Girly question about hand/nail care

T

topcat

Active member
My other half is a nurse and part time caver.  She job requires her hands to look reasonably clean and respectable and caving isn't very conducive to that.

Any tips about pre cave care, cave care and post cave care much appreciated. !
 
CatM

CatM

Moderator
I'm far from being a girly girl but I'd say a decent pair of gloves is an absolute must. Warmth, protection from scratches and ingrained mud, etc. I use these or something similar - they're comfy, still allow use of fingers for SRT/rigging, yet are reasonably hard wearing.

http://www.townandco.com/weed-and-seed-gloves.html

Plenty of hand cream helps too as caving tends to be good at drying them out. Also a good nail brush to get rid of the mud that inevitably finds its way in!
 
J

Judi Durber

Member
Lots of hand cream before a trip.  I can never keep my nails clean even with gloves but a tip (I have not tried yet) from Gardeners Question Time is to scrape your nails down a bar of soap before going out .  If the nails are full of soap it will limit the amount of dirt under the nails after a trip (gardening)

;)
 
badger

badger

Active member
if you have not managed to keep hands clean, although a slightly expensive option but knead a bar of marzipan, include sticking your nails in, that'll do the trick
 
S

Speleokitty

New member
Lots of good quality hand cream (I use  Neutrogena Norwegian Formula) any buy the best gloves you can afford (I use these - http://caving-supplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/18040%7C%7C~@c~Gloves~@b%7C0%7Cuser%7C1,0,0,1%7C2 or these - http://www.hitchnhike.co.uk/acatalog/showa-377-nitrile-foam-grip-gloves.html depending on what I am doing.

Its a good idea to wash gloves fairly regularly otherwise they just force any mud or grit inside your gloves into your skin.inside into your skin. Mine go into the washing machine with oversuits or other soft underground gear as required. More than one set of gloves is really useful for this so you don't have to wash things separately.

I'm not a girly girl but most of my caving is digging which is pretty tough on your hands if you don't take care of them.

Kitty



 
S

Speleokitty

New member
I don't know about the NHS but it would probably be good if you didn't turn up at a secure site smelling of marzipan :)
 
bograt

bograt

Active member
Agree with sticking your fingernails in a bar of soap, also use moisturising soap for washing (Dove is good), and do the washing up the old fashioned way in hot water and detergent, (without gloves - select detergent carefully!), moisturise with cream afterwards for skin condition, get a good manicure kit from the chemist (scrapers, trimmers, files, etc.).

I'm a farmers market farmer, one day I'm up to my elbows in an oily tractor engine, the next I'm delivering food products, need to keep abreast (y)
 
bograt

bograt

Active member
Speleokitty said:
I don't know about the NHS but it would probably be good if you didn't turn up at a secure site smelling of marzipan :)
Click to expand...

You mean the old "Sniff - Sniff - Almonds??? - AAArgh" ? :LOL: (y) (y) (y)
 
Mike Hopley

Mike Hopley

New member
On the plus side, I find caving is amazingly good for exfoliating the hands. One caving weekend and my calluses are almost gone...along with most of my fingerprints.
 
S

Speleokitty

New member
Hi Bograt;-0

Dove is indeed good but I never thought you were a manicure kind of girl.

I'm sure you would like to keep abreast. But only if you could reach that far :)

Kitty

 
S

Speleokitty

New member
You mean the old "Sniff - Sniff - Almonds??? - AAArgh" ? :LOL: (y) (y) (y)
[/quote]

Not so funny for the member of or digging team who ordered a Bakewell Pudding for his boss's birthday when he was working at a gas terminal:)



 
bograt

bograt

Active member
Speleokitty said:
Hi Bograt;-0

Dove is indeed good but I never thought you were a manicure kind of girl.

I'm sure you would like to keep abreast. But only if you could reach that far :)

Kitty
Click to expand...

Depends upon how far the said appendages reach, -  do I know you ?? ;) ;) ;) --- O.T.!!!
 
menacer

menacer

Active member
Far from decrying the use of preventery soaps and expensive hand creams, ive always found that what muck isnt removed from under my nails by simply washing my hair post caving, the rest is removed with a good ole fashioned nail brush.  I worked in the nhs for 12 years no problems.
 
R

robjones

New member
badger said:
if you have not managed to keep hands clean, although a slightly expensive option but knead a bar of marzipan, include sticking your nails in, that'll do the trick
Click to expand...

My father, a hands-on engineer, always said that pastry-making (especially Welsh cakes as debris is assumed to be currants) ensured absolutely clean hands and nails.  :cry:
 
TheBitterEnd

TheBitterEnd

Well-known member
Funny you should post that because I was just about to suggest a post-trip bout of bread dough kneading. It really does the trick
 
bagpuss

bagpuss

Member
Keep nails short, nail brush and soap. I have an allotment and go caving, doesn't seem an issue keeping nails clean :)
 
C

cavemanjez

Member
A couple of things to try:-
1) wash hair well with shower gel working in the nails
2) rub washing up liquid into hands to make a thick lather,
No water, add washing macheen powder as a gritty bit
Rub in well and wash off thoughly 3 times, cleans most things
3) use a good hand cream, the neutrogena stuff is very good,
Hope it helps
Jez
 
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