Chipped tile usually means a call to the tile guy, a dust sheet over the whole room, and a bill that makes you wince. Not always. For a small chip, nail polish can make the fix invisible.

I dropped a jar in the bathroom and chipped a tile in a spot that was impossible to hide. A friend who flips houses told me to match the color with nail polish. It worked so well I forget which tile it was.

Match the color first

Bring a photo of the tile to the store, or grab a few close shades. Hold the bottles against the tile in daylight. The match does not have to be perfect, it just has to blend at a glance.

Clean the chip

Wipe the chipped area with rubbing alcohol and let it dry. Any dust or grease under the polish will show. A clean chip holds the polish and hides the repair.

Fill in thin layers

Paint the chip with a thin layer of polish, let it dry, and add another. Thin coats dry smooth and blend better than one thick blob. Two or three coats fill most chips level with the tile.

Match the finish

Use glossy polish for glossy tile and matte for matte. The finish matters as much as the color. A clear top coat seals the repair and gives it the same shine as the surrounding glaze.

When nail polish is not enough

This works for chips and small cracks. If the tile is cracked through or the chip is bigger than a coin, call a professional. A loose or hollow tile needs real repair, not polish.

Keep a touch up kit

If your bathroom has spare tile, write down the brand and color name somewhere. A five dollar bottle of polish in the right shade fixes future chips in minutes.

My bathroom tile looks whole, and the repair has survived a year of showers. Nobody has spotted the chip, including me until I go looking for it.