If you want to color your nails but your favorite nail polish can't be opened, don't despair. Before giving up or even throwing the bottle on the floor until it breaks, learn how to easily open the cap of a dry nail polish bottle. Don't worry, you'll be surprised how easy it is to solve this problem if you know how.
Step
Part 1 of 2: How to Open a Bottle of Dried Nail Polish
Step 1. Rinse with hot water
This is the first way to open a bottle of nail polish that has dried. While it may not always work, it's quick and easy when you don't have much time. To do so:
- Use hot water from the tap - if you can, turn it on as hot as possible.
- Place the bottle cap under a stream of water for 30 seconds and gently twist it. Make sure the bottle is not exposed to water, only the cap.
- Wipe the bottle cap with a towel dry and try to open it. The hot water will loosen the bottle cap and dissolve the nail polish, making it easier to apply.
Step 2. Soak longer in hot water
If a minute isn't enough, try a little longer. Fill a cup with hot water, place it in a safe place so it doesn't spill, and set a timer. Follow the steps:
- Place the bottle upside down so that the cap (not the entire bottle) is submerged in the water. If necessary, you can use two ice cream sticks placed on top of the glass to hold the bottle in balance.
- Let the bottle soak for 5 minutes.
- Take the bottle, wipe it with a towel, and try to open it.
Step 3. Use a rubber band to tighten the grip of the bottle cap
Sometimes, the bottle can't be opened not because you don't have enough strength to turn it, but because the texture of the lid is less tight. Well, the fix is to tie the bottle cap with one or two rubber bands. Tie as tightly as possible - then try turning the bottle cap each time you tie to test the strength of the bond. The elastic rubber texture makes it easier to pull your hand when you open the bottle cap.
Step 4. Use nail polish remover to dissolve the dried nail polish
If there are spots of dry paint on the bottom of the cap so you can't open the bottle, you can dissolve it using nail polish remover and open it as usual. To do so:
- Dip the ear cleaning stick in nail polish remover (or pure acetone).
- Hold the bottle upside down. Use an ear cleaning stick to apply the cleaning fluid to the gap between the cap and the bottle.
- Wait a minute or two for the liquid to dissolve, then try opening the lid. Repeat if necessary.
Step 5. If the bottle remains difficult or cannot be opened, you can use other equipment
However, don't force it to open with a heavy tool like an iron, as this can break the bottle and spill its contents. There are many other ways - here are a few of them:
- Use a fruit breaker to clamp the bottle cap and twist it easily.
- Open the bottle cap with the help of a wrench. If you're lucky, the cap size of your nail polish bottle might fit the wrench you have.
- Hold the bottle upside down and hold the cap tightly. Try turning the bottle and turning it upside down if it opens to prevent spilling.
Step 6. Use nail polish remover to prevent the cap from sticking to the bottle
When you've managed to open the bottle of nail polish, do this so it doesn't happen again. Take a look:
- Have an open bottle of nail polish ready in front of you.
- Wet a piece of paper towel with a small amount of nail polish remover. Gently wipe the neck of the bottle cap with the tissue.
- Wipe off the dissolved paint with the dry part of a paper towel. Repeat until the bottle neck is completely clean.
Part 2 of 2: What to Avoid
Step 1. Do not slam the bottle cap on the table
This is a common way to open metal-based lids such as pickle jars, but it's not the same for nail polish bottles. Nail polish bottle caps are usually made of plastic, so they won't be as durable as glass jars with metal lids. If you slam it too hard, the shape of the cap will change and it could damage the bottle and cause paint to spill.
Step 2. Do not force open the bottle cap
It's annoying to have a hard time opening a nail polish bottle, but don't lose your temper. Splitting the cap with pliers, for example, can be disastrous - you'll damage it and spill the contents of the bottle. Disassembling the bottle cap with a screwdriver or cutting it with a sharp object will also end up being the same. Ways to open the bottle cap without turning it is a mistake in the rules of use, and it actually risks damaging the items you have.
Step 3. Do not leave the bottle open
When you open the cap of a nail polish bottle, you may often think about not closing it again so that it is not difficult to open it again. But it actually makes nail polish no longer usable. The cap acts as a protection from the air so the paint doesn't dry out. So, the best way to avoid having trouble opening a nail polish bottle is to clean the neck of the bottle with some liquid cleaner and seal it tightly.
Tips
- Cover the cap of the nail polish bottle with a dry cloth or towel when opening it if the rubber band alone doesn't work.
- Remember - turn right to close, and left to open. This direction is always correct even if the bottle is inverted, that is, it is opened by grasping the cap and turning the bottle.
