How to Clean Nails

Are you looking for some great tips for keeping your nails clean? Whether you are looking for a quick or an intensive cleaning method, this article has you covered. Check out the tutorial below and make your nails shiny and strong.

Table of Contents

Quick cleaning method

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Clean the stain underneath the nail. Use the pointed end of the nail cleaner that came with the nail clipper to remove dirt and any residue under the nail. Do this in a bathroom with good lighting so you can clearly see the condition of your nails.

Usually, it’s easier to clean the soil underneath your nails before you wash your hands. So you should keep your hands as dry as possible.
Avoid using a pencil to clean your nails as the lead can make your nails look dirtier.

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Hand washing. Use mild natural soap and warm water to wash your hands. You don’t need to focus on cleaning your nails right now, just wash your hands.

You’re better off using mild soap and washing your hands often. Strong detergents with parabens will make nails rough, and alcohol-based hand sanitizers will weaken nails. Try looking for a special nail soap like OrigiNails Bubble White.

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Soak your nails in a bowl of warm soapy water for about 3 minutes. Soak only the tip of the nail, do not soak the whole hand in water and wait for the nail to soften. Make sure the water is not too hot to burn your skin, as long as the water is at a comfortable temperature.

Soaking helps keep nails soft and flexible to avoid scratching or breaking nails during cleaning. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Use a nail brush to scrub the nail surface. After soaking, scrub the entire nail surface, including the bottom part. When you’re done, just dry your hands.

If you don’t have a special nail brush, you can use a clean toothbrush and use it only for this activity.

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Remove old nail polish (if needed). Use a paint remover and a cotton ball or towel to remove the old paint. Scrub your nails vigorously to remove any remaining nail polish, starting at the cuticles and working your way up to the tips of the nails, not forgetting the edges of the nails. Check the nail for any remaining paint and clean more if necessary.

Nail polish remover will dry on its own, but you can have a paper towel or dry cotton ball ready to wipe your nails after they’ve been removed with a wet cotton ball.

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Wash your hands again. Wash hands quickly and dry, but do not scrub vigorously. Apply moisturizer to your hands if you want or continue with the rest of the steps.

Make sure the nails are the same length and file or trim them as needed. Finish with a beautiful glossy top coat to strengthen nails.

Intensive cleaning method

Apply baking soda to whiten nails. If you want strong and clean nails, mix baking soda with hydrogen peroxide, using about 2.5 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide to make a thick paste. Apply the mixture to the surface and under the nails, then rinse and dry.

Applying the mixture daily will help keep your nails white and shiny, especially after you have used a bold color nail polish. ^{[2] X Research Source}
Or you can try whitening toothpaste and do the same thing. The active ingredients in these two products are the same, if you don’t want to make your own blend at home.

Moisturize nails daily. To prevent your nails from drying out, cracking, and other problems, it’s better to moisturize your nails regularly with a moisturizer made from aloe vera, shea butter, or a natural oil like olive or coconut oil. These natural methods won’t necessarily change the look of your nails, but will make them soft and supple after about a week.

Treat yellow nails with lemon juice or tea tree oil. Yellow nails can be caused by smoking habits, nail polish or nail fungus, which is difficult to treat and remove. Tea tree oil is a natural fungicide with antimicrobial and antiseptic properties; while lemon juice or lemon essential oil has citric acid to help whiten nails like the original.

If the nail is yellow, you will put a little tea tree oil on each nail and leave it for about 5 minutes and then wash it off. Do the same with lemon juice, rinse and wash your hands as usual.

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Clean nails with denture cleaner. Although this may sound strange, the pills used to make denture cleaners are high in citric acid and baking soda, which are commonly used to clean, whiten, and improve the surface of nails. Instead of soaking dentures, simply soak your nails in the solution.

Try apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is rich in malic acid and acetic acid, which has the ability to clean and treat fungus, making nails white, anti-inflammatory and discolored. Mix apple cider vinegar and clean water in equal amounts and soak your nails for about 20 minutes.

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Add nutrients to enhance nail strength. There are a lot of misconceptions about natural methods to strengthen nails, but the surest way is to add nutrients to your diet. The nutrient proven to help strengthen nails is biotin, which takes about 6 months on average to take effect. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Most home nail care methods like applying garlic, eating protein-rich foods will not help nails grow faster or stronger. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Stop using nail polish for a while. Frequent use of nail polish can cause nails to stain and weaken in the long run, even if you clean your nails thoroughly after each application. You’re better off letting your nails recover and have a healthy color once a year, which means you won’t be painting your nails for about a month or two.

Instead of nail polish, you should take the opportunity to take care of your nails, apply a nail polish remover and whitener that you make at home to maintain the eye-catching look of your nails.
An important thing to remember is that you should apply a glossy base before applying color to your nails so that the nails don’t yellow easily.

Advice

Push the cuticles back to avoid the appearance of a checkered scratch.
To nourish the nails, when applying moisturizer or oil to your hands, you should massage the nail bed and cuticles to stimulate blood circulation.
Clean your nails regularly with olive oil and lemon juice for healthy growth and natural shine! Very simple, right?
Do not bite your nails. Nail biting is an addictive habit that makes nails weak and lifeless. Try applying a layer of polish on your nails so that when biting, it will have an unpleasant smell. Cut your nails short or paint them in a nice color so you don’t want to bite your nails anymore.
Do not use your nails as a tool as it may cause damage to the nails.
Do not expose nails to water/chemicals, such as cleaning products.
Nail protection. When painting your nails, remember to alternate a coat of polish between coats of color. Every other day, you apply another layer of glossy paint and wear gloves when performing tasks such as washing dishes, doing laundry.
To grow long nails, you apply a layer of nail polish every day for about 5-7 days. Paint on the edge of the nail to protect the tip. Clean the paint and clean the nails according to the instructions in the article.
Apply lemon juice solution to your nails so that the nails are no longer brittle.

Warning

Be careful when cutting and cleaning your nails. Do not cut your nails too close to the flesh as this can cause pain and bleeding; Do not pierce the nail cleaner into the meat. Always be careful when handling.
Nail polish will sometimes be a bit sticky. Practice nail polish and paint on old towels. If you are not good with your hands, you can ask someone to paint your nails for you.
When smoothing and cutting the cuticle, you should be careful not to cut into the skin as it will be very painful and make a difference from the rest of the nail.

Steps

Quick cleaning method

Intensive cleaning method

Advice

Warning

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