When Must You Change Single-Use Gloves?

Disposable gloves have skyrocketed in use by the general population these past few years, obviously due to the spread of the coronavirus. When one germ can turn into 8 million in a single day, gloves are a must. At times during the pandemic, it was nearly impossible to find a box of disposable gloves on the shelves. They were being used to open doors, touch products in stores, and even to use bathrooms.

Such frequent use of disposable gloves begs the question: what is the proper use of gloves, and when must you change single-use gloves? Let’s go over when single-use gloves should be worn and how often they should be changed out.

The Use of Gloves in Everyday Infection Control

One of the most common reasons for wearing gloves is to avoid sickness and disease, but you don’t have to be in healthcare to be exposed to harmful bacteria. Plenty of people wear gloves when running errands or cleaning up around the house. In these cases, a pair of single-use gloves should be worn for no more than a few hours, or until they feel dirty. Always remember to dispose of gloves in a trash receptacle, and don’t reuse a single-use glove after you have taken it off.

Proper Glove Use in Food Service

Extra care must be taken in the food industry since many guests and customers have allergies or dietary restrictions that need to be followed accurately and precisely. The proper use of gloves when it comes to contact with food is quite simple: Whenever you are changing tasks, change your gloves. Different foods, especially raw meat and eggs, may contain certain bacteria that are harmful if ingested, so you shouldn’t go from handling meat to handling bread (for example) without putting on a new pair of disposable gloves. If you’ll be working with the same kind of food all day, you should still put on new gloves after four hours.

Proper Glove Use in Healthcare

Proper glove use in healthcare is vital to any practicing doctor or nurse. Obviously, doctors wear gloves when they are doing just about anything. Surgery, examinations, and even lab work require professionals to cover their hands in order to keep their own germs in and others’ germs out. Even if you aren’t a healthcare professional, the use of gloves in first-aid at home, work, or school is essential for the same reasons. Single-use gloves should be changed after every task or when you finish handling a certain object.

Gloves for infection control, food service, and healthcare are only a few examples of PPE we see every day. Proper use of gloves is not something that should be overlooked, especially when working with others. Protect yourself and those around you by investing in bulk boxes of disposable gloves for your business or home today!