Long Nails

Decorating By grandmaruth Updated 5 Mar 2012 , 12:57am by Norasmom

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grandmaruth Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 9:30am
post #1 of 70

just curious how any of you with long nails manage to work with fondant.

69 replies
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Claire138 Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 10:15am
post #2 of 70

I don't know about anyone else but I keep mine clipped and unpolished otherwise it's too much of a worry that the polish will clip and the nails leave marks in the fondant.

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Serena4016 Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 10:42am
post #3 of 70

I had beautiful nails before I started decorating cakes. Now I keep them short and unpolished!! It was too hard for me to keep nail dents out of the fondant and way too much work to keep the nails beautiful!!

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noahsmummy Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 11:05am
post #4 of 70

i dont run into too many issues.. sometimes i might accidently leave a mark, but its easy to work out with a ball tool or something.

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cakestyles Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 12:55pm
post #5 of 70

Every one of us who sell should keep our nails immaculately clean, clipped short and unpolished.

It completely grosses me out to see food handlers/preparers with long nails...it's very unsanitary.

If one must wear their nails long and polished they should wear gloves.

My HD requires it...I just assumed that was the rule everywhere. icon_confused.gificon_eek.gif

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bakencake Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 1:04pm
post #6 of 70
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakestyles

Every one of us who sell should keep our nails immaculately clean, clipped short and unpolished.

It completely grosses me out to see food handlers/preparers with long nails...it's very unsanitary.

If one must wear their nails long and polished they should wear gloves.

My HD requires it...I just assumed that was the rule everywhere. icon_confused.gificon_eek.gif




I second this

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BizCoCos Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 1:11pm
post #7 of 70
Quote:
Originally Posted by bakencake

Quote:
Originally Posted by cakestyles

Every one of us who sell should keep our nails immaculately clean, clipped short and unpolished.

It completely grosses me out to see food handlers/preparers with long nails...it's very unsanitary.

If one must wear their nails long and polished they should wear gloves.

My HD requires it...I just assumed that was the rule everywhere. icon_confused.gificon_eek.gif



I second this




yes, please!

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imagenthatnj Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 1:58pm
post #8 of 70

I seriously cook, more than I bake. Just for our family. Nails should be kept short, unpolished and immaculately clean. I expect the chefs at restaurants we go to do the same. It should really be mandatory and anyone with long nails who wants to work in the food industry should be made to clip them or wear gloves at all times.

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SweetDreams_DK Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 2:14pm
post #9 of 70

I remember having this discussion in pastry school. It's considered an absolute rule in the industry to keep your nails short, clean, and unpolished. One of our instructors was upset because the new textbook that was being considered had a woman with long, polished nails demonstrating in the photos.
Needless to say, I agree...I wouldn't want whatever is under your nails (or chips off of them) in my food, would you?

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BelaB Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 2:25pm
post #10 of 70

I always wear gloves when I'm caking -- I think everyone should!

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bakencake Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 7:10pm
post #11 of 70

my mom is a nures, just for kicks a bunch of the nurses and staff took samples of what was under their nails. you dont want to know what was under there. very scary. and yes, longer nails had the most crud.

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kmstreepey Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 7:31pm
post #12 of 70

I keep my nails short and unpolished just because it's easier, but I also have a scrub brush for cleaning under my nails when I wash my hands. I hate the idea of germs and stuff that get stuck under there and that doesn't come out with regular washing.

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QTCakes1 Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 7:43pm
post #13 of 70

This makes me think of that cake decorator, I think her name is Ashley Velasco, and all her hair down, fake lashes, and long painted red nails. Last night she was one of the judges on Foodnetwork Challenge and she, of ALL people, had the nerve to comment on the unsanitariness (is that a word ?) of a competitor who put there kness on the base board of their cake. Dirty, sure, but I can't even imagine the nastiness of one of Ashley Velasco's cake and all her glam make-up and long, painted nails! icon_sad.gif

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costumeczar Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 7:56pm
post #14 of 70

One of the students in the culinary school I went to had long, painted fingernails, and the chef sent her home and told her to come back when she cut them. She transferred out of the class instead. Some people must think that the rules of sanitation don't apply to them, or something.

There are plenty of people on here and on youtube who have videos showing them decorating with their long tranny daggers. You know the kind of fingernails I mean...(and thank you to one of my cake friends for makign up that term, it's perfect.) Anyway, it grosses me out to see that, and it's not sanitary whether you want to believe it or not.

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costumeczar Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 8:00pm
post #15 of 70

Hahaha! I wonder who I was thinking about when I wrote this back in April... http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2011/04/false-eyelashes-vs-basic-sanitation.html

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AnnieCahill Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 8:10pm
post #16 of 70

I keep my nails very short and unpolished. Mostly because I am lazy, but I have germ issues and long nails make it difficult to type.

One of the reasons I stopped watching those cake shows on TV is because on one of them (can't remember which one) someone was wearing a tank top while decorating. Dear God that was disgusting. And if I ever walked into a bakery or any eating establishment and saw someone wearing a tank top I would run the other way. When the girl was standing on a ladder trying to put the finishing touches on the cake all I could think of was the little deodorant balls that form in your pits.

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stormrider Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 8:21pm
post #17 of 70
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnieCahill

all I could think of was the little deodorant balls that form in your pits.




Ewww! I currently only bake at home for family - hair pulled back, upper body covered appropriately (usually t-shirt and apron), remove ALL jewelry (never know when a loose earring might try to escape), scrub nails (which are always short). Anything less would be disgusting!! tapedshut.gif It also makes me sick to watch all those chefs sweat into the food/cakes like a fountain. Use hats, bandanas, head bands or something/anything!! icon_mad.gif

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allaboutcakeuk Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 8:26pm
post #18 of 70
Quote:
Originally Posted by grandmaruth

just curious how any of you with long nails manage to work with fondant.




I do not, and would not, work with long nails on any cakes but that's cos I think it's cleaner and my personal opinion. I don't wear nail polish either. I treat myself sometimes at weekends when I am not working on cakes but the minute i get near the kitchen it's removed and nails are clipped. I think it is the most hygienic way, that aside it was also what i was taught in training icon_smile.gif

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cakestyles Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 8:49pm
post #19 of 70
Quote:
Originally Posted by costumeczar

Hahaha! I wonder who I was thinking about when I wrote this back in April... http://acaketorememberva.blogspot.com/2011/04/false-eyelashes-vs-basic-sanitation.html





Let's see long nails...Edna or Ashley?????

I love "tranny daggers" by the way...I'm totally using that the next time I see someone with them. lol

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AnnieCahill Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 8:51pm
post #20 of 70

LOL storm! All I can think of is standing there in scrubs scrubbing down with a cap and the little protective booties that doctors wear in the ER. I will have DH be my assistant and I can say "spatula" instead of "scalpel." Haha.

I will say, when I have to write on cakes, I kind of feel like projectile sweating. But I never do. icon_smile.gif

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BlakesCakes Posted 10 Oct 2011 , 9:08pm
post #21 of 70

I never allow my nails to get very long & I don't do polish, but if I'm caking, I cut them very, very short.

I have very small hands & I've tried working in gloves, but I just can't do it. My hands sweat into the gloves and when I take them off, my hands itch & peel.

I just wash my hands constantly while I'm working.

I've been in classes with women who have expensive manis and/or long acrylic nails. Made me want to barf.

I did see justice done once, though. A woman got Everclear on her new acrylics and it just melted right thru.....

Rae

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costumeczar Posted 11 Oct 2011 , 12:13am
post #22 of 70
Quote:
Originally Posted by BlakesCakes

I never allow my nails to get very long & I don't do polish, but if I'm caking, I cut them very, very short.

I have very small hands & I've tried working in gloves, but I just can't do it. My hands sweat into the gloves and when I take them off, my hands itch & peel.

I just wash my hands constantly while I'm working.

I've been in classes with women who have expensive manis and/or long acrylic nails. Made me want to barf.

I did see justice done once, though. A woman got Everclear on her new acrylics and it just melted right thru.....

Rae




Nice on the everclear!

Gloves are no better than clean hands if you don't change the gloves constantly. Clean hands are your best tool, but not with heinous long nails on them.

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cakestyles Posted 11 Oct 2011 , 3:33pm
post #23 of 70

I second the glove thing. Gloves are a false sense of security...you still need to keep the gloves clean and avoid cross contamination.

Safest thing is thorough and frequent hand washing and nice short clipped unpolished nails.

Long hair hanging down is another one of my pet peeves.

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Kathy99 Posted 11 Oct 2011 , 8:20pm
post #24 of 70
Quote:
Originally Posted by allaboutcakeuk

Quote:
Originally Posted by grandmaruth

just curious how any of you with long nails manage to work with fondant.



I do not, and would not, work with long nails on any cakes but that's cos I think it's cleaner and my personal opinion. I don't wear nail polish either. I treat myself sometimes at weekends when I am not working on cakes but the minute i get near the kitchen it's removed and nails are clipped. I think it is the most hygienic way, that aside it was also what i was taught in training icon_smile.gif




I totally agree. never to work with long nails! icon_smile.gif

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Rosanaymi Posted 11 Oct 2011 , 8:41pm
post #25 of 70
Quote:
Originally Posted by cakestyles

Every one of us who sell should keep our nails immaculately clean, clipped short and unpolished.

It completely grosses me out to see food handlers/preparers with long nails...it's very unsanitary.

If one must wear their nails long and polished they should wear gloves.

My HD requires it...I just assumed that was the rule everywhere. icon_confused.gificon_eek.gif




Totally!

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heartsnsync Posted 11 Oct 2011 , 8:42pm
post #26 of 70

Talking of cake shows, how many of you get grossed out with all of the decorators not covering their hair? Especially those with long loose hair decorating those cakes. I even saw a show where one girl's hair actually brushed a cake she was working on brushed the side of the cake! icon_surprised.gif I not only keep my nails short and unpolished and meticulously clean my hands very often while caking but I also keep my hair pinned up and a cap on my head. I found some really nice ones that are meant for nurses. They have a terry cloth band in the front, totally cover all of your hair and tie in the back for a nice tight fit. Besides the sanitary issue of the nails, finding a hair in your food is right up there!

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Karen421 Posted 11 Oct 2011 , 8:42pm
post #27 of 70

Yup - very short nails and no polish and I usually take my rings off too. icon_biggrin.gif

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bakencake Posted 11 Oct 2011 , 9:05pm
post #28 of 70

this is a gross but true story!!!. my WMI had several warts on her fingers. Once in a while she would grab my tip and teach me how to pipe. she would proceed to clean the tip with her warty finge icon_eek.gif . best diet ever. cake never even made it to the house. this was actually a good thing since it's just my husband and i with a cake a week coming in the house.

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cakesnglass Posted 11 Oct 2011 , 9:05pm
post #29 of 70

I went to a sanitation class and the truth was there is actually more bacteria stored under your watch and bracelets and rings, than under fingernails. We will wash are hand more times than remove and scrub our jewelry. icon_smile.gif

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lilmissbakesalot Posted 11 Oct 2011 , 9:11pm
post #30 of 70

I wear gloves that I change frequently as needed. If I wash my hands too much they crack and bleed. I wash my hands TONS while caking and it is much worse in the winter when it is dry. If I touch something different... I change them. If I have to scratch my forehead... I change them. If I switch from buttercream to fondant... I change them. I go through a lot of gloves, but it saves my hands. I wear rubber gloves when I do the dishes too.

Long nails are a huge no-no in the food service industry... mine are wickedly short.

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