It seems the intent is to prevent the spread of disease by insuring the
next hive inspected has clean equipmwnt and clothes touching it.

If you use something like a bucket of water which you wash in after every
inspection, unless you have a good, strong disinfectant and leave gloves,
hive tools, whatever in it for the necessary time to properly disinfect
them, you are defeating what you want to do. Because the water will be the
repository of whatever you deposit there from the last hive inspected and
be put on the next hive with your wet gloves.

I was taught to shove my hive tool in the dirt after every hive was
inspected. And if you are going to another apiary, put it in the smoker.

My guess is that air and sunlight will do a better job keeping disease to a
minimum on gloves than wetting them in a common pool and possibly
preserving and spreading the organisms.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, ME