?> Or by simply wearing nitrile or strong latex gloves, available from any good
mechanic's supply.
I did not wear gloves beekeeping for many years and still prefer not to, but as
I age, I find my hands cannot stand the detergents necessary to clean up after
handling propolis and wax.
Additionally, I am required to wear nitrile gloves when inspecting and have
come to like the ones supplied which are thin blue nitrile ones. The last
batch were purple nitrile and they are a little tougher, but still have just
about as good feel as bare hands.
These gloves are available at Costco, NAPA stores, Home Depot, drug stores and
many other places. Some stores have little or no selection, but others,
especially large auto supply stores, may offer a plenty of choice. Finding the
right size takes time. be sure to try them on in the store. You may have to
open a box, but do it.
The correct gloves should be almost snug, and not stretched or baggy.
Different manufacturers seem to have different ideas of what "Large" means and
one may fit beautifully while another brand will be tight. A quick Google will
turn up many online suppliers, but what if they don't fit. Best to order a
brand you know.
Nitrile, latex and vinyl gloves all seem to work equally well and come in
differing thicknesses. They typically cost around a dime each in boxes of 100.
The thinnest (blue) give best "feel", but tear easily. The purple ones are
nearly as thin and still give good "feel", but sometimes last a whole day if
treated carefully, even in rough work -- but not if you get very sticky. The
black ones are thicker and for auto mechanic use and have enough "feel" for
that work.. They are tougher. yet. Then there are the full-length nitrile
gloves that are really thick and loose-fitting. They last forever, and are
easy to put on and off, but they have no "feel".
I now wear these thin gloves anytime I am about to do any sort of work which
will get may hands dirty, and instead of my hands being rough and sore, they
are smooth and clean. It was getting to where I hated to do oil changes and
other dirty work because of the resulting dry, sore hands after washing, and
now I enjoy doing these things again.
A little hand lotion applied before putting the gloves on plus the moisture
conserved inside actually softens and moisturizes the skin, leaving the hands
in better shape after work than before! On hot days, sweating inside the
gloves can be a minor annoyance, though.
My vehicles now have clean, non-sticky steering wheels, though and that is a
bonus.
If only Howard Hughes had had access to nitrile gloves...
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