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Dishpan Hands....

Miss Neecerie

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,616
Location
The land of Sinatra, Hoboken
Ok...In an attempt to not have such horrid nails*, I have come upon the idea that it is perhaps dishwashing and other chores that are contributing to bad nails and hands.

I have just -recently- started wearing gloves to wash dishes, and do other chores.

Does anyone else wear gloves and does it really help? I feel ridiculous, and so if its not helping, why bother......




*as part of my 'oh why am i such a total slob, and how do i fix it' campaign.
 

olive bleu

One Too Many
Messages
1,667
Location
Nova Scotia
oh Miss Neceerie..it helps loads.I never wore rubber gloves when doing dishes or other household cleaning untill about 2 years ago.And i had the most horrible nails to prove it!They were so weak, constantly peeling, cracking etc.I really did not associate it with my habit of putting my hands in detergent all the time.i can't recall why i suddenly started wearing rubber gloves but the change in my hands was amazing. It really only took about a week to begin to see the difference.The other thing that has helped is i have become a fanatic about using hand cream.I keep a tube by the kitchen sink, one on my desk at work, and some on my dresser so i can apply some right before bed.Anytime my hands touch any water at all, i apply hand lotion.Using the rubber gloves also means that you don't need to reapply your nail polish as often.
 

ginny

Familiar Face
Messages
53
Location
Indiana
I wear gloves for everything from doing dishes (well, BF mostly does them) to preparing food, like chopping veggies, handling meat, etc. I work in a biology lab, and my hands were getting so dry from constant getting wet, washing labware, etc. So I started using the disposable lab gloves for anything that required getting my hands wet, and it helped tons!
 

Lulu-in-Ny

A-List Customer
Messages
433
Location
Clifton Park, New York
I second and third all of the above. It is absolutely worth it. Think about what all that hot water and cleaning supplies does to skin.:( And keep moisturizing. I work in a bookstore, and it is unbelievably dry in there. That, coupled with handling books and cardboard, dry my skin out something awful. If I could wear gloves there, I'd do it...
I'd also suggest getting a small hand-held steam cleaner. Anywhere you can cut out using chemicals to clean will help out.
 

Miss Neecerie

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,616
Location
The land of Sinatra, Hoboken
Lulu-in-Ny said:
I'd also suggest getting a small hand-held steam cleaner. Anywhere you can cut out using chemicals to clean will help out.


oh I already use the bare minimum in terms of chemical stuff..most cleaners are either things I am allergic to...or they trigger allergic asthma attacks if i spray them...
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
33,165
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
Miss Neecerie said:
Ok...In an attempt to not have such horrid nails*, I have come upon the idea that it is perhaps dishwashing and other chores that are contributing to bad nails and hands.

I have just -recently- started wearing gloves to wash dishes, and do other chores.

Does anyone else wear gloves and does it really help? I feel ridiculous, and so if its not helping, why bother......

Once upon a time I had a job working in a meat market, cleaning the processing equipment, which kept my hands in suds for at least four hours every day -- and after a month of this my hands peeled and split and hurt so badly I had to sit on them to stop the ache. They didn't look any too good either. Getting some good strong gloves helped --they'd help even more when I coated my hands with lotion before donning them. When they were really bad I'd use vaseline instead of lotion (but only with *non latex* gloves!!)
 

Paisley

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,439
Location
Indianapolis
Detergents are meant to dissolve grease and oil. Contrary to popular opinion, your skin shouldn't be squeaky clean--it needs its natural oils.

I finally realized this when I was remodeling my bathroom and washing my hands with Dawn in the kitchen. My hands were dry and cracked--and they absorbed every kind of grease and oil I touched.

If you feel silly wearing gloves, you might try Murphy's Oil. I've heard it cleans without stripping oils.
 

MissMissy

One of the Regulars
Messages
101
Location
The sticks
I use a "Gardener's Salve" on my hands, keeps them soft and beautiful. I make my own using Jojoba Oil, Beeswax, Shea Butter, and Lavender Essential Oil. An internet search of gardener's salve or just salve will provide quite a few leads. I prefer to use the most natural products I can find or make myself. Other natural salves on the market will most likely have more healing essential oils and/or herb infused oils in them, the recipe I use is simple but it works. ;)

Missy
 

Miss Neecerie

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,616
Location
The land of Sinatra, Hoboken
Paisley said:
Detergents are meant to dissolve grease and oil. Contrary to popular opinion, your skin shouldn't be squeaky clean--it needs its natural oils.

I finally realized this when I was remodeling my bathroom and washing my hands with Dawn in the kitchen. My hands were dry and cracked--and they absorbed every kind of grease and oil I touched.

If you feel silly wearing gloves, you might try Murphy's Oil. I've heard it cleans without stripping oils.


mmm that would work for a lot of things although not my dishes....

I suppose I shall stick with the gloves for all this. Maybe I just need fantastic pink ones or something!
 

16_sparrows

Vendor
Messages
197
Location
Chicago
I use gloves for cleaning and will never go back. The one thing I found though is that you need to get the right ones. I have thin hands and if I get the generic rubber gloves I feel like a lumber jack and water always gets in through the top. Playtex has some rubber gloves that are more fitted for a woman's hands, I can't remember what they call it though. Its the one that comes in a platic bag and only has one yellow pair. They last a long time and my cuticles are thanking me for it.
 

Miss Crisplock

A-List Customer
Messages
448
Location
Long Beach, CA
I concur with the glove suggestion, and wish to raise it; gardening and driving have their own gloves and it really will help your hands to protect them as much as possible.

For bed, lotion up your hands and slip on a pair of cotton gloves. It works a treat!
 

Paisley

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,439
Location
Indianapolis
I'll second the gardening gloves suggestion. Sticky clay imbeds itself in your skin and sucks out the moisture. Sand scratches you. So unless you have soft, black, fluffy soil found in a few counties in Iowa, put on some gardening gloves.
 

BeBopBaby

One Too Many
Messages
1,176
Location
The Rust Belt
Paisley said:
I'll second the gardening gloves suggestion. Sticky clay imbeds itself in your skin and sucks out the moisture. Sand scratches you. So unless you have soft, black, fluffy soil found in a few counties in Iowa, put on some gardening gloves.

Never garden without gloves! You never know what kind of bugs or beasties are hiding where you put your hands! I had a brown recluse spider (their bite makes your flesh rot away) jump out on my hands once and try to bite me. Luckily, the gloves saved me.
 

ShooShooBaby

One Too Many
Messages
1,149
Location
portland, oregon
i *never* wear gloves when i garden - it'd ruin it for me! i love having my hands in the dirt. but then i guess i'm a risk-taker as it is - i commute by bike every day (with gloves) ;)
 

olive bleu

One Too Many
Messages
1,667
Location
Nova Scotia
i'm with shoo shoo baby on this one.i wear gloves for almost every other household duty, but when it comes to gardening i love getting my hands into the earth..unless i am pruning something thorny..i don't really like getting my hands scratched up.I am not afraif of dirt, i just don't like strong chemicals on my hands.
 

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