Wearing gloves is a must for workers who need to protect themselves and their clients from contamination. Yet, both our hands and feet have more sweat glands than other parts of our body.
When moisture gets trapped in the gloves, it can feel extremely uncomfortable. Worse, you can get rashes or dermatitis from it. Rest assured, you can learn how to keep hands dry in latex gloves. Read my tips below!
Table of Contents
What You Need
In some cases, switching to a bigger glove size can resolve the issue. Other than the regular latex gloves, below are items you will need if you go for Tip #1 and Tip #4.
Thin latex gloves – For Tip #1
Latex gloves range from 1.5 to 7 mil in thickness. Industrial workers need 7 mil gloves as their thickness makes them more durable. For other jobs, a 1.5 or 3 mil would suffice.
Glove liner – For Tip #4
Prepare glove liners or cotton gloves in addition to the latex gloves that you intend to wear.
5 Tips to Keep Your Hands Sweat-free When Wearing Gloves
Tip #1: Try wearing thinner latex gloves
Our wardrobes change throughout the four seasons. We don’t thick jackets during winter and switch to breathable t-shirts during summer. The same logic applies to wearing protective gloves.
Fortunately, there are plenty of thin gloves for sweaty hands available in the market. They do not trap as much heat as thick ones.
You can wear this to perform light tasks. However, it is not suitable for heavy work or handling chemicals. Besides lacking durability, it is prone to punctures and tearing.
Tip #2: Go for slightly bigger sizes
As a general rule, the gloves we wear need to hug our fingers, hands, and wrists, leaving no excess material hanging loose. Knowing that some people sweat more than others, it is only reasonable to make an exception.
Bitesize Bio suggests opting for slightly bigger gloves. This should allow your pores to have some space to keep them from sweating more.
Let me stress the word “slightly”. Remember that enormous gaps between your wrist and the glove material can let contaminants in. Plus, it will make it difficult for you to handle instruments.
Ensure you can still work with your hands and there are no large openings around your wrist. Most manufacturers provide instructions on how to measure your hand. But to give you an example, you can check this video by ISS Corporation Co Ltd Mediscan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uVmSFP8ULY
Once you determine your correct size, you will have a basis for when you need to go for a bigger glove size.
Tip #3: Remove your gloves when you no longer need them
Once you’re done with your task and protection is no longer needed, take off your gloves.
This applies even to those who are wearing gloves for sweaty hands, regardless of the material. The longer you have your gloves on, the longer the moisture gets trapped inside. This will increase the risk of softening and ruining your skin.
I’m sure that many of you already know how to don and doff your personal protective equipment. For those who don’t, I highly recommend this short video by RegisteredNurseRN.
Tip #4: Wear a glove liner before putting on the latex gloves
Earlier, I talked about wearing thin gloves to stop sweaty hands. As such, donning two gloves for each hand can seem counterintuitive, but hear me out.
Cotton, as we know, is absorbent, and this will help our hands stay sweat-free for some time. Of course, that does not mean you can leave it on for long periods. Remember, absorbing is not the same as moisture-wicking.
If you want to learn how to wear cotton gloves and surgical gloves together, I suggest watching this video by The Massage Doctor.
Tip #5: Take the steps to address hyperhidrosis
So, you noticed that you seem to be sweating more than other people around you. Rather than finding a good pair of gloves that don’t make your hands sweat, consult a doctor. There is a chance that you have hyperhidrosis.
Your doctor may ask you to undergo some lab tests to provide the necessary treatment. Nowadays, you can buy creams and antiperspirants from any drug store but make sure that they are approved by your physician.
Bonus: What if My Hands Get Too Dry While Wearing Latex Gloves?
The focus of this article is on keeping the hands dry. Yet, there are other side effects of wearing gloves, one of which is drying out.
In this case, Work Gearz suggests applying lotions like Vaseline on hands with gloves. Moisturizing hand creams are also a great option. You can apply them as needed.
Conclusion
Talking to your colleagues about how to keep hands dry in latex gloves is a good idea but we just never know how they would react! Sometimes, we get teased, which can be embarrassing. Hence, we turn to Google.
I know there is a lot to remember but you can focus on these:
- If you think you sweat excessively, see a doctor!
- Try on a slightly bigger size and check if it works for you.
- Take off your gloves when you no longer need them.
Veronica is our content editor. She is a talent in delivery. Her main work is editing and writing articles that are both informative and simple to follow. She is in charge of synthesizing our understanding of what personal protection equipment (PPE) is needed in each job, how to best apply it, and how to visualize that equipment.