Last updated on : October 29th, 2022 at 09:39 am
One should not ignore the importance of knowing how to clean rubber gloves. For this purpose, you only need some mild soap, such as a dishwashing liquid, for example.
A pair of rubber gloves are essential for kitchen and housekeeping chores as they protect your nails and hands against dirt and chemicals.
Being aware of that, of course, you want to maintain its condition and use them longer.
Although replacing them would not cost much, you wouldn’t want to get a new one after cleaning the dishes.
With this in mind, we have decided to make an ultimate guide for you regarding cleaning your rubber gloves and taking care of them in general.
4 Easy Steps To Clean Rubber Gloves
We wear gloves for protection. So we want to ensure that the gloves we use are not contaminated.
Below are the steps you can follow in cleaning your rubber gloves to last longer.
Step #1. Remove debris and dirt
The first step is to eliminate the debris, dirt, and other objects accumulated on your gloves. To do that, you can begin by rinsing your gloves using warm water.
You can also use mild detergent or soap to clean the exterior of your gloves while you are still wearing them. Simple, rub them together.
You can also use a cloth that you have dampened in soapy water to remove the organic materials like germs and dirt on the surface of the gloves.
If your rubber gloves are dirty, you can also use a soft brush to scrub your gloves.
After that, you can rinse your gloves under the faucet.
Step #2. Disinfect your rubber gloves
Sanitizing your rubber gloves is also essential to ensure that all living organisms will be killed off.
To disinfect your gloves, you have various options.
You can use vinegar and water. Mix them together and submerge your gloves into the solution for half an hour or so.
Vinegar is a good disinfectant as it can remove up to 99 percent of bacteria.
Another disinfectant that you can use is bleach. It contains hydrogen peroxide, which is also good at killing off germs.
But how to clean rubber gloves with bleach?
When making this disinfectant solution, ensure more water than bleach. Only soak your gloves in the solution for 5 minutes.
Other than vinegar and bleach, rubbing alcohol is also a good disinfectant.
You know that rubbing alcohol can also kill up to 99 percent of bacteria, which is why we use it to wash our hands.
But how to clean gloves with rubber alcohol?
Like other laundry products, you can soak your gloves into a bowl containing rubber alcohol and leave it for about 30 minutes.
Step #3. Drying and storing
After the time indicated above, depending on the disinfectant, the next step is rinsing your gloves using warm water. Then, allow them to air dry.
You can hang your gloves in an area that is well-ventilated or under direct sunlight.
Also, ensure that they have been dried off entirely before you fold and put them away.
Also, remember to keep them in a dry environment so that mildew growth will be prevented.
Step #4. Wash your hands
Although this step is often forgotten by some people, this is important.
After cleaning your gloves, you also need to wash your hands. On average, a person washes his hands about 6 times per day.
About one gallon of water is usually used in washing hands.
In doing so, ensure to use soap or rubbing alcohol as they effectively remove up to 99 percent of bacteria.
Besides those two items, lemon juice or dish soap would also work. But one of the best products I can recommend is antibacterial soap.
By washing your hands, you can ensure that your hands’ bacteria and viruses will be killed off.
You might acquire so much bacteria while cleaning or from gloves as they can proliferate inside them with your sweaty hands.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Now, to supplement everything you have learned above on how to clean your rubber gloves, let us answer some of the most frequently asked questions.
I tried my best to give you concise answers so it would not take much of your time reading this section. Let us start right away!
#1. How to store rubber gloves?
It is safe to assume that what you are referring to here is reusable rubber gloves, not disposable.
So the best thing is to hang your rubber gloves in a location with good ventilation for them to dry. Do this after each use.
In case you own many gloves, you can place them inside a plastic bin with a lid and ensure to put a label so that you can quickly identify what’s inside.
#2. How many times should you replace your gloves?
If the rubber gloves that you mean here are those you use inside the house, then I recommend that you replace them after using them when cleaning the bathroom.
That is because your gloves might be worn out after cleaning, so they might not protect you against contaminants and bacteria anymore.
#3. What consequences will you face if you fail to clean your rubber gloves?
If you fail to clean your gloves, you might face terrible consequences.
Aside from strains and discoloration, your gloves might not be that effective anymore in protecting your hands against harmful substances.
The grime, residue, and dirt accumulated on your gloves might also irritate your skin. Or worse, it can lead to infection.
In the worst cases, you might face serious health issues like blood poisoning if you do not clean your rubber gloves.
#4. What kinds of rubber gloves have to be cleaned?
A variety of rubble gloves are offered on the market intended for cleaning.
One of the most common types is those latex gloves made of natural rubber.
This type of gloves is commonly disposable, and you can use them in several cleaning tasks.
Knowing what the benefits of disposable latex gloves might want, you to consider them for your next cleaning operation.
You can also get nitrile, vinyl, and neoprene gloves made out of synthetic rubber.
The latter is commonly used for industrial tasks. On the other hand, how nitrile and vinyl gloves are made considers various possible applications.
It’s A Wrap!
Now that you know how to clean rubber gloves, which are essential for your safety and longevity, you should not forget to do this after cleaning.
No matter how tired you are after doing kitchen or household chores, make time to clean them or simply hang them to dry first.
Those tips can help in getting rid of the smell and, most importantly, of the bacteria.
That’s all for today. Thank you for reading!