How to Do a Perfect Pedicure at Home, According to Experts

Who cares if the only people seeing your toes right now are your family and your dog? Spring still means digging your favorite sandals out of the closet and getting a bright and shiny new pedicure to go along with the warmer weather. Until your favorite nail salon is open again, here’s how to do a perfect at-home pedicure.

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1. Get the right pedicure tools.

To do up your at-home pedicure right, you’ll need nail clippers, emery boards, a cuticle pusher, a pumice stone, foot lotion, and a place to soak your feet. A warm, fluffy towel and some great-smelling bath salts or oils help up the luxe-level of your experience. And, of course, make sure you have a fresh bottle of color and base and top coats.

2. Prepare your canvas.

First, you need to remove any old, chipped polish that’s left over from your last pedicure. This is harder than you may think, says Lyn Lam, co-founder of Kapa Nui Nails, a line of non-toxic, water-based nail polishes (we love their bright cherry Lehua Blossom for toes this season) “Because toenails are drier than fingernails, polish is harder to remove,” she explains. Dip a cotton ball in polish remover and press against the nail for a few seconds to dissolve the polish—you may need to go over your toes twice to remove every last speck of color.

3. Trim your toenails.

Unlike fingernails, which you may prefer to keep rounded so the edges don’t snag on anything, toenails should be cut square, says Linda Sweeney, an instructor, consultant, and the former owner of the Academy of Nail Technology. “Toenails should be cut leaving corners and filed straight across,” she says, pointing out that cutting them too short can cause ingrown toenails.

4. Soak and soften.

The colder months may have left your feet dry and cracked, so indulge them in a nice, softening soak in warm water with bath salts. You’ll need a large plastic bowl or a foot spa, or you can just sit on the edge of your bathtub. Grab a magazine to read while you’re soaking and ask your partner or child to give you a shoulder rub, to get the full-on nail-salon experience.

5. Work the cuticles and calluses.

Dry off your feet, and then gently go over your heels and the balls of your feet with a pumice stone. Then push back the softened cuticles with a cuticle stick or soften with cuticle remover (don’t cut them, since that can potentially lead to infection). After rubbing in some of your favorite foot cream, swipe over the nails once again with polish remover to get rid of any lingering oil or lotion.

6. Paint on a pretty color.

If you have a toe-spreader, now’s the time to use it—or simply roll up a paper towel and twist it between your toes as they do at the salons. Lam has a time-saving trick: You can skip the base coat on toes, she says, since the dryness of the toenails means that color coats will stay on longer, even without using a bottom coat. Paint on two coats of your favorite color, waiting a minute or two in between coats, and then swipe on a quick drying top coat. Polish can stay on toes up to a month or even longer, says Lam—perhaps by the time you need your next pedicure, your favorite salon will be open.

7. Chill and dry!

Now comes the single most important step of any at-home pedicure. Get comfortable, put your feet up, grab a quarantini or a glass of wine, and relax until your toes are dry. And dream of the day we can all gather in the salon again. “I believe the pampering and relaxation of a salon service will be much appreciated after the challenge of home manicures and pedicures,” says Sweeney.

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Marisa Cohen

Deputy Editor

Marisa Cohen is an editor in the Hearst Lifestyle Group’s Health Newsroom, who has covered health, nutrition, parenting and culture for dozens of magazines and websites over the past two decades.