Every once in a while, it’s a good idea to touch on the basics. Things we might have learned in school, or things that might actually have been overlooked — disposal of some of the liquids used in the salon like monomer, polish remover, and acetone, for example. You might have been using nail polish remover and acetone at home all your life without knowing how to properly dispose of any excess.

Generally, for home use, polish remover or acetone is used on pads or cotton, then the pads are thrown away, which happens to be the proper way to dispose of them. You do not want to toss a bowl full of polish remover or acetone down the drain or into the toilet to dispose of it!

These days most salons have been educated to realize that wrapping the nails is more effective than soaking them, not to mention less damaging to the nails because wrapping reduces the amount of liquid the nails absorb while incorporating body heat to improve removal times.

In short, the proper disposal method for those flammable liquids — that also have the side effect of disintegrating your plumbing over time — is to absorb them with something like a pad, cotton, or table towel, then throw it away. They should not be poured down a drain or emptied into a toilet.