Tip for saving your nails

Much as we love gardening, there's no denying it's hard on the hands. Here's one way to keep your manicure looking as nice as your garden does. Tuck half a cotton ball into the tips of your glove fingers before putting them on, which adds a little extra protection for nails and cuticles. The cotton can stay in the gloves for several work sessions before it needs to be replaced.
From Garden Gate magazine.
Terrie

terrie i dont wear gloves to often-but i dont have nails either-i hate when dirt gets under them so off they go!!!!!!!

Thanks Tunnels - what a great idea! I am a big abuser on my nails. My biggest problem is not that I don't have gloves (I have about 5 prs) it's that I get started and I HATE stopping to doing anything. I'm focused and getting gloves, bug spray, etc., is the last thing I want to do! I will try this and also TRY to keep a pair of gloves ON!

GREAT idea Trunnels!! As I sit here at work looking at my dirty nails from digging trades last night...

Thanks for the great idea; I also am lazy about putting on garden gloves.

I take the acrylics off in March when starting seeds and leave them off until everything is in the ground 1st of June. Have noticed that that is harder on my nails.

Next year I will leave the acrylics on and try your suggestion; sometimes I even use surgical gloves when working with seedlings.

People who wear acrylics seem to take better care of their nails because of the expense of maintaining them. Used to need to have fills every two weeks and now have found someone that does what they call "Solor" nails - don't know what is in the product that is different from straight acrylics but they stay on 4-5 weeks! They don't lift or pop off which is much easier on your nails underneath. They charge a little more to maintain but because they go longer - you actually save money.

a

Well, I had to have my acrylics taken off three weeks ago because when I went in for my two week fills and she took the polish off I nearly fainted because I had contracted fungus on three of my nails. And guess why? Because I been gardening feverishly the last few weekends trying to get my beds ready for fall, planting new stuff and generally cleaning up, and I DIDN'T WEAR MY GLOVES! Besides, I usually get holes in the finger ends anyway from digging with my hands. I guess I had a little lift on my nails and the dampness from the soil seeped in. Now I have ugly stumps for fingernails and can't do anything about it until the fungus grows off (I've been using a fungus killer but the stains are on the nails until they grow off). Probably more than you wanted to know but I'm not gardening without my gloves anymore unless I decide to keep the acrylics off.

The best way to clean nails after gardening is to shampoo the dogs. Cleans the dirt right out. Makes the dogs kind of grumpy tho. . .

Do you put anything on your hands to stop the dirt getting into all the lines? All the gardening has made the skin on my fingers crack and no amount of scrubbing makes them look clean. I always put "yard-glove" cream on before I go out, and I try to wear gloves, but don't always succeed. I wondered if there is any other barrier cream which works well, or something to use afterwards to wash with to help? (I was considering bleaching my hands, but I don't think I could bear the smell :>))
Natasha

I definitely wouldn't make any money as a Dawn dishwashing detergent hand model. I'd starve. I used to wear gloves but found them too awkward when working with seedlings. Now I only wear them to pull weeds. Most of my nails are trashed anyway as I long ago gave up manicures and pedicures. Too much bother and a waste of money when all I did after leaving the salon was go and play in the dirt anyway. I have noticed that when pulling weeds my nails bend over in the glove and this hurts. The cotton wad in the finger tips is really a good idea. I am sort of hoping the suggestion will help with my nails bending over. I think it will. I remember the days of going to work and trying to make sure there was no Desitin under my nails. Now I worry about being able to get out as much dirt as is humanly possible. The Desitin never seemed to stick out like such an eyesore as this dirt does. Oh well.

Hello trifunov, I use something that comes in a tin called bag balm. It is the only thing so far that is sort of working for me. The in and out of water and the in and out of dirt takes its toll. I have found that if I coat my hands with this bag balm, that I can use a potato brush to scrub off the dirt when I'm finished working outside and I don't end up with hands that appear to have been chemically burned. Other than that, I have yet to find a product that really works as a barrier cream. I suppose that's why we are supposed to be wearing gloves.

I need to check out the bag balm. A friend told me that she rubs a light layer of vasoline on her hands and nails before she puts her gloves on. She swears it helps keep the dirt out of her cuticles and keeps her hands from getting too dry.

Thanks so much - I'll try both. I looked up Bag Balm - it's lanolin and vaseline in a special mix just for cows and horses! Surely that would be tough enough for my hands?
Natasha

I'm very hard on my "acrylic" nails. I actually have the "gel" nails. I find they stay on through all the water and mud and they don't seem to lift. The nail salon knows to cut my nails shorter for yard work--so I don't have long glamorous nails. I do like the idea of cotton balls in the end of the gloves. This should help because the dirt usually acts as an emory board and takes the polish right off. If my own nails were stronger and I didn't work outside the house, I would go for the natural no nails look. Gardening and manicured nails can be expensive.

Nminmd,
You sound just like me. I would not bother with my nails if I didn't have a job where I have to dress a little nicer than I do for the garden. LOL I think if the people at work saw me on the weekends, first their mouths would drop open, they wouldn't know what to say, and then they would run!
Terrie

You can buy the bag balm at sewing stores. It is great stuff! You can get a big 10 oz can or they make smaller ones that are an ounce or so. Yesterday when I was checking out, I noticed they now carry a tube that looks like a cow. It is greaseless. I tried the free sample and it is really nice! It almost feels like a really thin waxy coating. I wouldn't use it for moisturizing but I can see how it would protect your hands.

I use Boraxo (Good Ole 20-Mule Team!) to scrub my hands after playing in the dirt and it leaves them silky feeling. I keep a glass parmesan cheese shaker full of it next to the sink.

To combat dryness, I use the unscented Norwegian Formula developed for fisherman in the North Sea. Works better than anything else I have ever tried... Comes in a tube, and I carry one in the truck as well because I often forget to use it until I am out and about.

When my nails are REALLY dirty, only washing my hair fully cleans my nails. Don't have a dog to shampoo, LOL.

My in-laws swore by udder ointment. Yes, the poor cows get chapped in the winter because the milk bag has to be washed twice a day just before milking. The can crack and even bleed like a bad case of dishwater hands so farmers use this ointment. Maybe this is what equilibrium meant by "bag balm?"

Same thing.

I ve never had acrylic nails, just the ones I was born with. I am lucky to have fairly nice nails that hold up to all the dirt etc, that a gardner gets their hands into. I always wear gloves. The best ones I have found are Atlas brand. They have a sort of rubberized face and stretchy backs. I have tried many brands of gloves over the years. These are fairly thin so easy to weed or even plant seeds. Two pair will last me the whole season, where with other brands I might use 6 or 7 pair until worn out. Donna

Donna,
I've use that kind of glove myself. I find that the thin cotton gloves get holes in the tips of the fingers really quick.

Darius, I've just got me a box of Boraxo and some Norwegian Formula - it's good stuff! Thanks again for the advice.
Natasha

I bleach my nails & hands with lemon juice, especially if I need to go out in public. I use vitamin E oil at night to soften & heal my hands after gardening. My nails are fine as long as I keep a really strong polish on - a good one is European Secrets Nail Hardener. I just keep adding layers. I love the cotton ball idea - my Foxgloves will be complete! Perhaps they would not be so bad if I did not try to dig with my fingers - I view them as tools. (sending shivers down all manicurist's backs!)

Julie,
That's why I get holes in the fingers of my gloves! LOL I am always digging with my fingers.

JRush - are the foxgloves worth the extra $$$? I've just seen some on sale for $16 and was thinking of getting some for an early Xmas pressie.
Natasha

Natasha,
Were they mail order? If so, do you have a link?
Terrie

http://www.gardeners.com/Shopping/sell.asp?ProdGroupID=18022&DeptPGID=10866&lstCategory=0&RecGroupNum=7

When I look at the picture they look a little different from those on other websites - here's another link for "normal" looking foxgloves for $20.

http://www.handhelpers.com/sitedirector/site/product.cfm?id=F82E8AF2-7E95-4B3D-25E329D066105F1D

Natasha

Old timers used to suggest scraping your nails over a bar of soap before digging in the dirt, fills up the spaces under your fingernail so the dirt doesn't get in. Then, when you wash up, it's gone. I used to get acrylics but beat them up so badly and popped them off so often I gave up. Now, just before bedtime I use that 1 Minute Manicure, which is an oily base with salt granules in it that exfoliates your hands. I rinse it off but leave the oil coating on overnight, and I swear, my nails are actually starting to look healthy again, no splitting or peeling. I thought it was kind of pricey when I picked it up at the salon, but, it sure goes a long way. You can use it on your feet too but need to soap it off real good to avoid skating across the bathroom floor...........

Hmmm - I'll have to add some of that to the grocery list too!
Natasha

Thanks for the link Natasha. Meezers, where do you get the 1 Minute Manicure?

The Foxgloves come in 2 types - the plain material & the rubber gripped. They have Lycra in them to make them stretchy & close fitting. I love them & will not use other gloves anymore! I still go through about 2 pairs each Summer, but that is MUCH better. I would ruin a pair of other gloves the same day I purchased them! I know I am tough on gloves, but that was too much. I use the plain ones as gloves in cooler weather, or as glove liners on really cold days. I use them all year round. I am definitely going to get that manicure stuff. I tried the soap trick but I HATE to have ANYTHING stuck under my nails - just freaks me out.

I picked it up at my salon, after they had used it as a bonus treat for customers, it was about 25 or 30 bucks which, as I said is pricey, but I've used it for quite a while and the jar isn't even down a half inch. It's a good size jar. I think you can get it on line, too. I think Oprah had something about it on one of her shows, so there might be something on her website.

It sounds gross, but a thin layer of Virgin Olive Oil makes your hands feel nice too. The lady that made the 1 minute Manicure did mention that it part of the secret contents in her product. Much cheaper.

OK, I'm convinced! My hands are in such a terrible state, I've ordered me a pair of "normal" foxgloves. I was at my wit's end over what to do to make my hands presentable in public, I'm so pleased I joined DG - where else would I have got so much helpful advice? It's much appreciated.
Natasha

This is all great info. Julie, since you actually have the Foxgloves, maybe you can answer my question. Unless I get the gloves with the rubber fingers and palms with breathable cotton on the top of the hand, mine always gets soaked through from digging around with my hands and then the tips of the fingers wear out quick, quick, quick! Do the Foxgloves prevent this?
Terrie

Meezer, the bar of soap really works under the nails. I love it and have been doing it for years. No acrylic here, but longer nails I treasure. Makes clean up, at least for the nails, as easy as can be. If I remember, I put a heavy hand cream (Gardener's Honey) on my hands at night, and that seems to protect my hands and skin the next day, plus the oils have had a chance to sink in so I am not a dirt magnet. I am so rough on my hands I look like I have scales if I don't do something.

I can't generally handle gloves, but my mom bought me a pair I first shrugged off, but later discovered were not too bad after all. Those rubberized, icky looking, cheap, beige with green painted palm gloves at OSH, they really aren't bad at all, I can do most dirtier chores in them if need be. Going to go check out the foxgloves - thank you!

I usually ruin the finger tips of the Foxgloves after a season... I was thinking the cotton ball trick may be the answer! I hate a wet glove, & the idea of a soggy cotton ball kinda grosses me out, but I really love the Foxgloves. It is probably because they FEEL so nice when you wear them... so soft & clingy, & you can feel what you are working with.

I think I'm going to put them on my Christmas list. My girls are always asking for suggestions and that is one they can afford!

JRush, I agree with you about having something under my fingernails, can't stand it.

trunnels, if you get a pair of the Foxgloves, I would be interested to know if they work as well and/or last longer than the Atlas ones. My daughter gave me a pair of purple really good feeling gloves, and I was thinking she said Foxgloves, but they don't have a tag on them. The fingers are too long for me and don't think they would work as good for me as the Atlas ones do. I love them. Donna

If I get them I will post here, Donna.

There is an oil for your nails I use, called Delore Nails, Nail Hardener and Nail Polish Dryer. Beige cream coloured box with forest green writing, fingernail polish size. They are in Los Angeles, but I buy the stuff where ever I can find it. Rite Aid, Thrifty stores quit carrying it, and the last bottle was discovered at Raley's grocery store. This stuff is phenominal. I use it once a week, massage it into my nails, cuticles and my nails grow like crazy, are healthier and much stronger. Gawd, I sound like a commercial! If you can find it, try it!

My Mother gave me a pair of Tool Grip gardening gloves. I have been dividing and replanting daylilies today. Does anyone use these? I like them, I have been dividing and replanting daylilies today. It is about 62 degrees but breezy.