Virtually everyone at some point in their life will find themselves confronted with the task of washing the dishes. The vast majority of people perform this task on a very regular basis. Behind all the fancy soap scents, however, lie a list of chemical based ingredients.
These chemicals can actually be super dangerous, but you may not recognize them on the ingredients label of the soap you’re purchasing. A few common chemicals to keep an eye out for include (but are not limited to) formaldehyde, ethanolamine, propylene glycol, sulfuric acid, sodium borate, and triclosan. All of these chemicals present significant health hazards for those in regular contact with them ranging from respiratory troubles to cancer.
Many companies also use very vague ingredient categories, which allow them to include highly toxic chemicals in the soap without explicitly listing what they are. Some of these vague categories could include buffering agent, fragrance, colors, foaming agents, or water softener.
So, the answer to the question: “Should you wear gloves?” is a resounding “yes!” Gloves will act as your first line of defense from exposure to the toxic and dangerous chemicals found in dish soap! We’ve rounded up three of our favorite gloves that are up to the task.
Latex Poly-Chlorinated Dish Washing Gloves: These are one of the most commonly used gloves for dishwashing, the iconic long, yellow rubber gloves. They have a 12” cuff which will protect your hands and forearms from exposure to soap. The fingers and palms also have a honeycomb texture that offers excellent grip in wet conditions.
PIP Assurance Chemical Resistant Neoprene Gloves: These sleek black gloves offer an added level of protection since they are also chemical resistant due to the neoprene. They are flock lined which makes them super comfortable and easy to don and doff. They have a raised diamond grip making it easy to grip items in wet and soapy conditions.
Frogwear Waterproof PVC Triple Dipped Gloves: These bright blue gloves offer the highest level of protection out of the three gloves mentioned in this article. They are triple dipped in a flexible PVC material making them super durable and they are also chemical resistant. They’re waterproof and have a sandpaper texture that offers great grip. An added bonus is the cotton liner that is treated to help reduce bacteria.
