the residue build-up that soap and water can't access."

Paintbrushes

Acetone is an ingredient often found in paint thinners, so it's no surprise that it can serve as a helpful way of removing leftover paint from paintbrushes. This method is particularly great if you forgot to rinse your brushes out or the paint has had some time to crust over.

Fill a cup or bowl with acetone, then leave your brushes for 10 minutes. Once they've soaked, rinse them under warm water and gently slough off the paint.

Scuffs on White Sneakers

As popular as white sneakers are, they're tricky to keep clean, especially when dealing with random scuff marks. One smart way to clean white sneakers? You guessed it—nail polish remover.

"Acetone softens the rubber and lifts grime and marks from the sneakers," explains Holevich. "To use it, dab a bit of it on a cloth, rub the scuffed area gently and wipe it off with a clean, damp rag."

Stick to the Soles

Acetone is a great cleaning solution for getting scuff marks off of rubber, but not much else on a shoe. "Stick to the rubber parts only because acetone can ruin fabric, suede or synthetic upper parts," Holevich says.

Dried Paint Drips

Don't fret over dried-up dribbles of paint. With a little nail polish remover and elbow grease, these specks will come right off.

"Acetone breaks down acrylic and oil-based paint compounds," says Holevich. "To use it, apply it to a cloth and gently rub it on the dried paint. Use a plastic scraper to lift it if it’s needed, and rinse the area afterwards."

Only use this method on surfaces like glass, metal, tile or ceramic. Nail polish can ruin wooden surfaces and walls and strip more than just paint.

Tea Stains on China

Tea stains are a pretty unsightly look, especially on white mugs or china. But not all hope is lost in restoring your favorite drinking vessel back to its cleanest state.

"The solvent breaks down the tea tannins that leave those unsightly stains," says Reinders. "Dip a cotton ball in nail polish remover and lightly dab over stained spots. [Wash] well afterwards so as not to leave any remaining acetone behind."

6 Things You Should Never Clean With Nail Polish Remover

While nail polish remover is a handy cleaning solution, there are a few items you should never apply it to. In general, Holevich recommends spot-testing before you clean anything with acetone. For now, here is the list of items to completely avoid and why:

• LCD screens and coated surfaces: "Avoid using nail polish remover on LCD screens or coated surfaces because acetone can strip protective layers," says Holevich.

• Wooden surfaces: Acetone can damage and remove the varnish that's on most finished wood surfaces. Avoid using any kind of nail polish remover on or around wooden objects—it can leave rings, marks, and discoloration.

• Fabrics and clothing: Like with many other items on this list, nail polish remover can ruin the color of clothes and weaken the integrity of the fabric.

• Plastics and bathtub rings: Depending on what the ring is made out of, this can dissolve the material and damage your tub if it's made out of acrylic. The same goes for many types of plastic—acetone will start to melt, dissolve, or blur the material.

• Furniture: Acetone can stain and weaken different surfaces, whether your furniture is made out of wood, fabric, or plastic.

• Painted surfaces: Acetone can strip the paint off coated surfaces (just like it does your nails or paintbrushes)—there's a reason it's found in paint thinners, after all.

Read the original article on The Spruce