You don’t have to be a forensic scientist to look at discarded work gloves and see money thrown away. The primary purpose of most industrial hand protection is to prevent hand injuries from the job hazards, but workers’ gloves can and do get dirty and contaminated in the process. If the gloves are not damaged or worn out, they can often be cleaned by methods appropriate to the glove materials. And cleaning can reveal actual damage to the gloves that could present a safety hazard. Many industrial gloves include cleaning instructions on the packaging.

Leather Work Gloves Cleaning

Leather was one of the first glove materials and remains a traditional, popular choice for many workers. Tanning the leather for work gloves is a complex process. There are many factors that can cause deterioration of leather gloves, including exposure to temperature extremes, sunlight, and of course chemicals and liquids. Some of these can be offset by proper tanning. The key is to care for your gloves by preventing exposure to chemicals and keeping your gloves clean.

Leather work gloves can usually be laundered in cold water with gentle laundry detergent and a touch of salt. But be sure to dry them completely. Most leather work gloves should not be dry-cleaned because the solvents used can extract the leather tanning oils and leave the gloves stiff and hard. Dry cleaning is only recommended for spot-cleaning leather garments. Most commercial industrial laundries have the experience to clean bulk gloves.

Nitrile Work Gloves Cleaning

Nitrile gloves used for chemical protection need special care. Rinse them off with soap and water in a utility sink and let them dry. Some chemicals can cause the gloves to soften or swell so be sure to wash them thoroughly and permit them to dry completely. Store the gloves in a dry place to help prevent mildew growth.

Nitrile coated gloves used for general purpose and cut-resistant applications can be machine washed in warm water with detergent. Extract the water and detergent on a high speed setting and tumble dry with low to medium heat. Nitrile coated gloves can also be dry cleaned. DO NOT BLEACH because chlorine bleach can deteriorate many base materials such as aramid fibers (Kevlar®).

Knitted Gloves Cleaning

Care must be taken that knitted gloves do not shrink when washed. The recommended cleaning process is to wash gloves with a neutral detergent in warm water not exceeding 100 degrees F. Use low heat settings (maximum 180 degrees F) for drying. These settings may need to be adjusted based on the cotton content in the gloves.

Disposable Gloves Cleaning

Disposable gloves made from nitrile, rubber, and vinyl are designed for single use. Cleaning for reuse is not recommended. However, disposable gloves used for personal use such as craft projects can often be cleaned for reuse.

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