What is a good way to keep my fingernails clean?

Shouldn’t a cook be wearing sanitary gloves? Everybody wins, including your fingernails.

Keep them trimmed short and wash your hands frequently.

Wash your hands?

This might not work for a cook, but I’ve seen this tip for gardeners and painters: Scrape your fingernails across a bar of soap, lodging soap under them. Keeps out dirt, and makes clean up easier. I don’t know about soap mixing with food, though.

As far as cleaning them quickly, use a nail brush and soap.

@augustlan You’re right that won’t work for my cooking but I am also a gardener so I will be sure to do that next time.

You could always try putting a type of nontoxic epoxy putty under your nails so nothing gets underneath there.

Regular scrubbing with a fingernail brush, just keep it by your sink. Rub it on a bar of soap, scrub across your nails each time you wash your hands.

A good shower usually voids my nails of all dirt. You could take up swimming as a hobby, which would give them a good soak.

1) Wear gloves when handling food that is liable to get under your nails.

2) Make sure to have an easily accessible hand-washing station and use it often. Include a nail brush at it (if you don’t have one a toothbrush will serve) and use it.

3) Do not scratch yourself as skin flakes will contribute to the gunk that builds up under our nails.

4) After washing you hands apply a thin coating of vaseline or hand lotion. That will help keep stuff from building up under your nails as well as counter the drying effects of washing your hands so often.

5) Keep your nails trimmed short so there is less space in which dirt can be trapped.

Do you find that washing your hair works? It did for me, when I was making etchings.
Ink is sticky.
Maybe it’s the detergent quality of the shampoo, or maybe partly the friction when you lather up.

I don’t know how sanitary gloves are really. At least people can feel funk on their hands, I see people in restaraunts handling money and doorknobs and food and cleaning fluids and picking up thngs off the floor. All kinds of places. Gloves make people sloppy. Clean hands, was well and often with nail brush.