How To Remove Nail Polish Without Nail Polish Remover

There is nothing more annoying than being ready for a new manicure and discovering that you left your bottle of remover open and everything evaporated. Luckily, there are many homemade methods to remove nail polish without nail polish remover, and while nothing works as well or quickly as the original, they can save your manicure in a pinch. Most of those methods are slower but gentler on nails than acetone. As a bonus, some of this methods can also be used to remove nail polish from clothes or other surfaces when accidents happen.

Before we start, a word of warning: you won’t be able to remove gel nails at home using those methods. You’ll need acetone for that! The following methods for how to remove nail polish without nail polish remover work best for regular nail polish manicures. Also, stock up beforehand on the best nail oils as your nails will need a bit of love afterwards and may be dehydrated.

How To Remove Nail Polish Without Nail Polish Remover Using Toothpaste

Toothpaste, specially whitening toothpaste, is abrasive and can be used to scrub away nail polish from your nails without using nail varnish remover. This method is a bit time consuming but very practical because toothpaste is very easily accessible. To remove nail polish without nail polish using toothpaste, follow these steps:

Tools You’ll Need

• A bowl of hot, soapy water
• Toothpaste
• A cotton ball or pad
• Cuticle oil

1. Soak your fingertips in the water for about 10-15 minutes to soften up the polish
2. Rub a small amount of toothpaste in circular motions over each nail for about 30 seconds. Some polishes will take more time, some will take less.
3. Repeat if there is any remains of nail polish
4. Finish with a cuticle oil to re-hydrate your nails, as the toothpaste can be drying!

Remove Nail Polish Using Spray Deodorant

Deodorant sprays often have solvents that can be using to remove nail polish without nail polish remover in a pinch. Not all brands of deodorants do, though. It is likely that the cheapest, non-natural deodorant you can find will work best. Avoid deodorants without alcohol or for sensible skins if you want to try this nail polish removal method.

Tools You’ll Need

• A bottle of deodorant
• Paper towels
• Hand cream and cuticle oil

Start by opening the windows, only do this in a well ventilated room.

1. Apply deodorant to the nail from very close up so the nail gets soaked.
2. Use the paper towel to clean the nail polish, dragging from the base of the nail to the tip.
3. Repeat until the nail is clean.
4. Wash your hands and finish with a hand cream and cuticle oil as alcohol can be drying!

How To Remove Nail Polish Without Using Nail Polish Remover: Using Perfume or Body Spray

Many perfumes and body sprays, particularly cheap ones, are big on solvents and alcohol and can be using to remove nail polish without nail polish remover. If you have some samples or old products you don’t like, give this method a try!

What You’ll Need

• Body spray or eau de toilette. Avoid anything for sensitive skins or more expensive perfume, you want something with less smell and more solvents.
• Cotton balls

Start with opening the windows, do not do this on a small bathroom or closed up space. It’s going to stink and the solvents aren’t good for you.

1. Take the cotton ball and soak it on the perfume or spray body spray on it until it’s fully soaked in the liquid.
2. Quickly remove the nail polish as if you were using regular nail polish remover.

You may need to do this several times as the solvents in perfume and body sprays aren’t as strong as nail polish removers.

Remove Nail Polish Using Hairspray

You can also use hairspray to remove nail polish, in a similar manner to body spray and perfume. This is because hairspray often has alcohol and other solvents so it evaporates quickly from the hair.

What You’ll Need

• Hairspray. Preferably one that isn’t marketed as hydrating or for damaged hair
• A bowl of hot, soapy water
• Cotton pads

1. Soak your nails on the bowl for about 15 minutes
2. Spray the hairspray on the cotton pad and soak it well
3. Hold the cotton over the nail for 30 seconds
4. Rub the pad on the nail in circular movements until the nail polish is gone
5. Alcohol is very drying so finish with cuticle oil and hand cream to take care of your nails

Lemon And Vinegar To Remove Nail Polish Without Acetone

You can use lemon and white vinegar to remove nail polish without using acetone nail polish remover. Why white vinegar? You don’t want to stain your fingertips red by using red wine vinegar. Don’t ask how I know that 🙂 In a pinch, you can also use actual lemon slices to remove the remains of nail polish, by rubbing your nails with it until the polish disappears. But this methods works better as the vinegar makes it more effective.

What You’ll Need

• Lemon Juice
• White vinegar
• Cotton pads
• A bowl of hot, soapy water
• Hand cream and cuticle oil

1. Mix 50/50 lemon juice and white vinegar in a ceramic bowl
2. Soak your hands in the hot, soapy water for about 15 minutes
3. Soak the cotton pad on the lemon and vinegar mix and apply to your nail for 30 seconds
4. Rub the cotton in circular motions until the nail polish is gone
5. Use a good cuticle oil and hand cream to avoid the acid damaging your nails

Use A Cheap Nail Polish Or Top Coat To Remove Old Nail Polish

You can use an old nail polish or top coat to remove old nail polish. Make sure to avoid “quick dry” polishes, as they are designed to dry very quick and what you want to do is using the polish solvents to lift old polish, not just add more layers.

What You Will Need

• A non-“quick dry” nail polish or top coat you don’t like too much (because you’ll use quite a lot)
• Paper towels. Do not use cotton balls because the fibres will mix with the polish and it will all become a big mess.

1. Apply a thick coat of the new polish to the nail
2. Quickly, rub the new polish and the old one with the paper towel to remove as much of the old nail polish as possible
3. Do one finger at a time until the nails are clean
4. Wash your hands and apply a nice coat of cuticle oil

In my experience, this method won’t get rid of ALL the polish, but it works great when combined with the toothpaste method to remove any stray bits of nail polish.

Alcohol or Alcogel (Gel Alcohol)

Most people will have discovered that alcogel (gel alcohol in small bottles used to disinfect your hands in the absence of water) plays havoc with their manicure. Plain alcohol can also be used to remove nail varnish without nail polish remover. This method is very drying, so be prepared with a good cuticle oil to moisturise your nails afterwards.

What You’ll Need

• Alcohol or Alcogel
• A bowl of soapy water
• Cotton balls
• A glass nail file

As usual, please get yourself to a well ventilated space. You don’t want to be breathing alcohol fumes while fixing your nails.

1. Use the nail file to buff the top layer of your nail polish so the shine disappears
2. Soak your hands for 15 minutes on the bowl of soapy water. Dry them well afterwards
3. Soak a cotton ball in alcohol or put alcogel straight on the nail
4. Wait 15 seconds and then rub in circular motions to remove as much of the lacquer as possible
5. Apply more alcohol and rub again if everything didn’t go away.
6. Repeat on the remaining nails.

How To Remove Nail Polish From Clothing

Some of the methods to remove nail polish without nail polish remover also work with nail polish stains in clothes. However, you must be very careful and do a spot test first, as the textile may be damaged by the solvents used. You can use lemon and vinegar, alcohol, body spray/perfume and hairspray to remove nail polish from clothing provided the fibers can deal with it.

First of all do a spot test. Choose an alternative nail polish remover (I would start with lemon, then lemon/vinegar, then alcohol and work my way through the list) and apply it to an area of the piece of clothing that is not visible. If the textile doesn’t change color or looks damaged, then it’s safe to use.

1. Use an ice pack (or put the clothes in the freezer) to freeze the nail polish and harden it. This will make it easier to remove the largest chunks of polish from the cloth without damaging the fibers.
2. With the garment inside out, apply your chosen alternative nail polish remover. Soak the stain starting from the center and gently blot the polish, do not rub. Rubbing may spread the stain and make the matter worse!
3. Repeat the above step as necessary until all the polish is gone
4. Wash the clothing as usual.

As you can see, there are many ways you can learn how to remove nail polish without nail polish remover. However, for darker and more intense polishes, or those designed to last (no chip or pseudo-gel manicures) natural methods to remove nail polish may not be so effective. Consider using an acetone free nail polish remover instead for quicker results.