Disposable Gloves

Disposable gloves are the most widely-used piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the medical field, and are essential in forensic, lab, automotive, food handling, cleaning and other industrial applications. It may seem obvious, but gloves are vital to keeping your hands and environment protected from germs, hazardous materials and more. .

The disposable glove material required depends on the application. All gloves keep your hand protected to varying degrees of puncture, chemical, and puncture resistance. In general, thicker gloves sacrifice dexterity at the benefit of puncture and abrasion resistance. Some mechanics prefer to use black nitrile gloves that are single-use, rather than washing reusable mechanic gloves.

Workers in food service may benefit from polyethylene's ease of donning while the business benefits from cost effective cross-contamination protection. Whereas Chefs may appreciate a higher quality nitrile glove that won't tear under strenuous tasks. Latex is a natural material that has many of the benefits of nitrile. Chloroprene is recommended for high-risk settings. Vinyl has a lower degree of puncture resistance than latex or nitrile but has the same broad applications. Many medical offices use Pink Exam Gloves made from vinyl, a synthetic latex that won't inflame allergies and is easy to frequently change.

There aren't formal standards but some applications benefit from color variance. Blue is a common nitrile glove color, but the color does not impact the materials strength, comfort, or chemical resistance.

Some people may be allergic to the dye and notice irritation after wearing the gloves for extended periods of time. You can read more about what to do about glove allergies here. You can read more the color of gloves and what they mean here.

Orange is a hi-vis color which allows it to be seen easily in dark spaces. Petroleum workers, auto and bike mechanics use orange rubber gloves. Work with industrial grade nitrile material and see the benefits. Not just the benefits, but literally see the grease and petrol on your hands as you work. You can read more about orange gloves and what they're used for here. Nitrile remains stable in temperatures up to 226° Fahrenheit (107° C), meaning mechanics and aerospace workers can work around engines without harm. 

No. Disposable gloves are not reusable under normal circumstances. If supply is available then it is best to not risk infection in medical and high risk settings. You can read more about re-using disposable gloves and the CDC's guidelines here. The World Health Organization published a report on washing latex gloves when supply must be extended. It's difficult even when Purell Hand Sanitizer is available to disinfect the gloves because you must remove your gloves without contaminating your skin. It's a challenge to put on gloves without ripping them, according to Dr. Charles W. Page in Texas. 

To put it simply - medical workers that need the highest level of protection use purple exam gloves. Kimberly Clark Purple Exam Gloves sold by Harmony are rated for chemotherapy protection in accordance with the ASTM D6978-05 guideline. You can read more about guidelines for using purple gloves here. Purple gloves generally are thick enough for medium workloads. Kimberly Clark's glove is 6.0 millimeters thick which makes it 6 times thicker than less expensive alternatives. You can trust quality standards because they exceed the ASTM 2.5 AQL standard. Keep reading about purple gloves here.

Get disposable gloves that are in stock, available in different colors, thickness, and applications. Harmony stocks the top brands such as Kimberly Clark, Medline, Curad, and Duraskin. Whether you're a healthcare worker interacting closely with sick patients, or a lab worker handling hazardous materials, wearing the right kind of hand protection is extremely important.

We offer disposable gloves in latex, nitrile, vinyl, chloroprene, and polyethylene, graded according to Medical, Food, and Industrial General Use. Not sure what kind of disposable gloves you need? We're here to help! Give us a call at (800) 899-1255 and we'd be happy to guide you towards the right products.