Today I’m going to talk about Rubber Gloves. This topic might seem a little bit boring but is actually interesting. It is very common question that why our rubber gloves get sticky and stiff. Here I’ll explain why this happens and explore the reasons that why your rubber gloves turn stiff and uncomfortable over time.
The Initial Flexibility: A Rubber Glove’s Promise
Rubber gloves, mostly those used for everyday tasks at home or industrial purposes, are known for their initial flexibility. They’re flexible, comfortable, and fit easily around your hands, letting you to complete your tasks with expertise while protecting your hands from harmful materials. This flexibility is exactly what we expect when we first put on pair of these gloves.
But it is very common for these gloves, to change and become hard and stiffy. Let’s explore the reasons responsible for this change.
1. Exposure to Sunlight and Heat
Heat and sunlight make these gloves stiff. A sensitive material used in rubber gloves that goes damaged by sun radiations. Sunlight & heat breaks the rubber molecules due to that gloves lose their stretchiness and get stiffed of sticky
Heat makes this worse. If rubber gloves get very hot, like left in a hot car or near something hot, the rubber breaks even faster. This makes gloves become stiff faster.
2. Aging and Natural Degradation
Just like other material, Rubber also gets old naturally. Even without tough conditions, rubber gloves can become less stretchy because the rubber molecules slowly break down. This is just like how things change when they get old. Moisture in the air, Exposure to oxygen, and the quality of the rubber used in the gloves can affect how quickly this happens.
3. Chemical Exposure
Some rubber gloves are designed to protect you from chemicals. They are great in cleaning, Lab work, and for Jobs in any chemical industries. But, if you use them for long time to certain chemicals, they might not stay flexible. Chemicals can react with the rubber and change how it’s made, causing it to inflexible.
It is important to know that not all rubber gloves can protect you from all chemicals. Just a specific type of rubber and how it’s manufactured decide that how good is it at keeping you protect from chemicals.
4. Lack of Proper Care
Taking good care of your rubber gloves can make them last longer. But when you forget to clean and dry your gloves after using them, this can make them go bad faster due to get dirty and wet inside.
Likewise, if you keep them folded for long time, that can cause creases in gloves and get them weak. Due to this, gloves can be uncomfortable to wear and get stiff. So always keep your gloves clean and dry and never leave them in folded or twisted position if you are not using them for long time.
5. Low-Quality Materials
The type of material used in rubber gloves matter a lot that how flexible they are and for how long they last. Quality always matters, so if the rubber is not in good quality, it might be missing the thing that make it durable and flexible. Gloves with good quality rubber can help you avoid this problem.
6. Overuse and Wear
Rubber gloves, especially those used for tough jobs, don’t last forever. If you use them continuedly for a long time, the rubble can start to get stiff. It’s important to Know that when to get new pair of gloves. This will make sure your gloves to stay flexible and perform well during your job.
Preventing and Mitigating Stiffness
We have understood the reasons that why our rubber gloves become stiff, Now, let’s come to know how to stop it or solve this problem.
1. Store Your Gloves Properly
If you want to maintain the flexibility and durability of your rubble gloves, just store them properly. Keep them store in a dry and cool place and don’t leave them in direct sunlight & heat sources. Don’t fold or twist them if you are not using them for long time because it leads to stiffness. If you store them proper, your gloves remain soft and ready to use when you need them.
2. Clean and Dry Thoroughly
Make sure to clean and dry them proper after using them. This stops buildup of moisture & dirt on gloves, and make them easy to wear when needed.
3. Rotate Your Gloves
If you use rubber gloves frequently, try to use different pair of gloves on different days. In this way, each pair get a break from being used too much so it’s helps to extend their durability and lifespan.
4. Choose High-Quality Gloves
Always try to buy good rubber gloves made from high-quality materials. It can help them to last longer and stay flexible.
5. Replace When Necessary
If you use your gloves a lot and they look really worn out, you should understand that it’s time to say them goodbye. Overused gloves may not provide protection and comfort to your hand so it’s time to get new ones.
Rubber gloves can become stiff and inflexible overtime. But if you know why this happens, you take protective steps to stop it. Take proper care of your gloves, Clean and dry them after using, store them right and keep them in cool and dry place away from direct sunlight and heat. Always buy good-quality gloves, they stay flexible and last longer. And in the last, if your gloves old and stiff, change them immediately because it affects your performance during your job. If you know how to care for your gloves keeps them soft and ready for action.
