Disposable medical gloves help in preventing cross-contamination between patients and their caregivers and protects against hazardous chemicals and bacteria. To achieve maximum protection, it is important to choose the right gloves as per your application and use them appropriately. If you’re looking to buy synthetic disposable gloves online, Co-Defend brings you the best selection of medical gloves that offer maximum protection against infections, bacteria, and chemicals.
Here’s a complete guide on how to choose the right glove and use it properly.
Different Types of Gloves Available in the Market
When you buy synthetic disposable gloves online, you may come across various options available to suit different applications. The level of comfort, durability, and protection depends on the type of gloves you use. Some of the common types of gloves include latex gloves, nitrile gloves, and vinyl gloves. With various options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to choose the right pair of gloves for your application.
So, let’s break it down and identify the purpose of different types of gloves available in the market. Once you understand this, it will be much easier to decide which is best for you.
- Latex Gloves
This is the most common type of glove available in the market. It is a biodegradable material made of natural rubber. Despite the development of synthetic materials, latex is still the most elastic, resilient, and flexible material for gloves. Due to the dexterity, tactility, and comfort it offers, latex gloves are suitable for medical, auto repair, and food-service applications.
Latex gloves come in powdered, lightly-powdered, and powder-free. The powder inside these gloves is cornstarch-based and is used for easy slipping of the gloves on your hands. Latex gloves typically protect your hands from chemicals, body fluids, bacteria, and viruses.
The drawback to latex gloves is that it can cause severe allergic reactions, skin dryness and irritation, and even Latex allergies.
- Vinyl Gloves
Vinyl is a non-biodegradable, synthetic, and protein-free material made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and plasticizers. When you’re looking to buy synthetic disposable online, vinyl gloves are a good option as they have a longer life span than latex gloves and have low production cost which makes them inexpensive to purchase. Like Latex gloves, Vinyl gloves also come in different thicknesses and are available as powdered or non-powdered.
Unlike latex and nitrile, vinyl offers little protection against chemicals and bacteria. Vinyl gloves are suitable for handling non-hazardous materials and chemicals. Vinyl gloves also lack flexibility, dexterity, and have higher chances of being worn and torn. These gloves are suitable for food-service applications and other applications where product protection doesn’t require much dexterity and tactility.
- Nitrile Gloves
Made from nitrile butadiene rubber, another synthetic material, Nitrile gloves are a great alternative for people with latex allergies. Unlike latex, these gloves have a longer shelf life and are three times more resistant to punctures or tears. However, if the glove is punctured, it is likely to get torn completely, and therefore, the wearer must replace it immediately to avoid contamination.
Like Latex, Nitrile offers flexibility, comfort, dexterity, and durability, however, it is more resistant to oils, fats, chemicals, solvent, which makes them ideal for medical applications, agricultural or pesticides applications, meat processing, chemical, and photochemical industries. Nitrile gloves can also bear higher temperatures and therefore, it suitable for automotive applications. Like latex and vinyl, nitrile gloves are available in a variety of thicknesses, powdered, lightly-powdered, and powder-free.
Among the three types, nitrile gloves are the costliest which is regarded as the only drawback of nitrile gloves.
As one of the leading bulk PPE suppliers in the USA, we offer high-quality gloves of various sizes, types, and designs. Whether you’re looking to buy bio-degradable gloves or buy synthetic disposable gloves online, Co-Defend has got you covered.
Other Glove Options to Choose from
- Powdered Gloves vs. Powder-free Gloves
Powder-free gloves are more expensive because of the process that is required to remove the powder coating from the glove. However, this type of gloves reduces the chances of allergic reactions and skin irritation by lowering protein and chemical content. Besides, powder-free gloves are cleaner to use as they do not leave any residue on clothing or other surfaces.
Powdered gloves have cornstarch which makes them much easier to wear. Cornstarch coatings can be replaced with lycopodium powder and talc as other coating types create skin irritation issues. Powder-free gloves are suitable for surgeries and other sensitive procedures.
- Chlorinated Gloves vs. Non-chlorinated Gloves
If you decide to use powder-free gloves, you have two options to choose from – chlorinated and non-chlorinated gloves. Chlorinated gloves are treated with chlorine to make them easy to wear. While chlorinated gloves are more commonly used than non-chlorinated gloves, some people prefer to use gloves with more neutral color and less odor. Another drawback of chlorinated gloves is that they have a shorter life span and become more brittle when exposed to higher temperatures.
On the other hand, non-chlorinated gloves are closer to color to regular exam gloves and have less chlorine odor. However, these gloves are not so popular, as they have a gel coat of tiny gel/silicon particles that is added to make them easier to put on.
- Examination Gloves vs. Surgical Gloves
Both examination and surgical gloves are medical-grade gloves that are used during medical procedures. Medical-grade exam gloves are used for patient examinations and blood tests. These gloves can also be used as general-purpose gloves for handling incontinence, accidental spills, and messes in and around the room.
Surgical gloves, on the other hand, are used by surgeons and operating room nurses. These disposable gloves must be of high quality and be sterilized for the use in surgical procedures. Surgical gloves offer more flexibility, perfect sizing, and higher tactility.
Being one of the most trusted bulk PPE suppliers in the USA, Co-Defend offers high-quality, medical-grade examination as well as surgical gloves at affordable pricing to help people contain the spread of coronavirus.
If you’re looking to buy synthetic exam gloves online, check out the latest collection offered by Co-Defend.
How to Use Gloves Appropriately?
If used and removed properly, disposable gloves can prove to be effective in providing protection against contamination. Here are a few steps that you need to follow to get the most of your pair of gloves:
Step 1: Choose the Right Glove
When you buy synthetic disposable gloves online, choose the right gloves that fit perfectly and are designed for the intended application.
Step 2: Check for Defects
Before you buy gloves, make sure to check them for rips and punctures.
Step 3: Wash Your Hands
Gloves should never be used as an alternative to hand-washing. Always remember to wash your hands and dry them before putting on the gloves.
Step 4: Wear Gloves Properly
After washing and drying your hands, you can put your gloves on. Make sure you do not touch phones, doorknobs, or other surfaces while wearing disposable gloves.
Step 5: Remove Disposable Gloves
Under no situation, you should wash or reuse disposable gloves. Make sure you remove gloves immediately in any of the following situations wash and dry hands and then wear a fresh pair of gloves:
- Between patients or jobs
- When gloves become visibly dirty and contaminated
- When gloves get torn and punctured
- When you have used the same pair of gloves for four consecutive hours
- After coughing, sneezing, or touching someone
Wrapping Up
Choosing the right pair of gloves for the intended use is very important to protect yourself from hazards. Your decision to choose a perfect glove depends on the application, allergic reactions, and pricing. Whether you buy synthetic disposable gloves or buy synthetic exam gloves online, you should always remember to choose a glove that perfectly fits your hand, offers more comfort, and does not cause any allergic reactions. If you’re allergic to the cornstarch-based powder in the powdered or lightly-powdered gloves, you should consider buying powder-free gloves.
If you want to buy synthetic disposable gloves online, shop from a wide selection of disposable gloves only at Co-Defend – one of the most trusted bulk PPE suppliers in the USA!