How do you remove nail polish off of a wood table?

I spilled a little nail polish on our wood kitchen table, it is finished. How do I get it off? I've have read to sand it lightly and to use steel wool. Do those work? Thank you!How do you remove nail polish off of a wood table?
Only if you know what you are doing. Nail polish doesn't just sit on top of the table finish. It actually melts the finish below and then hardens in that area. Before you ruin the table...get in your phone book and call some of the local furniture re-finishers. Have them come out and get you an estimate on the repair...DO NOT let them talk you into refinishing the whole table. They can do what is called a 'burn in' and make that table look like it has never been damaged.....I know... I did that for years. Cost you less than $50.How do you remove nail polish off of a wood table?
Just squirt on some hand sanitizer... wipe... voila.

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The procedure to remove the nail polish depends upon whether or not you allowed the spot to dry without smearing it, or if you did attempt to remove the spill, by wiping it, thereby leaving a thin film of color.


Most nail polish products are fast drying pigmented lacquer like paint. If allowed to dry, as a ';drop'; (which is actually the best way to deal with the problem), then once dry, take a thin blade knife like an ';Xacto'; hobby knife, and gently chip the spot off the top of the table's finish. Once chipped off, then, take your 0000 steel wool, and gently rub the spot using furniture polish as a lubricant, to help blend the spot. If you've attempted to ';wipe'; the nail polish while it was wet, and it left a tinted hue of the color of the polish on top of the table finish, most likely, it will not come up easily. It may require having the table's original finish stripped, and then application of a new finish, to correct the problem.