Funky top coats are this seasons ‘must have’ in terms of nails, as you can see from the recent Candy Crow reviews of caviar nails and Colorbar’s Glitterati Top Coat, two of this year’s most talked-about products. Both add a definite ‘wow’ factor to any outfit, are easy to use, and last for days. But there is one downside: removing any stains from your clothes. While there are plenty of websites offering stain removal and laundry tips online, most will concentrate on removing regular nail polish from clothes. Glittery and textured top coats can be a little trickier to remove from clothing, but it’s not impossible. If you’re looking for some handy hints for doing your laundry and removing these troublesome stains, then you’ve come to the right place!
Easy Way to Remove the Stains
If you accidentally rubbed the sleeve of your sweater across your nails before they were completely dry, don’t panic! There are a few great tips and tricks that will make removing glittery and textured top coats quick, easy, and stress-free:
●First, dab the stain with a nail polish remover, but don’t use cotton wool. Cotton wool may well be the ‘go to’ product for your nails, but it tends to absorb too much of the solution for this method, and can leave white fibres on your clothing. Instead, the best thing to use is either a pair of old stockings or some white craft felt. These items won’t absorb as much of the remover, so more of it can be applied to the clothing. They also have mildly abrasive properties, which helps gently loosen any glitter or caviar particles.
●Next, apply a good quality stain remover suitable for the fabric to the affected areas of your clothing, and allow it to soak in for roughly 10 minutes – alter the timing according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Again, this will help soften anything that’s stubbornly attached itself to the fibres of your clothing.
●After the soaking period, take a soft bristled brush (an old toothbrush works well) and very gently start to massage the stain remover deep into the material in a circular motion. This should loosen any glitter that’s still embedded in the fibres. If you’re working with a delicate fabric, take extra care during this stage, and use just your hands if necessary.
●Now for the easy part – simply pop your clothing into the washing machine with your favourite laundry detergent, preferably one with built in stain removal properties if you’re still seeing a small amount of discolouration in the area. Wash as normal, and if the stain has gone, allow your garment to dry naturally – if not, repeat the steps above. You should find that all traces of the stain have been removed. How easy was that?
If you do spill a little bit of top coat on your clothing, it’s very important that you remove it quickly. Nitrocellulose is an allergen, and is thought to contribute to skin conditions such as eczema, so you don’t want that stuff being rubbed all over your skin! Fortunately, as you can see, it’s really not that difficult to tackle these textured top coat stains. With just a few ingredients and a little bit of know-how, you’ll never sweat over a nail varnish stain again!
Guest Post By Surf Excel
