Hi CasaSugar,

Last night I spilled clear nail polish on my boyfriend's Room & Board end table. I’m not exactly sure what it was, but I think it might have been solid maple, cherry, or walnut with a lacquer finish on it. Needless to say, he was not happy. Is there anything I can do about it? Or am I just going to have to live with a lifetime of guilt?

Thanks,
Susannah

To see my advice, read more.

Hi Susannah,

Oh no! I can relate! No need to live with a lifetime of guilt quite yet. My first question is whether or not you allowed the polish to dry as is, or if you smudged it with a cloth while it was still wet. If you let it dry as is, great! This is easier to deal with. Once the polish is dry, use a razor blade to carefully chip at the spot. Once it is chipped off, gently rub at the area with steel wool and furniture polish, to blend in the spot. However, if you scrubbed or wiped at the nail polish while it was still wet, you may have to have it professionally refinished. If you get an estimate, make sure to see if the table can be refinished only on the spot damaged by the polish, which will be much cheaper than having the whole table refinished.

I found some interesting home cures for this ailment online. I haven't tried any of them yet, so I can't guarantee they'll work, but here are a couple ideas:

• One homespun method is to mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil and rub this mixture on the nail polish. Use a cloth dipped in warm water to rub the mixture into the stain and repeat as necessary.
• Scrub the spot with mineral spirits, and then spray hair spray on the spot, let it sit for a few seconds, and gently wipe it off with a wet cloth.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

Casa