Mayim Aharonim-When Must One Wash Mayim Aharonim, and How Much of the Hand Must be Washed?

The Gemara in Masechet Hulin (108a) establishes that people who had the job of measuring salt were required to wash their hands at the end of the day, after finishing their work. Even if they did not eat anything, they were obligated to wash their hands.

The Halacha of Mayim Aharonim was instituted out of the concern that some salt may stick to a person’s hands during the meal, and this salt could endanger his eyesight if he touches his eyes. By the same token, people who handle salt are required to wash Mayim Aharonim to remove the salt from their hands, even if they did not eat anything.

One must wash Mayim Aharonim after eating bread and after eating any salty food, such as pickles, pretzels and popcorn. When washing Mayim Aharonim, one must wash the entirety of all his fingers, and not merely his fingertips.
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Adopted from the class of Rabbi Eli Mansour