Dirty hands & feet ????
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Does anyone out there have a special potion for cleaning fingernails, hands and feet after gardening? Recently while gardening the mulch and earth have been leaving my hands and feet almost unclean-able. I wear gloves and low sock and sneakers, but the dirt gets imbedded everywhere? I have tried an assortment of "soaks" & "potions"... nothing is helping... but the time I get it all off, my hands and feet are really sore. Help :)
19 answers
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sometimes you just have to soak in tub and scrub!
JANIS S
on Jul 08, 2013
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Because I'm in the gardens or client's gardens all growing season, I need to get a quick clean up when going out, like for dinner. What works quick and brightens up my finger nails is..... Toothpaste! Yep, I have a separate tube, (not the gel kind) and extra brush just for my nails. I've rubbed my hands with it too if I was working with dark mulch and it got through some worn gloves. Try it! I used to use Ajax or Comet scrub, it dried out my hands too much.
Peg
on Jul 08, 2013
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Get a couple of surgical nail brushes sold by Lee Valley. They work wonders.
Sensible Gardening and Living
on Jul 10, 2013
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One trick I use all the time is to scratch my nails on a bar of soap, getting the soap under the nail prior to working in the garden. This keeps the soil from getting under there instead! Then a quick wash up and scrub with a nail brush and hands are clean!
Heidi
on Jul 10, 2013
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mix dawn hand renewal dish soap a d sugar, work in to hand and feet, cleans well and fells great.
Faye
on Jul 10, 2013
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Works for hubby's mechanic's hands, so maybe for gardening woes: Paste of cornmeal and Dawn (BLUE) dish detergent!
Linda
on Jul 10, 2013
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I do the soap under the fingernails and it works wonders but like the poster my feet look awful. I will try the sugar and dawn trick tonight when I get in. I also use a pumice stone for my heels to get the dirt out and a back scrubber just used for my feet. Works great for those quick in and out scrubs.
Connie
on Jul 10, 2013
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Gosh..you guys are smart!
Junk Gypsee
on Jul 10, 2013
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Sometimes moisturizing well before getting dirty helps...I found that it's harder to get embedded dirt off dry skin. I also use scrubs that I make with soap (or dishwashing liquid), sugar, and grits, with a little oil added for moisturizing. Hope something will work for you! My mother used to soak her hands and feet in a pre-soak product called Axion, but I haven't seen that in years.
Judy
on Jul 10, 2013
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Half lemon for cleaning nails and rough skin...smells good too!
Gwenda R
on Jul 10, 2013
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Warm water, lots of soap and a good nail brush! You might alway want to try putting on a pair of hospital/surgical gloves before hand if it really bothers you. They are thin enough that you can feel thru them and keep you from getting that dirt under your nails. I use them if I am having to go out later and want to keep my nails really clean.
Jill
on Jul 10, 2013
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I use a mixture of Listerine, Epsom salt and Dawn dishwashing detergent in a foot bath. Gets the feet clean and helps with dry cracked heels when used with pumice stone or razor. The heels don't absorb as much dirt when you can keep them softer.
Penny M
on Jul 10, 2013
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You guys are awesome!! I will try them all! Thanks so much!
Sherry O'Brien
on Jul 10, 2013
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I agree with Judy. My hands, stain terrible when my skin is dried out. Lotion up before you head out to garden.
Heidi
on Feb 19, 2015
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1 Tablespoon of Dawn liquid dish soap (blue kind) and 1 Tablespoon of Hydrogen Peroxide mixed with enough baking soda to make into a gel/paste mixture. Use a nail brush and scrub hands and feet. The baking soda and peroxide with help remove any stains from the skin, soda will also exfoliate the skin, and dawn original dish soap is just awesome for cleaning just about any and everything under the moon.
Tyia Padilla
on Feb 20, 2015
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GoJo, with or without pumice.
Mar1248850
on Mar 24, 2015
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I kill 2 birds with 1 stone by washing my dishes by hand using original Dawn with just a little bleach in the water. Lotion afterwards.
Linda T
on Jul 02, 2015
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Scrape your fingernails across a bar of soap first before putting on gloves.
Ann M
on Apr 25, 2016
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I just use bleach.
Jlhamara
on May 14, 2016
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