Nail Polish Remover....

smitty5150

smitty5150

RMS Customs LLC
Has been unintentionally added to my arsenal. I was doing a PT Cruiser last weekend and came upon some paint on the leather. I couldn't find my rubbing alcohol anywhere. Ran into the house and, thanks to the wife, had some polish remover in the bathroom. Grabbed it, did a small test...it worked, and cleaned the rest of the paint off of the leather. I ended up just putting it on the shelf in the garage. This past weekend...Honda Element. Paint on the door panel. I was a little more weary of its performance on plastic, so I took a damp rag and applied some of the remover to the rag. Rubbed the panel and the paint came right off. Immediately followed it up with APC just to be safe. Found some tree sap on the roof. Ok, let's try it there. Sure enough, right off. Pleasant grape scent, as well. I know this is a simple thing, and something that many of you have already known about for years. Just thought I would share what I consider to be a cool trick I have learned since starting to detail "professionally".
 
Be very, very careful about Nail Polish Remover.... it's basically just Acetone, which can cause some pretty serious damage in a big hurry. Sometimes you won't even know you caused the damage until later on after the fact (like on clear coat paint).

I'd stick with weaker and safer solvents that are specifically safe on the surfaces you're working with.
 
Always test an inconspicuous spot on interiors! As The Hannster mentioned it is acetone and can quickly remove the finish from leather and even "bleach" vinyls.
 
I have no problem using acetone on many surfaces to clean and prep. I've never had a problem with clear coats, and the only thing you want to watch is plastics of any sort. Great for gelcoat cleaning.But for metals and paint, it's a go to for me...Watch it on your hands, not good for your liver.
 
Good things to know. Most of you probably know better than I do when it comes to this stuff. I am always very cautious with aggressive solvents. At the very least, I saved myself a trip to the store in the middle of a job.
 
Some nail polish removers don't contain Acetone. Read the label on the bottle first to see if it does or not. I learned this when trying to remove super glue off the kitchen counter. The stuff my wife had wouldn't touch it because it contained no Acetone.
 
All the Nail Shops my wife frequents reek of Acetone ! It works fast and you can buy it at Home Depot. :) :) :)
Needless to say, I have never been a fan of anything that strong.. Glad I dont work in the Aircraft Industry..
Dan F
 
smitty5150 said:
It smells so nice....of grapes and such.
Click to expand...

lol. I actually like the smell of Acetone but I tend to like chemical smells.

One day, Mike Phillips and I (he is another guy who LOVES chemical smells) were using the Finish Kare 3 Step Decon system in the AG Show Car Garage. The stuff has what others would describe as a strong chemical smell; for us it was just pleasant. Everybody that walked in the garage would enter, make a disgusting face, about-face, and leave.

Finally, after shrugging our shoulders at the 23rd comment, we opened the door and sadly pulled the car outside.
 
Ill have to snap a shot in the garage tomorrow. It is acetone based, but contains minerals and moisturizers. I don't know if that's normal....I don't wear nail polish.
 
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