Safest gloves

[Blufuz]

Hi all!

I was hoping to get advice on what kind of gloves you use. I saw a post from @Kari Howie recommending nitrile gloves, but how about reusable gloves?

I had used kitchen gloves at first, I liked how far up my arm they go and how thick, but now I realized the lye has been slowly eating through them…

 

[Georgeandstella]

Hi all!

I was hoping to get advice on what kind of gloves you use. I saw a post from @Kari Howie recommending nitrile gloves, but how about reusable gloves?

I had used kitchen gloves at first, I liked how far up my arm they go and how thick, but now I realized the lye has been slowly eating through them…

I’m going to tag onto your question (if you don’t mind)-also gloves that are pliable and fit the end of your fingers so you can work more freely, such as for cleaning or working with your soap (I’ve had to push imbeds in, etc.) Maybe my gloves are just too big…

 

[Babyshoes]

I use nitrile gloves because I'm allergic to latex, and the usual thick household gloves usually contain latex, or at least the ones I've used in the past did. I also find they are too bulky for tactile work like soaping.

I do generally reuse nitriles at least once or twice, depending on the quality and how much lye they've had contact with. From experience, it's not worth buying the cheapest, since a significant number of those tear easily and are unlikely to survive reuse... Luckily I learned *that* lesson in a job where the substances we were trying to protect against were mostly harmless, and at worst mildly irritating to the skin.

 

[Georgeandstella]

I use nitrile gloves because I'm allergic to latex, and the usual thick household gloves usually contain latex, or at least the ones I've used in the past did. I also find they are too bulky for tactile work like soaping.

I do generally reuse nitriles at least once or twice, depending on the quality and how much lye they've had contact with. From experience, it's not worth buying the cheapest, since a significant number of those tear easily and are unlikely to survive reuse... Luckily I learned *that* lesson in a job where the substances we were trying to protect against were mostly harmless, and at worst mildly irritating to the skin.

Unrelated question- how do you post in a thread without it being a reply? Like you did above. Thank you!

 

[Babyshoes]

Unrelated question- how do you post in a thread without it being a reply? Like you did above. Thank you!

Instead of clicking "reply", you just scroll down and type into the text box.

 

[Georgeandstella]

Yes, thank you! I need to pay more attention

 

[Zing]

I get my reusable gloves from Menards. They are thick but also super pliable so no affect on fine motor skills. They last years. I hate adding to the landfill and these work for me.

 

[Feelin' Soapy]

I use nitrile gloves when I soap, and I don't like the idea of wear once and throw away. I powder my hands before putting them on which keeps my hands from feeling sweaty in the gloves and also makes them easier to take off. Then when I'm all done with the soap and the cleanup, I wash my "hands" (still wearing the gloves), and take them off. I can wear the same pair many times with this method.

 

[srez]

I get my reusable gloves from Menards. They are thick but also super pliable so no affect on fine motor skills. They last years. I hate adding to the landfill and these work for me.

Do you mean that one pair lasts years or a box of them? I'm kinda not feeling going through a pair after one shot myself.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I have short fingers and have found that the reusable latex gloves (the kind they sell for washing dishes) don’t fit well enough to give me the dexterity I need when I make soap, so I‘ve settled on using disposable nitrile gloves. I always wash my gloved hands and dry off well before I remove the gloves, at which point I turn them inside out and set them aside until needed. I don’t toss a glove until it rips. It’s hard to track, but I would say I typically get a dozen or more uses out of a single glove.

P.S. Same as @JoyfulSudz

 

[AliOop]

Same for me with the nitrile gloves. As long as I remember to turn my wedding ring so the diamond and its sharp edges/corners are on the palm side of my hand, I get many uses out of them.

 

[DeeAnna]

I use 6 mil or 8 mil nitrile gloves. I buy them for my business, so allocate a few for my soap making hobby. I get them a size larger than my usual glove size (a size Large instead of Medium) so they're easier to get on and off. I get multiple uses from these gloves.

But I can't stress enough that you have to be careful about punctures. That's especially a concern if you only use the thinner nitrile exam gloves (2-3 mil thickness).

One of my gloves got tiny rip in one finger -- think I caught it on a sharp corner while soaping. Nothing bad happened, but it could have. And we've had posts here where people don't notice a tiny tear or puncture and soap batter or lye solution seeped inside and caused burns.

One way to double check the integrity of your gloves is to fill them with water after you're done soaping. If there are any drips or spouts of water from the glove, time to discard it.

 

[Blufuz]

So conclusion: nitrile gloves, as thick as possible. Even the disposable ones can be used several times, but caution for punctures.

 

[Jorah]

For my nitrile gloves, which I usually use two or three times, I've gotten 'Adenna - CAT458 Catch 8 mil Nitrile Powder Free Gloves' in 100-packs (50 pair) and been happy with them. The ones I get have a nice texture on the fingers to give you more grip.

For heavier uses, I can specifically recommend 'SPONTEX 20005 Household Gloves', a pair of which will last me a year to 18 months. They're so rugged that they'll survive being laundered, being used while scrubbing siding, endless car washes, etc. There is a loss of tactile feel, of course. They'll give a little protection against heat, but the time I had to dig a batch of soap out of a pan by hand and shove it into a mold, it was clear where their limits were...

 

[Zing]

Do you mean that one pair lasts years or a box of them? I'm kinda not feeling going through a pair after one shot myself.

One pair lasts years.

 

[srez]

One pair lasts years.

Ahh... Gotcha. So you're not talking about the surgical/mechanic/nitrile ones.
Are you talking more of the longer, mid forearm dishwashing type gloves?

 

[Zing]

Ahh... Gotcha. So you're not talking about the surgical/mechanic/nitrile ones.
Are you talking more of the longer, mid forearm dishwashing type gloves?

They're stronger than dishwashing gloves. https://www.menards.com/main/grocer...r-gloves/rw15014-l/p-1540448849123-c-7083.htm

 

[srez]

They're stronger than dishwashing gloves. https://www.menards.com/main/grocer...r-gloves/rw15014-l/p-1540448849123-c-7083.htm

Awesome! Thanks @Zing

 

[CLMP]

What about silicone gloves do you know if these are safe I just ordered a pair.

 

[Ekuzo]

What about silicone gloves do you know if these are safe I just ordered a pair.

I don't see a reason why not. I mean, if it's the same material used for molds and spatulas, it should work well and be durable enough, even more. I don't have the nerves for gloves anymore though, they always get in my way