Dirty fingernails from working on oily, greasy, dirty, etc., engines and machinery - what do you all use to clean them? I want to get them really, really clean for a change.
The best stuff I’ve used in the past includes that Gojo pumice soap, toothpaste and toothbrush, dishwashing soap, and washing my hair. But I’m wondering if anyone’s found anything better?
The other thought I had recently was to use a preventative - maybe put wax around my fingernails, kind of like grouting, so the hard-to-clean crevices don’t get dirty. Anyone ever tried this? Or tried anything else? Wonder if that hair-removal wax would work – it must be sticky and come off in one piece, which would be convenient …
I would try a pair good quality nitrile medical exam gloves. They’re pretty durable and unless you are working with really small parts you won’t lose much dexterity. You’ll find plenty of good sources by googling “nitrile exam glove”.
What I’ve always done is to take a bar of soap (preferably kind of soft from the shower) and claw it up before I go get dirty. You want soap all up in those crevices. Dosen’t do too much for the crevices where you get hangnails, but works a charm for the ones at the fingertips.
Soap … hmm … good idea. Thanks; think I’ll try that before trying wax or anything else. Maybe dishwashing soap, if applied and allowed to dry out into solid-ish form, would be effective, too.
Probably won’t use those, for tactile sensitivity and small parts reasons. But it’s probably a good idea to wear them just to keep all the chemicals off you.
Call it Vote #3. Mr. Ruby is an automotive technician and swears by the gloves. Little or no loss of dexterity and clean hands. It’s a miracle, I tell ya.
Before gloves, however, the only thing that would get the grease from under his nails and the crevices of his hands was a weekend at a hotel in the hot tub. A proper soaking in that chlorine-laden water was all it took!
There are barrier creams available that you apply before starting any dirty work (you work it into the skin and get as much under the nails as you can).
Rosalex was one of the trade names we have here. There are various types that deal with different conditions. One type is used with dry dirt and another when your hands might be immersed in a liquid. In my job they have been largely superceded by different types of gloves.
Some gloves will just melt away with one of our types of hydraulic fluids though so you need the right type for each job.
It was just an urge.