Disposable Latex Gloves

General Information on Disposable Latex Gloves

Disposable latex gloves are ideal for protecting workers’ hands from most water solutions of alkalis, acids, ketones, and salts. Disposable latex gloves are also often used in the healthcare industry to protect against contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials. However, latex is not recommended for working with non-water solution hazardous chemicals.

Disposable latex gloves also aren’t recommended for people with sensitivity to latex. The protein in disposable latex gloves causes irritations and allergic reactions in a significant number of people. Due to the increasing rate of latex allergy among health professionals as well as in the general population, there has been an increasing move to disposable gloves made of non-latex materials such as vinyl or nitrile rubber. However, these gloves have not yet replaced latex gloves in many applications, as gloves made of alternate materials generally do not fully match the fine control or greater sensitivity to touch available with disposable latex gloves. High-grade non-latex gloves (such as nitrile gloves) also cost two or more times the price of their latex counterparts.

Possible alternatives for people with a latex glove allergy include wearing glove liners and powder-free disposable latex gloves. Powder-free gloves minimize exposure to latex protein, lowering the risk of latex allergy reaction.