Are looking to get some gloves to avoid germs?
During the pandemic, many people strategized the optimization of the medical glove supply. This is because, along with other essentials, people bought out the supplies of medical gloves, too.
Wearing gloves isn’t that necessary, especially when running some errands. They weren’t made for wearing in public places if you want to avoid germs.
However, some experts say that gloves can help in the direct or indirect transmission of germs. Wearing gloves to avoid germs may not be the best choice, or some people say. This is why we made a guide to find out the truth about wearing gloves and their effectiveness against germs.
What Do Gloves Do?
Even before the current pandemic, wearing gloves has been a protocol in the medical field. Thus, containment measures are always adjusted due to fear of a sudden rise of case numbers. When needed, the use of medical gloves provides precautions against contact.
They provide you with a barrier that protects your bare hands from contact with any surface. This doesn’t wick off any germs away from the glove, though. They will still stick to the gloves that you have on.
This makes it important to still wash your hands despite wearing gloves. It ensures that nothing transfers from the gloves to your body.
When Do You Use Gloves?
Wearing gloves to avoid germs is understandable, especially if you’re prone to bacterial infections. Most people will think that they should give them full protection from contamination. They have in mind that you’d want to cover yourself all the time to practice preventive measures.
In some cases, though, it can contribute to spreading germs. Once we touch an object with our gloves on, bacteria gets carried and transfers to its surface. This can have an opposite effect to what we intend and spread more bacteria around us.
So, when can you use gloves? It’s best to wear them when cleaning, caring for someone who’s sick, or you come to contact with body fluids. It’s better to wear disposable gloves to prevent the spread of bacteria when you’re done.
When cleaning or caring for someone sick, make sure that you have proper ventilation and protective gear. The gloves you’re wearing won’t help you against any airborne germs.
Wear a mask to protect your nose and mouth, and goggles to protect your eyes. These are the most common entry points for most airborne bacteria.
What Kind of Gloves are There?
There are many kinds of gloves to choose from if you want to avoid germs. They can be either disposable or reusable. The material of the gloves must be as well considered.
Cotton Gloves
This kind of gloves is the most used for general works and crafts. These gloves have a thin fabric covering them that offers little safety. They’re used to prevent cuts, but don’t prevent exposure to germs.
Leather Gloves
Leather gloves have a thicker built than fabric. They’re more durable, insulation, and good grip. They provide a higher level of protection, but it shrivels in high temperatures.
Kevlar Gloves
Kevlar Gloves are often known for their lightweight composition. This makes it the ideal hardware when working in the industrial field. Despite the tactile built, they provide mobility and resistance to cuts and piercings.
Disposable Latex/Nitrile Gloves
Latex gloves are most used for their elasticity. Nitrile gloves are often known for their high durability and resistance. Omit, nitrile gloves may be a more versatile option. If you don’t want to get shocked while working then you should definitely use nitrile gloves. Nitrile gloves and electricity work great together.
Examination Gloves
The main purpose of exam gloves is to protect healthcare workers. They’re meant for only one use before disposal. This prevents cross-contamination between healthcare patients.
Surgical Gloves
These gloves are for surgical examinations or operations. Surgeons and nurses wear this for better mobility and precision. They’re also sterile as it’s a risk to expose the patient to bacteria while doing surgery on them.
Vinyl Gloves
They’re more frequent to have defects after use. Yet they provide protection comparable to latex gloves. Though less durable, they are cheaper than other gloves.
Medical gloves needed to follow requirements for use. Gloves used for household activities do not meet the standards describe.
Alternatives in Wearing Gloves to Avoid Germs
Even without wearing gloves, you should know how to protect yourself against germs. The best way of protecting yourself is to avoid the things that bring you harm.
When you see a person who’s sick, avoid close contact. Though it is hard to avoid them in tight areas, try to maintain a distance from them. Remember to have at least a person between you two.
Also, remember to not touch your face when if possible. You’re more prone to getting diseases when you touch your face. It’s considered to be the easiest path for transmission of disease to go in.
Wear a mask. It helps you keep safe from airborne bacteria spreads fast. The mask helps other people as well, other ways to avoid spreading germs when ill.
Don’t touch many item surfaces if possible. Grab only the items that you need, and ignore the others.
Always bring hand sanitizer with you. Since you can’t always wash your hands, you can disinfect on the go. You can even equate hand sanitizer with aloe.
The Cons of Wearing Gloves
The problem with wearing gloves is that there’s insufficient evidence in protecting you. It can still spread bacteria, either through direct or indirect transmission.
The best examples for this case are cashiers, drivers, and office workers. The use of gloves in public can lead to a misconception. It can make people think that hand washing isn’t needed. That is why every time your removing gloves, you should observe proper handwashing.
Another problem when exposed to contaminated gloves, infection occurs by touching the face. Contaminated gloves increase this risk because disinfection is not done. Finally, the use of gloves can contribute to a massive amount of medical waste.
Use These Helpful Tips Today
There are many factors why gloves aren’t effective protective equipment. This is why knowing prevention methods are most important for safety. You start at identifying the hazards, followed by an assessment, the evaluation.
We hope that this guide gives you a better understanding of wearing gloves to avoid germs. There are ways to avoid germs that we didn’t mention, though. Check out more of our posts to learn more about germ prevention today!
