Here is a step by step instructional how to clean a silicone practice hand for nail art, plus video. Realistic nail practice hands are a must have nail art tool for practicing your nail art ideas, nail art videos and photos.

Purchasing a high quality silicone hand like the hands here on Amazon, can be very expensive. When you are spending up to $100 for just one hand, it's important to make sure that it is being looked after so that it will last as long as possible. This meaning clearing them the right way.

To clean a silicone practice hand, the best thing to use is soap and water. You can also use tape to dab any lint or glitter away but this can cause damage to the delicate cuticle area so proceed with caution.

Silicone practice hands are great, but they are not perfect. The silicone itself loves to attract literally everything from lint, hair, specs of nail art glitter and dust.

Also, the cuticles are very thin and if you are not being careful, they can easily rip. So there goes your money right down the drain. Once a cuticle gets damaged, they just never look the same, do they?

One of the most important things is cleaning your practice hands. They get dirty fast and with all of the gel polishes, acrylics, nail polishes and glitter that are constantly being applied to them, they can look pretty rough. 

The good news is that we use these practice hands all the time and want to show you step by step how to clean them without damaging them.

🎥 For this DIY we are partnering up with SugarField DIY. Watch this video tutorial in their Amazon shop. They show you step by step how to wash a silicone practice hand.

HOW TO WASH SILICONE PRACTICE HANDS

Step 1

Examine your practice hand. Take a close look to see what needs to be cleaned off. There might be nail polish, glue, gel or other nail art supplies that you have used.

If there is any silicone that is actually damaged, then you can carefully trim those areas with very sharp cuticle cuticle scissors. Only take the tiniest bit off at a time, if this is messed up in any way your hand will not look right.

The cuticle area might be damaged from long term use, from the nail drill or files. You can decide whether these need to be trimmed to get rid of the jagged edges.

Beware: Once you start cutting at the cuticle, your practice hand will never look the same or give the realistic look you are going for, so cut the cuticle area on extremely damaged hands.

Sometimes a practice hand might be used to the point where it just needs replacing. Here's our article about the best silicone practice hands.

Step 2

Wipe off any nail polish, gel polish or glitter with acetone & cotton pad. Use a cotton pad, cotton swab or paper towel with acetone to gently wipe the nail beds and fingers. Always wipe going from the cuticle down, not up. Going upwards can tear the thin cuticle.

If there is polygel, gel or acrylic, it should pop right off if you gently put your nail underneath it. It's not a good idea to use any kinds of tools on the practice hands unless you are very experienced because you can easily damage the silicone.

Be especially careful around the cuticles when wiping or removing bits of gel, because that part of the silicone is very thin and can tear.

Step 3

Gently wipe the whole hand with 70% isopropyl alcohol and a cotton pad alcohol for a deep cleansing. Get all of the fingers cleaned, and also the front and back of the hand. 

Step 4

Place your practice hand into warm soapy water and let it soak for 2 minutes. This is going to help loosen up any bits or glitter that might still be on the hand.

Step 5

Gently rub the soapy water around the hand, making sure the whole hand is cleaned. The best way is to use your bare hands so that you can feel for anything that is still on there.

Pay special attention around the cuticle area. The cuticle area is very thin so make sure you are being careful not to rip the cuticles. Never slide up onto the cuticle area.

Step 6

Use a sugar scrub for extremely dirty practice hands or for stubborn elements that won't come off. Use a fine grained sugar scrub to gently exfoliate the silicone hand. It's very important not to use a chunky scrub because you can ruin your hand.

Make your own sugar scrub for your practice hand by mixing together 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of olive oil. Avoid the cuticle area.

Step 7

Dip the hand back into the soapy water to remove the scrub. Go over the whole hand to make sure there is no scrub left on the hand.

Step 8

Rinse the silicone hand under warm water. Make sure that the whole hand is completely free of the sugar scrub. Inspect the hand while you are rinsing for any left over polishes or gels that still need to be removed. 

Step 9

Place the hand onto a piece of paper towel & gently press the cuticle area downward to push out any water that might be trapped up there. Use a piece of paper towel or cotton pad to remove any extra water from this area, just dab it to collect the water droplets.

Step 10

Let the practice hand completely air dry.

Storing your practice hands

Store your practice hand in a plastic container with a lid. Make sure the container is completely cleaned out and only use it for your practice hand. Lining the container with paper towel will help keep it clean.

Thanks for reading and we hope you found this article on washing your silicone practice hands helpful. Feel free to share this article on your socials and blogs by linking back to us.

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