Nitrile rubber was first invented as early as 1934, and ever since then, it has been used in all sorts of applications, most importantly nitrile gloves. Nitrile gloves are more popular than they have ever been before and they have largely taken over other types of gloves such as latex and vinyl. However, in some cases, it may be a good idea to wear nitrile gloves over cotton gloves or liners.
But why? What is the point of wearing cotton gloves under your nitrile gloves? More importantly, what are nitrile gloves, and why have they become so popular and important?
Keep reading and learn more about it below.
When Should You Wear Nitrile Gloves Over Cotton Gloves?
The main reason why people wear nitrile gloves over cotton ones is to prevent irritation. While it might surprise you, some people can be allergic to nitrile gloves. This is not very common, especially when compared to latex gloves.
Many people have allergies to latex, and wearing these gloves can give them rashes and even boils or hives. The most popular alternative to latex is nitrile which is one of the reasons why nitrile gloves are so popular. Nitrile is made out of a completely different material compared to latex which is made out of natural rubber from the rubber tree.
Nitrile, on the other hand, is more of a synthetic material, which is why it doesn’t bother most people’s skin. However, people with sensitive skin may still experience irritation when wearing nitrile gloves. When wearing nitrile gloves, these people may develop rashes, itchiness, and dry and cracking skin.
This, of course, is not something that anyone wants to deal with, especially if they have to wear these gloves for long periods of time. The best option to fix this problem is to wear cotton gloves under nitrile gloves. Cotton is hypoallergenic, so there is no way that it could irritate a person’s skin, even a person with very sensitive skin.
This is not to mention that cotton is quite soft on the skin, unlike nitrile, which can stick to the skin. Besides skin irritation, another reason people may use cotton liners under their nitrile gloves is for an extra layer of insulation.
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In some cases, a worker may need to handle cold substances like food or other substances, and their hands could get quite cold even through the layer of nitrile.
For that reason, wearing cotton gloves under your nitrile gloves could keep your hands warm even when dealing with cold substances. This is also important if your workplace is generally on the colder side. Having cold hands at work is never good because gold hands tend to be stiff and slow compared to hands that are warm and limber.
Yet another reason why some people wear cotton gloves under nitrile gloves is to act as an extra layer of protection. While it doesn’t seem like cotton could provide much protection, some cotton gloves are designed to be resistant to cuts and other forms of damage. This is important when dealing with materials that may be somewhat sharp or have ragged edges.
Whatever the case, even if an edge slices through the nitrile glove, the cotton glove underneath could act as a buffer so that whatever you’re dealing with doesn’t cut your hand. Or, if it does cut your hand, it won’t do so too seriously.
The Benefits of Nitrile Gloves
While it can be beneficial to wear cotton gloves alone with nitrile gloves, it is important not to forget the benefits that nitrile gloves alone offer. As mentioned before, nitrile gloves are favored over latex gloves because they are far less irritating to the skin. This is why many industries require workers to wear nitrile gloves rather than latex.
But another reason this has to do with the durability of nitrile in comparison to latex and vinyl. Nitrile is an unusually strong and durable material, especially when exposed to cuts and snags. Latex gloves easily fall apart into pieces as soon as something snags them.
This is also true for vinyl gloves which are well known for being brittle and not very durable. Nitrile gloves, on the other hand, have great flexibility and strength that allows them to easily spring back into their original shape even if they are stretched or snagged. Of course, this is not to say that nitrile gloves are invincible.
What You Need to Know
They can still tear off something sharp or rigid, catches them just right, and tear off a piece of the glove. But even so, you will find that nitrile gloves are much longer-lasting compared to gloves of other types. This is not to mention that some nitrile gloves are designed to be extra thick so that they are even more durable.
Besides acting as an extra layer of protection, thick nitrile gloves may even keep your hands a bit warmer compared to thinner alternatives. Whatever the case, nitrile gloves are full of benefits, and it is no surprise that many workers in many industries use them.
All About Nitrile Gloves
While it is a good idea to wear cotton gloves under nitrile gloves, nitrile gloves also come with various benefits. After all, they are durable, easy to wear, and affordable all at the same time.
To learn more about these gloves, check out our products here.
