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Going to the salon every other week gets expensive, but there are useful, free, and creative ways to get the perfect manicure without making that bank account-draining bi-weekly appointment. Check out these hacks for a great manicure.

1. Prevent Split Nails by Wearing Gloves in Water

If you've ever had the displeasure of a split fingernail, you understand why it's important to protect your hands. Wear rubber or latex gloves while washing dishes or hand washing clothes to keep your manicure in tip top shape and prevent cracked nails.

2. Restore Cuticles Overnight

Instead of using chemicals on your cuticles, try this overnight remedy for unruly cuticles. As you sleep, your cuticles will become soft and moisturized.

3. Remove Nail Polish Stains with Tooth Whitener

After taking off red nail polish, have you noticed a pink or orange tinge to your nails? There's an easy way to get rid of it: tooth whitener.

4. Go Natural with Hand Lotion

Not all hand lotions are created equal, so when you want a hand lotion you can trust to contain natural ingredients, you may need to make it yourself. One recipe incorporates aloe vera, essential oils, beeswax, and Vitamin E oil for a naturally moisturizing hand lotion.

5. Create Your Own Hand Scrub

If your hands have a lot of dead skin, lotion alone won't be able to soothe it. Consider creating hand scrub at home that has the same beneficial effects as the expensive stuff sold in stores. The Beauty Department's blend of lemon, sugar, coconut oil, and Argan oil is instantly enriching while exfoliating skin.

6. Correct Nail Polish Mistakes Quickly

Having globs of nail polish on the sides of each finger isn't an attractive look, and announces to the world, "I DIY-ed my mani." Instead, use a brush and some nail polish remover to create a clean line around the nail and successfully trick your friends into thinking a professional did your nails.

7. Mend a Broken Nail without Pain

Have you ever had a broken nail that threatened to break down to the quick? If you have, you understand how painful that can be. Instead of biting or ripping off a piece of broken nail, use a piece of a tea bag and some nail glue to make a quick (and painless) repair.

8. Prevent Over-Polishing with Vaseline

Protect the skin around your nails, whether working on your toes or fingernails, by applying petroleum jelly to the edges. Once you're finished polishing, there will be no extra swipes of nail polish to clean up.

9. Use a Glass Nail File for the Best Manicure

Part of the reason nails peel in layers at the tip is the way in which they are filed. Using a glass nail file prevents keratin separation at the nail bed, resulting in a long-lasting, healthy manicure and reduced risk of breakage.

10. Whiten Yellow Nails Naturally

Consistently polishing your nails can result in gradual staining and a yellowish appearance. Easily remove staining by mixing 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide with 2 ½ tablespoons of baking soda.

11. Clever Nail Polish Storage

Use shoe boxes or old picture boxes to sort and organize your nail polish bottles. Add a drop of color to a sticker and place it on the top of the bottle to easily identify the color you want.

12. Remove Nail Oil with Vinegar

Nail polish stays on longer when applied to a clean, dry nail. Unfortunately, invisible oils can sabotage your new manicure. Before applying nail polish, swipe each fingernail with white vinegar to cut through any oils on the nail.

13. Help Your Nail Polish Dry Fast

Want your nail polish to dry quickly (and avoid unsightly accidents)? Dip your manicured nails into a bowl of ice water for approximately 3 seconds to expedite the drying process.

14. Create Matte Nail Polish at Home

Can't part with your favorite shade, but wish it was less shiny? Add a matte top coat to any nail polish by mixing clear polish and corn starch.

15. Use Cooking or Hair Spray to Dry Nails

A fast, cheap way to dry your nail polish is to apply cooking spray or hair spray over the top coat. While this won't prevent major damage from occurring, it strengthens the top layer and is more resistant to smudges.

16. Quickly Repair Chipped Nail Polish

Quickly cover up chips in nail polish with a coat of glitter. Choose a uniform pattern or apply glitter polish in varying strengths to achieve a faded effect.

17. Fix a Nail Polish Blunder

Were you going for a top coat but missed the mark? Instead of starting fresh, improvise by lightly rubbing nail polish remover on the smudge. Then, simply add the original color over it and you're finished!

18. Eliminate Nail Polish Bubbles

Avoid having bubbles surface atop your perfectly painted nails by first rolling the bottle in between your hands as opposed to shaking it. Normally, it's shaking up the contents of the bottle that results in air bubbles.

19. Restore Old Nail Polish

Do you have old bottles of nail polish that look as though they're destined for the garbage bin? Before tossing them, apply nail lacquer thinner to the bottle to restore the polish's viscosity to normal.

20. New Uses for Watery Polish

On the other hand, some nail polishes are designed to be thin. Instead of finding a new favorite brand, use thin nail polish for designs or watercolor effects.

Featured photo credit: Element5 Digital via unsplash.com