Best Nailbrush

Whether short or long fingernails: It is often difficult to avoid dirt settling under the nails during work, gardening or screwing on the car. And stubborn residues of food, adhesives and paints are not uncommon during housework and DIY. Water and soap alone are not enough to remove the dirt from the hands. Here the help of a nail brush is needed, whose bristles get under the fingernails and clean the skin at the same time. Depending on how strongly the brush is required, different types are possible.

For heavy soiling that occurs regularly, you should use a nail brush that can withstand the permanent strain. Brushes made of wood are well suited – ideally from a very resistant type of wood such as beech, pear tree or ash. Natural fibres and wild boar bristles are the ideal choice for bristles when intensive cleaning of feet, hands and fingernails is required. The natural bristles offer a welcome side effect, a gentle massage effect. Depending on the model, the robust brushes are suitable for use on both sides. Then there are long and flexible bristles on one side for cleaning hands and feet and on the other side shorter and firmer bristles for cleaning fingernails. When choosing a suitable brush, however, you should also pay attention to its shape. It should lie well in the hand so that you can grip it optimally and achieve a good cleaning result.

At the end of the day, a simple nail brush made of acrylic glass or plastic is usually sufficient to remove small residues of dirt from under the nails or to clean children’s hands. Models with flexible nylon bristles are well suited, although these can be too hard for children’s hands. In this case you should rather use a brush with soft natural bristles, which massage gently and give better under pressure. A nail brush should also be available in the kitchen, for example to clean hands intensively before preparing sensitive food. This should also be made of plastic with nylon bristles. Unlike wood, bacteria and germs can only penetrate the material with difficulty. Important: Sterilize common brushes in the kitchen regularly with water and vinegar.

The pedicure and manicure as well as the use in warm and humid surroundings like a sauna or a spa places high demands on the material of a nail brush. Here it is recommended to use only brushes made of special thermowood. This hardly absorbs any moisture and therefore does not swell. The brush lasts longer and the penetration of germs is made more difficult by the absence of cracking. The thermal brushes are available with natural fibres, pig or wild boar bristles and artificial nylon bristles. The hardness of the bristles can vary depending on the application and personal sensation. Medium-hard to hard bristles are suitable for the feet. Only soft to medium bristles should be used on hands and skin.

Moisture and dirt residues make the nail brush the ideal breeding ground for bacteria and germs. It is therefore important to clean the brush thoroughly after each application and allow it to dry properly. After use, remove dirt and soap residues and then lay the brush down so that the water can drain out of the bristles. Never pack the brush wet – for example with a travel nail brush – otherwise germs can multiply on the surface and mould will form.