Why You Should Always Wear Gloves While Cleaning

Your employees should always wear gloves when they clean. It may seem counterintuitive since they’re cleaning and likely feel like they’ll clean any germs off anyway. However, just because you clean something doesn’t mean it’s clean. Since that’s the case, you should always wear gloves while cleaning. We’ll explain why below.  

They Protect Against Chemical Burns

Most janitorial staff use a strong commercial cleaner and wear goggles when they clean because of hazardous fumes. If you need these goggles to protect your eyes, how much more important is it to wear personal protective equipment—PPE products—while you clean? One of the reasons you should wear gloves is that they protect you from the chemicals you’re working with. Even common commercial items like ammonia, vinegar, and bleach will impact your bare skin negatively with repeated use. This is because chemicals strip away your skin’s oil barrier while removing grime. This can cause dermatitis or—in severe cases—chemical burns.

Better Grip

Soapy water can cause you to lose your grip on your cleaning products. There’s nothing worse than cleaning a public bathroom and having your sponge slip right onto the floor. Given public bathrooms are the most bacteria-ridden places in any building, only second to door knobs, this is detrimental. You’re just tracking bacteria from the floor back onto whatever you’re cleaning. That may seem like a long shot, but if you’re cleaning a sink or a spill on another surface, you don’t want cross-contamination with the floor or any other item. Cross-contamination leads to dangerous bacteria. As we’ll see in the below section, cleaning comes with serious health risks.

They Protect Against Bacteria

This is especially true for janitorial staff. The bathroom and sink are teeming with E. Coli and Salmonella. Believe it or not, a sponge is the most germ-ridden item they can use. Cleaning their bare hands is a terrible idea as it exposes them to germs in some of the most bacteria-ridden places. This is a key reason why you should always wear gloves during cleaning. Cleaning with your bare hands can be dangerous.

In short, wearing gloves while cleaning is the best way to promote safety standards for yourself and the people around you. You don’t want to accidently get a chemical burn or be exposed to harmful bacteria. If you follow the steps in this article, you likely won’t be. Always be prepared and you’ll do just fine.