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: Exfoliate
We know exfoliating your nails sounds kind of out of left field. But instead of chopping away at your dead cuticle skin (read: ouch), it’s best if you gently buff it away with a nourishing skin-sloughing exfoliant specifically designed for your natural nails. Our pick? Manicare Cuticle Remover and Exfoliator ($22.99 at Chemist Warehouse).
Step five: 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?
I find that my nails tend to just mostly stay clean, and for the times they don’t I’ve got an old toothbrush that I use to clean them.
I have a small nail brush that I use quite often especially after doing some gardening.
yeah an old one works
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.
what I good idea -I must do that as I am forever having to wash mt hands in those instances
good one
Just have put on some sparkles on. And I keep mine short as have discovered that I love the best short nails.
sounds lovely -Shorter nails are easier to keep clean too
This is just what we need
Mine nails are short, I use a nailbrush when I need to.
My nails are short and clean. Apart from that quite a mess!
I am having some trouble on a couple of my nails at the moment. They are splitting vertically. Only happening on two of them. What can I do?
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.
yes clean trimmed nails always look lovely
Good article, needed this
All of the hand washing is certainly keeping my nails clean
I find regular hand washing is enough to keep my hands clean. I don’t do any nail grooming
I like keeping my nails clean. Healthy nails is what I like.
I’ve done a nail polish detox and have left them bare which is good for the nails
A timely article.
Stand by what I said in 2017 ….lol
My nails are clean.
same yes
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.
good on you a good scrub with a brush seems to get all the dirt out for me
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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.
lucky
agh feel so good when i do a mani
I love a good nail brush and feels so good to get extra clean after a morning in the garden.
Yes Lady Lola that is what i do too. I garden a lot so very necessary
Great to have this up to date info!
right i love these
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.
Interesting.
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.
I give a good scrub with soap and water and a scrubbing brush . I always wash my hands thoroughly and dry properly
My toenails are the ones that get dirty, I use the hook end of a file to clean out gunk.
Keeping them short is the best trick- they are easier to manage
Short nails are the best, but must admit that some of the long fancy ones look nice too. Wonder how they keep them looking good?
That’s true. Short is easier to care for.
I remove nail polish before using a nail brush – I can’t see if they’re clean if there’s nail polish.
I always try to maintain my nails. Using a cuticle trimmer, cuticle oil and giving my nails a break between polish
My poor nails are in need of care!
I keep mine short, wash hands regularly, wear gloves for handling meat and some food prep. Shower daily sometimes multiple showers. Basic hygiene really.
yeah agreed!
I cut my nails short and I use a nail brush in the shower nightly.
A slice of lemon helps to get rid of the stains too , great to use after spending some time in the kitchen.
Mine are short and I shower daily, so they are always white without doing any effort
samee
I like keeping my nails short too, they are cleaner and so much easier to be productive in everyday life with shorter nails.
I agree RINNY.
My nails are short and I regularly use a small nail brush to keep them clean.
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I keep my nails short and regularly use a small brush to keep them clean
oops didn’t mean to duplicate
it’s fine
Good article, I love using a nail brush – it feels so satisfying!
I like to keep my nails to shorter length as they seem a lot cleaner then.
I like all the tips in this article. I’m a little OCD about clean nails.
i have been actively ontop of my nail care, keeping them short and using the manicare nail polish remover
Great article. My nails are in need of some TLC.
This is so helpful!
Good tips. Great information about keratin build-up.