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2007-11-27 - 4:48 p.m.

Bright red fingernail polish on new beige carpet. Could anything inspire panic more?

Sierra was coming down the stairs dragging a box of tiny beads. I ran up the stairs as fast as I could before she could open the box and spill the entire collection of carefully separated beads onto the stairs.
I took the box into Noelle's room and as soon as I stepped through the door I was hit by the smell of fingernail polish. My eyes immediately went to the bright red pools on the tan cut berber carpet. My mind screamed "no freakin way!" I knew there was no way to get red fingernail polish out of carpet.

As I sat there staring at the mess, each second it looked worse as my eyes found new spots. Sierra came in and said "oh, mess!"

I looked at her and for the first time noticed that she was covered in red fingernail polish. She looked like a warrior getting ready for battle. She had a red stripe across her forehead, down her nose, across her lips onto each side of her cheeks like a big red grin. She pointed at the floor and I saw her hand and all her fingers were blood red. If I hadn't of known what it was I would have though she had hurt herself.

I didn't know what to do first. I looked everywhere for fingernail polish remover and couldn't find any....none...zip...nada. I tried cleaning her off with soap and water, that didn't work, neither did rubbing alcohol, hair spray and eye makeup remover. We were both in tears when I finally sent a text to Ash asking her where in the freakin heck is the remover??? In her room of course. That worked and once she was clean and happy watching Mickey Mouse I turned my attention to the carpet.

There wasn't enough remover to clean the carpet so I googled "red fingernail polish on carpet" I got an answer.

Windex.

So simple. Tons of notes from people who with clear relief in their words that said it works like a charm. So many stories of all different colors of nail polish spills...all that had come perfectly clean with windex. I was so relieved, I knew it would work even before I tried it.

It took me 45 min. and about 500 calories of methodical scrubbing to get it clean. There is a faint pink mark at the worst pool, but where she just brushed the top, it came right off.
Even though I knew it would work I was still amazed and impressed by how well.

I told Noelle what happened but didn't tell her I cleaned it up. She didn't take the news that there were bright red spots all over her carpet very well. She ran up to her room and started looking, she couldn't see anything and I told her I got it all out already. Relief washed over her face and she said "thanks, mom."

I think we will all be more careful to keep an eye on Sierra.
She is fast asleep right now and I have a couple of hours peace knowing she isn't getting into anything....... at the moment.

I guess the old guy on "Big fat greek wedding" was right, Windex is the cure for everything.

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