How to Clean Nail Polish Off Suede

JoAnne said, “I have a red nail polish spot on my taupe color suede material couch. What do I use to get this out? Thank you. Appreciate any help with this.”

Table of Contents:

Removing the Nail Polish
Additional Tips and Advice
Sources

Real suede is not like fabric, and should not be treated the same as fabric. Suede has its own set of care instructions to keep it looking great. Use the steps below to remove a nail polish spill from your suede.

Removing the Nail Polish

You Will Need:

A cloth
An emery board
Sandpaper
Dry oats
Baking soda
Suede cleaner
Nail polish remover
Rubbing alcohol
A suede brush
A dry towel

Steps to Remove the Nail Polish:

If the nail polish is still wet, blot it up gently with a soft cloth. Try not to push the polish deeper into the suede or allow it to spread.¹
When you have removed as much as possible with a cloth, sprinkle a generous amount of dry oats or baking soda over the area. Rub the dry powder into the stain gently with a dry cloth. The dry powder will help to absorb more of the remaining polish. Let the dry material sit on the spot for about 15 minutes, then vacuum it up.²
If you don’t have a dry powder, just let the spot dry once you have removed as much of the polish as you can by blotting with the cloth.¹
Use an emery board or sandpaper to sand off the dried polish. Be gentle so as to only remove the polish and preserve as much of the suede as possible.
If the emery board alone is not enough to fully remove the stain, try using suede cleaner.
If suede cleaner does not remove the stain, you may need to use a wet solution. Nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol are the best solutions for removing nail polish. Test them first on a small, hidden area of the suede to look for any adverse reaction. Allow the test spots to dry completely. If safe, soak a cotton swab with your selected cleaner, then blot the cotton swab on a cloth to remove the excess liquid. Gently rub the cotton swab on the area until the polish is removed.
If using a wet cleaner, blot the area dry with a cloth when the stain is removed.
Gently brush the area with a suede brush or dry towel to rub up the nap.

Additional Tips and Advice

Having a suede item professionally dry cleaned is always the best option for removing stains. If the item is small, such as a shoe or jacket, consider taking it to a dry cleaner first.