The hands are a very vital part of the body. Every work and activity that we do must involve hands in the process. Now, because it is very vital, hands must be guarded and protected from all risks of injury that can be caused by the activities we do, ranging from doing housework, sports, driving, computer gloves, to doing risky heavy work.
Therefore, to protect the hands from the risk of injury, gloves are a solution that you can rely on to support all your activities. In the following, we will discuss in more detail the recommendations for the best gloves that you can use for various activities, complete with how to choose and how to care for them.
Customize to your needs
You can see there are numerous types of gloves on the market. Customize the product you will choose according to your needs. Do you need gloves to support heavy work, household chores, driving, medical needs, or just for sports needs? Know the specifications you need to support your activities, then you can determine which gloves are best for you.
The right size or fit
It is important to know your hand size so that the glove product you choose is neither too small nor too loose or too big. If you don’t know it, immediately measure your hand circumference, wrist dimensions, hand length from the tip of the middle finger to the wrist to determine the right glove size.
Supporting features
Make sure you do a product comparison before checking out your shopping cart. Make sure you compare the features of each product you will choose. Is the product equipped with features to support your activities? Because, for some needs, risky work, for example, you need a feature that can protect your hands from the risk of injury. Or for driving purposes, you can choose gloves that can provide good hand control through the features it has.
Work gloves are made from a variety of materials including cloth, leather, wool, latex, rubber, nitrile rubber, vinyl, neoprene or metal. They are designed for many types of workplace hazards. In general, the materials for making work belts are divided into four groups:
1. Mesh Metal Gloves/Leather/Canvas
This type of glove is used to protect hands against heat hazards, protect hands from rough surfaces, protect against cuts and burns, and protect against thrilling temperatures (hot/cold).
2. Cotton and the like (Fabric and Coated Fabric Gloves)
Serves to protect hands from objects or sharp, bumpy, and dirty surfaces.
3. Chemical Resistant
Hazardous and Toxic Materials or abbreviated as B3, according to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health of the United State Government) B3 is a material which due to its chemical nature and physical condition has the potential to cause disturbance to human health. As a standard for personal protection at work, gloves for handling b3 materials are types of rubber materials such as butyl, latex, vinyl, neoprene, and nitrile to protect hands from toxic and hazardous chemicals or biologicals.
4. Rubber Gloves
The function of rubber gloves is for electrical work so that there is no danger of being hit by an electric existing, so workers should wear gloves made of rubber. In other words, the right gloves for work related to electricity should be non-conducting, dry, and made of rubber.
Check the condition of the gloves before use to ensure that they are safe and suitable for use.
– Clean gloves regularly after use.
– Keep gloves in place after use.
– Do not reuse gloves that have been exposed to chemicals or biological agents.
– Discard gloves that are worn, damaged, discolored, and stiff.
Once we understand the importance of protective gloves, don’t forget to equip yourself while working for your own safety.
In addition to disposable or single-use gloves, gloves need to be treated regularly to make them last longer and function optimally. Taking care of it is not difficult, you just need to be consistent in doing the following things so that the gloves you have live long.
Wash after use
After use, gloves are recommended to be washed once. At least rinse it with water because some glove materials are sensitive to laundry soap, so instead of cleaning, the gloves will be damaged due to incorrect care. You don’t want that to happen do you? Therefore, first, identify the characteristics of the glove material so that you know what kind of treatment is suitable to be given. Usually, gloves made of leather are not recommended to be brushed and smeared with soap because they are very sensitive. However, for cloth gloves, if they are very dirty, it is highly recommended to wash them with soap to remove the dirt.
Dry the gloves
Drying does not mean drying it in the sun. Because some types of gloves are not good if exposed to the sun directly. Examples are gloves made of leather and rubber. Both materials will tend to stiffen when exposed to direct sunlight. We recommend that you dry the gloves by relying on the wind for both types of gloves. The rest, which is made of cloth, you can dry in the sun to dry quickly, but not too long. Try to keep the gloves as dry as possible without leaving residue or water.
Save in the right place
When not in use, gloves should be stored in an appropriate place. Do not store gloves in a location that is exposed to direct sunlight, or in a humid area as this can affect the life of the gloves. In addition, do not store gloves in open areas as well, because dust and dirt are very prone to sticking to the gloves.
Gloves are now created to support your various activities, ranging from homework, sports, to helping with heavy work that you can rely on. So, don’t be mistaken, because knowing the character of the gloves is also very important so that we know what treatment should be given so that the gloves last longer. Hopefully, the reviews and tips above can help you to choose the right gloves.
