Repairing an Acetone Spill on Wood

Sand the acetone spot to prepare for staining it.

No matter how careful family members are, spills can occur on wood furniture, causing blemishes and spots that tarnish the finish. Acetone, a chemical used to strip layers of color or texture from surfaces, is found in products such as nail polish remover, paint thinner and Super Glue remover. Dropping acetone on wood can cause imperfections that appear as bubbling or discoloration that compromise the look and texture of the furniture. Based on your experience and the amount of damage, you can likely fix the damage yourself. If the acetone stain persists, you may need to sand down the entire piece of furniture and restain it.

Things You'll Need

• Soft towel
• 80- to 120-grit sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• Wood stain pen or wood stain
• Paintbrush (optional)

Instructions

1. Pat excess acetone off the wood surface, using a soft towel to prevent it from spreading and soaking into the wood.

2. Call the manufacturer of the furniture. Tell the customer service or repair representative that nail acetone spilled on your wood furniture. Ask for recommendations on how to treat the blemishes caused by the spill and what color stain to use. Ask if the manufacturer can provide you with the same stain.

3. Sand the acetone spot with sandpaper to smooth the surface of bubbling and remove the discolored wood. Wipe the sand dust off the wood surface, using the tack cloth.

4. Stain a small imperfection with a stain pen and a large imperfection with a brush and stain. Allow the stain to dry for at least an hour. If the wood surface appears to look mismatched, consider covering the imperfections with décor or sanding and refinishing the entire piece of furniture.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase stain pens from a home improvement center or paint store.

References

• Black Timber Furniture: How to Remove the Damage of Fingernail Polish Remover From Furniture