How to Open Stuck Nail Polish

Last Updated: November 9, 2020 References Approved

If it's time to paint your nails-but your favorite bottle of polish just won't budge no matter what you do! Have no fear. Before you get out the chainsaw or give up and toss it, learn just a few simple ways to open stuck polish bottles. It's surprisingly easy to deal even with the most stubbornly tight bottles if you have the right know-how.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Dealing With Stuck Lids

1
Use a quick hot water rinse. This is a good first step when dealing with a stuck bottle of polish. It may not open all bottles, but it's quick and easy, so you can move on to something else if it doesn't work. To do this:^{[1]
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- Run hot water from the tap — ideally, as hot as it will go.
- Hold the lid of the stuck bottle under the water for 30 seconds, turning it slowly. Try not to let much of the water touch the bottle itself.
- Dry the lid with a towel and try to twist it off. The heat from the water will expand the lid and soften dried nail polish, making it slightly easier to remove.
2
Use a longer hot water soak. If a little hot water doesn't work, try using more time. Fill a cup with hot water, put it somewhere it's not likely to spill, and grab a timer. Follow these steps:
- Position the bottle upside down so that the lid (but not the rest of the bottle) is submerged in the water. If you need to, you can balance the bottle between two popsicle sticks laid across the top of the glass.
- Let the bottle soak for five minutes.
- Remove the bottle, dry with a towel, and try to twist the lid off.
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3
Use rubber bands for additional grip. Sometimes, the problem isn't that you're not twisting hard enough, but that you can't get a good grip on the lid. One way to fix this is to wrap a rubber band or two around the lid. Get the bands as tight as possible — you can put a twist in them each time you wrap them around to get them extra tight. The gummy rubber texture of the bands should make it easier to get traction between your hands and the lid.^{[2]
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4
Use nail polish remover to loosen dried polish.^{[3]
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Research source} If there is dry, caked-on polish at the base of the lid, you can use polish remover to dissolve it and loosen the lid. To do this:
- Dip a Q-tip in nail polish remover (or, if you have it, pure acetone).
- Turn the stuck bottle upside down. Use the Q-tip to apply polish remover in the gap between the cap and the bottle.
- Give the polish remover a minute or two to dissolve the polish, then try removing the lid. Repeat as needed.
5
For extra-stuck bottles, use tools. If you're still having a hard time getting the lid off, you may need to use tools to help get a firm enough grip. Use caution here — heavy-duty metal tools can easily break the bottle and cause a spill if you use too much force. There are many possibilities — just a few ideas are below:
- Use a nutcracker to grip the lid and twist.
- Squeeze the lid in the jaws of an adjustable wrench, then use the wrench as a lever as you turn the lid.
- Hold the bottle upside down and grab the lid in a vice. Turn the bottle itself, but be sure to remove it as soon as you feel the resistance give way to prevent a spill.
6
Use polish remover to prevent sticking in the future. Once you do get the lid off, this trick can keep you from having problems in the future. See below:^{[4]
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- Set the open bottle in front of you.
- Wet a tissue with a small amount of polish remover. Gently wipe the outside of the bottle neck with the tissue. Take care not to get any polish remover in the bottle.
- Wipe with a dry part of the tissue to remove the dissolved polish. Repeat until the threads on the bottle neck are completely clean.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

What to Avoid

1
Don't bang the lid on a table. This is a common tactic for stuck lids on glass jars with wide metal lids (like pickle jars, etc.), but it's a bad idea here. Nail polish bottles usually have lids made of plastic, so they won't deform the same way metal will if you bang them on a hard surface. If you do bang them hard enough to change the shape of the lid, you stand a good chance of breaking it, which will cause a spill.
2
Don't force the lid open. A bottle of polish that seems like it's impossible to open can be seriously aggravating, but losing your patience is a bad idea. Ripping or tearing the lid off with pliers, for instance, is a recipe for disaster — you'll likely break the lid and cause a spill. Trying to pry the lid off with a screwdriver or cut it off with sharp implements will usually lead to the same result. As a general rule, trying to get the lid off in any way other than twisting it the way it was meant to be twisted is a risky bet.
3
Don't leave bottles open. Once you get the lid off, you may be tempted to leave it off (or leave it slightly unscrewed) so that it won't get stuck in the future. This is a bad idea. The lid is crucial for keeping the polish from coming in contact with air. If you let air into the bottle, the polish can dry up, making the polish useless. Instead, to prevent sticking, clean the bottle neck with polish remover and close it moderately tightly.

Community Q&A

Question

How hot should the water be to soak the bottle?

Community Answer

The water doesn't have to be too hot. Just turn your tap to the warmest temperature it will go to, and use that. You do not need to boil the water or anything.
Question

What if the cap comes off but the nail polish is sealed?

Community Answer

That happens to me often. I screw the cap back on really tight, and try to open it again. It always works.
Question

My nail polish is still stuck. What now?

Community Answer

Put it in hot water and leave for 15 minutes. Dry it, then use a sweatshirt to twist the cap open. If that doesn't work, use a sharp knife to scrape the dried nail polish from underneath the cap. Then it should work.