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Scrubbing Up

June 27th, 2009

Now that Mr Chiots and I are in our busy season for our business (if you don’t know what we do check out 2nd Mile Productions). Since we’re going to weddings most weekends I have to look professional and presentable, that means no dirty gardening fingers.
Soap_by_sink
So, on Friday evenings I take some time to scrub up my hands to get all that dirt out from under my fingernails. I don’t have one of those nail brushes, I just use an old toothbrush and a bar of all-natural non-toxic gardener’s soap I got at the farmer’s market. I also use some baking soda to get rid of the dry patches on my hands from so much hand-washing during the week and I finish with some good non-toxic lotion (and occasionally a few drops of olive oil).

Do you have any trip & tricks for cleaning up your hands from all those gardening chores?

10 Comments to “Scrubbing Up”
  1. Mangochild on June 27, 2009 at 6:27 am

    It sounds silly, but I just keep my nails trimmed down as short as possible – otherwise the dirt would be impossible to get at. But I also find rubbing my hands with olive oil helps a lot with easing out the dirt from small cracks in the hands, and then smoothing the hands after the work.
    .-= Mangochild´s last blog ..Preserving Peas =-.

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  2. kristin on June 27, 2009 at 7:13 am

    No tips from me. I don’t have to keep my hands presentable for anything.

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  3. Seren Dippity on June 27, 2009 at 9:10 am

    Sometimes when I know I’m going to be doing a lot of hand digging; turning my small beds, digging for potatoes, or mixing up new batches of potting soil I scrape my fingers across a bar of soap to “prefill” underneath the nails with a bit of soap. That way dirt can’t get so deeply imbedded and cleanup is much easier. Most often I forget, or I don’t _plan_ to get so dirty before finding myself up to my elbows but when I do remember it makes it much easier to clean. Mostly though, I just go around with dirt embedded somewhere. But I rarely have to look so presentable.

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    • Susy on June 27, 2009 at 9:27 am

      That’s a great idea!

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  4. Dan on June 27, 2009 at 11:48 am

    I have been really trying to keep gloves on at all times in the garden. This is mainly due to my poor dirt camera that may go on strike if I keep shooting with dirty hands. If I do forgo the gloves I do find having a long soak in the bath gets my hands sparking clean. A glass of wine and a nice book is always a good addition as well :-)
    .-= Dan´s last blog ..Mister Early Is Missing! =-.

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    • Susy on June 27, 2009 at 11:48 pm

      I hear you on that! My camera can get quite dirty as well. I have a great pair of gloves, but my fingernails are super strong and no matter how short I trim them they cut through the ends of my gloves rather quickly. So they only keep my hands clean, but I still get dirt under my fingernails.

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  5. islandgardener on June 27, 2009 at 12:47 pm

    My hands have been cleaner lately because I found a good pair of gardening gloves out of necessity. I developed blisters on the tips of my fingers (long story). Otherwise, without the gloves, fingernail dirt is a way of life in the summer that usually results in hiding my hands in inopportune moments that might otherwise prove embarrassing.
    .-= islandgardener´s last blog ..Anticipation…It’s Making Me Wait! =-.

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  6. Deb on June 27, 2009 at 5:33 pm

    I’ve tried wearing gloves but I just don’t like gardening in them. So mostly, despite scrubbing, I have grubby fingernails.
    However, haven’t tried the toothbrush trick so will do that (my nail brush doesn’t seem man enough for the job).

    I’ve heard of running your nails over a bar of soap too but never seem to remember to do that!
    .-= Deb´s last blog ..My Library No #1: Homemade Happiness =-.

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    • Susy on June 27, 2009 at 11:50 pm

      A stiff-bristled toothbrush works better than one of the softer ones. They work wonderfully for me.

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  7. deedee on June 27, 2009 at 10:28 pm

    the husband mowed my garden with the lawn mower b/c it was so embarrassing… the weeds were overtaking everything else. i guess i was being too optimistic trying to have a garden & work full time along with being 6 months pregnant! anyway, my hands aren’t dirty from gardening anymore (until the baby gets here anyway!) but being a dog groomer i get lots of nasty things under my fingernails (NASTY!) and i just keep them short and soak at the end of the day… needless to say my high maintenance acrylic nail days are GONE! :)

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This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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