How To Clean Your Nails Properly

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How To Clean Your Nails Properly

The only thing worse than a chipped nail? A dirty one. Look, no one’s expecting you to have a perfect almond-shaped, SNS manicure 365 days of a year but keeping our nails clean is something worth prioritising. After all, we spend so much time hand sanitising that we often forget the amount of grime and germs our nails might’ve picked up. But hygiene aside, nothing says ‘put together’ like a pair of prim and proper paws.

How to clean your nails…

Step one: Scrub

If you want clean fingernails, invest in a good quality nail brush like the Bodecare Square Nail Brush ($10.95 at Naturals). A nail brush will scrub the dirt out from underneath your nails and attack those hard to reach areas where grime is known to accumulate. Hold the brush downwards and gently rub back and forth, moving to the front of the nails, working in a circular buffing motion. It’s actually quite satisfying.

Tip: Always ensure you do a nail scrub in a well-lit room and are using a solution of warm water and hand soap. Ensure you’re regularly sterilising or replacing your nail brush to avoid the risk of contamination.

Image credit: @betina_goldstein

Step two: Remove chipped polish

Soak a cotton pad with nail polish remover (like the Manicare Nail Polish Remover) to remove any old and chipped nail polish (a gel manicure removal process will differ). As a rule of thumb, aim to give your nails a break from polish once every few weeks and use a nail strengthener in between treatments.

Step three: Soak

You know how clean your hands look and feel after a long swim or bath? This is the exact level of cleanliness we’re trying to achieve. Using a mix of antibacterial hand wash and warm water, soak your nails for 15 – 20 minutes (avoid soaking your entire hand as a soapy solution can dry out your skin).

Tip: If the soap soak and nail brush still aren’t enough to rid your nails of stubborn dirt, try adding a teaspoon of bicarb soda to warm water to help coax the dirt out.

Step four: Rinse and dry

Once you’ve soaked your nails, rinse under the tap, washing away any soapy residue and pat dry with a soft towel. Finish by giving your nails a file, finishing with a fresh coat of nail polish or nail hardener. Voila.

FAQs

Why do I always have dirt under my nails?

If it’s not just a natural build up of lint, dirt or even beauty products getting stuck underneath our nails, it might actually be an accumulation of keratin debris. What exactly is that? Keratin debris forms when a protein specific to our nails and the exterior layer of our skin breaks down and builds up underneath our nail. No thanks.

How can I keep my nails clean and white?

Regular cleaning will ensure your nails remain clean. Plus, keeping them cut short will make it easier to keep them free from dirt and grime.

Why are my nails yellow?

Yellow nails (also known as yellow nail syndrome) can range from something as straightforward as polish staining to a more severe condition like a bacterial infection. If yellowing of your nails persists or gets worse, we recommend seeking out a dermatologist or GP for a second opinion. Better to be safe than sorry.

Main image credit: @betina_goldstein

How do you clean your nails?

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Comments 65

  1. Like to keep my Nails Clean now with COVID-19 Hand Washing I am doing that all the time, also when I am preparing food like crumbing meat or making Meat Balls I wear Food Safe Latex Gloves.

  2. My nails have always grown long and healthily. When I was younger I would manicure them every week and keep them painted. Nowadays even though my nails still grow quickly I keep them shorter and natural looking. I always try to keep them clean and manicured.

  3. I have done this for years. I used to use a small nail brush but now keep it in my Weekend away/Holiday kit. I now use a much large brush from Kmart. I need to give my nails a serious deep clean after being out in the garden which has red dirt.

  4. Lately I’ve been cleaning my nails by scraping soap between the nail and finger, then washing my hands with soap and removing the excess bits of soap still lodged under my nails with a sharp knife. Then a final rinse.

  5. My nails can’t wait until the salons open again. But until then, I am eagerly awaiting a shipment of Zoya products. I’ve read really good things about them & the colours are divine, so hopefully they live up to the hype.

  6. The same story. My nails was in awful condition when the salons was closed because of lockdown. So I decided to help myself and have found solution for me. My mother (she’s a cosmetologist) recommended me collagen supplement, so I have found this website https://www.vitaminexpress.org/uk/collagen-supplements and about half a year I take collagen. Of course salons open now and my nails looks much much better, but collagen makes them harder and they grow better.