How to get sides of big toes completely clean?

September 17, 2012 10:39 AM

Though I clean under them with the little hook part of my nail clipper, and though I've had pedicures which definitely help, I can't ever seem to get the side edges of my big toes completely sparkling clean. Lint accumulates, I clean it out, but the sides still always look a touch darker than the rest of the toenail. Maybe all the dirt that's been there over the years has stained them or something? Any tips on solving this?
posted by Malad to health & fitness (7 answers total)

How often do you soak your feet?
posted by batmonkey at 10:39 AM on September 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

I had a pedicure once where the technician told me that I had little infections on both sides of the nail of the big toe making them darker. She told me I needed to put some rubbing alcohol on them over the course of a week and they should clear up. I was a wee bit skeptical since they didn't hurt, no one else had ever said anything, and the darkness wasn't always there. I never tried the remedy, but that might be what it is.
posted by Leezie at 11:12 AM on September 17, 2012

Soaking.

Nail brush.

Orange stick.

Nail whitening pencil.

Or get a professional pedicure.
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:13 AM on September 17, 2012

After you get a snazzy pedicure where they clean your nails thoroughly, buy yourself some decolorized iodine and put a few drops under your nails a couple of times a day. It will destroy bacteria (slowly) but that may help. Also, the higher the cuticle underneath grows, the better it will be at keeping the dirt out so don't dig too deep.
posted by Yellow at 12:56 PM on September 17, 2012

I cheat a little by using Total Whitening Gel Toothpaste and a nailbrush with warm water in the tub. Put the toothpaste on your finger, not the brush, and dab it where you need it. Avoid toothpaste on tender nether regions.
posted by halfbuckaroo at 2:02 PM on September 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

Coloured nail polish.
posted by windykites at 9:16 PM on September 17, 2012

This stuff. It's the only thing that keeps my nails from looking grubby, no matter how much I scrape under them. Ignore the fact that it says it's for cuticles, it's a liquid (caustic potash, to be exact) that you can daub on with a q-tip.
posted by 8dot3 at 1:57 PM on September 18, 2012