Gloves 101 - Choose the Right Disposable Gloves!
Materials
Latex
- Natural rubber latex is a processed plant product
- Most trusted material and first choice for healthcare settings worldwide
- Consistent fit, flexibility, and resilience. Fits the best!
- Reliable performance and barrier protection against infection and contamination
- Allergic reaction for some users
- Costs fluctuate according to prices of natural resources
Vinyl
- First synthetic material available to consumer
- Composed of polyvinyl chloride and plasticizers that softens the material.
- Economical alternative to latex gloves. Cheapest material used for gloves!
- Great for basic hand protection in a low infection environment.
- Good multi-purpose glove for general use and activities that do not require highest degree of tactile precision.
- Allergy Free!
- Does not fit as well as latex
Nitrile
- Synthetic Polymer that exhibits rubber-like characteristics
- Protein and allergy free
- Much of the same flexibility, tensile strength, and durability as latex
- Superior to latex gloves in providing protection against petroleum-based products.
- More expensive to produce than latex.
Neoprene
- Synthetic glove made from polychloroprene.
- Synthetic that fits and feels more like vinyl.
- Reliable performance and superior protection.
- High quality latex-free synthetic.
Types of Gloves
General Purpose
- Food Handling
- Beauty Supply/Hair Salon
- Janitorial
- Housekeeping
- Cleaning/Painting/Yard Work/Plumbing/etc.
- Arts and Crafts
- Industrial
- Auto
Exam
- Medical
- Dental
- Healthcare Related
- EMS/First Aid
- Law Enforcement
- Nursing Home/Homecare
- Tattoo and Body Piercing
- Pet & Vet
High Risk
- EMS
- Tattoo Shops
- Industrial
- Auto
- Laboratory
Powder vs. Powder-Free
Donning powders which are used to make gloves easier to pull on and to keep them from sticking together. Can act as a vehicle for the transmission of latex proteins. Typical powders used are cornstarch and oatmeal. Costs more to make powder-free gloves since powders must be removed from the glove.
Latex Allergy
What is a latex allergy?
An allergy or immediate hypersensitivity reaction occurs when the body’s immune system is sensitized to a foreign protein and reacts by forming a type of antibody called an IgE antibody specifically directed against this protein. This kind of antibody is responsible for a wide variety of allergic responses which may range from hives (urticaria) to allergic rhinitis (hay fever), asthma, or rarely, life-threatening allergic attacks (anaphylaxis).
Latex allergic individuals make allergic antibodies directed against one or more proteins that are found in natural rubber latex. Latex gloves are frequently implicated in allergic reactions due to the repeated direct exposure of the wearer’s hands to latex proteins or due to airborne latex proteins that are absorbed by powders used to lubricate some latex gloves. |
