This one’s quick and dirty.

Really it’s quick and clean, but — nevermind. I give you: the nail brush!

I hail this tool in the washroom when it comes to scrubbing up, because the nails are where germs are really held. Sure, you can lather up and sing Happy Birthday twice to ensure you’re washing off most of the bad stuff, but you can still wash your hands and have dirty nails. I’m giving myself the willies thinking about it.

I can’t restrict the usage of this simple – yet miraculous – item for just women with longer nails because there are dudes out there with some nasty, funky nails. We don’t need to get into it but you know who you are.

I don’t know about other ladies (or men), but I check out hands on a guy. My boyfriend can attest to this. (He passed the test, obviously.) The nails need to be short ‘n clean. Anything less than that and I am grossed the F out.

Although it’s rare that I have witnessed a woman with dirt crammed underneath her nails, it happens. And it shouldn’t. We live in a modern age where this unsightly and very germ-o-licious situation needn’t occur.

These handy brushes can be found at most drugstores; certainly Target or Walmart has them somewhere in the Health/Beauty aisle.

Zoe Recommends, and can’t recommend enough, having one of these and a spare in your home at all times. It saves any nail embarrassment and most importantly, you get sick less. Really, it’s true. When you inevitably rub your eyes or eat a meal or type at a keyboard, etc, you scrub away these daily activities in about ten seconds of vigor.

So there you have it. The 99¢ lifesaver. You’re welcome.