5 Reasons Why Dishwashing Gloves Get Sticky

Dishwashing Gloves Get Sticky

We can always wash our dishes without using dishwashing gloves but why is it preferable to use them?

Dishwashing gloves allow you to wash your dishes in hot water and keep your hands protected, at the same time…makes more sense doesn’t it? In addition to this, you’ll now be able to do the dishes in hot water that your bare hands can’t handle.

This allows for cleaner and thorough wash and generally just makes the whole dishwashing process go a lot faster. These gloves also allow for a cleaner job with more hygiene in mind.

Why Do Dishwashing Gloves Get Sticky?

These gloves are useful, but one annoying feature they possess is that they get sticky and get sticky for several reasons.

1. Grease/Oil

 I assume you wash greasy pots, pans and plates with your gloves…so, the continuous exposure to oil or grease causes latex and rubber gloves to break down, making them sticky.

 It is impossible to get all the oil out of those books and crannies, and overtime, the oils work their magic by breaking down the latex. Eventually, the latex will weaken to the point where it breaks under use or it will simply ‘melt’ if left to do its work.

2. Hot water

Most people use hot water to wash their dishes so the dirt washes off with ease. Using hot water continuously though without proper care afterwards, causes the gloves to melt overtime and become sticky.

After washing dishes with hot water, a conscious effort should be made to dry out the gloves used to wash the dishes.

best dishwashing gloves
Image: Envato Elements

3. Your gloves may be aging

When dishwashing gloves age, they melt and become sticky, because the molecules in the raw state are long chains of very weak links to each other-it happens when the stronger polymer cross links get snipped and the molecules revert back into their original small chains.

Once that happens, you’re stuck with rubber that has become sticky and tacky. This simply means that latex in its normal liquid form is quite sticky and stretchy, but when processed to make gloves, becomes quite firmer..so, when it ages, it begins to decline back to its original state, and let’s not forget that it the original state is sticky and stretchy liquid.

4. Lack of proper care

When dishwashing gloves are used and not properly taken care of (i.e rinsed properly with hot water) they become sticky overtime. Do not dump your dishwashing gloves unceremoniously after use..clean them thoroughly, preferably with cold running water so they don’t melt, and get sticky.

5. Environmental conditions

Lets not disregard this.

Sometimes, due to environmental conditions like temperature and UV (ultraviolet) exposure, rubber gloves can break down and become sticky. Exposure to UV rays can cause premature ageing of your dishwashing gloves.

 Some tricks to fix sticky dishwashing gloves

  • Make sure to scrub thoroughly after use, (scrub like you were going into surgery), and rinse with hot water.
  • Mix some baking soda with water to create a thick paste that is about the consistency of toothpaste. Rub the paste inside and outside of the glove with a cloth, and then, rinse clean
  • Dry up your dishwashing gloves after use, and when they’re completely dry, sprinkle talcum powder inside and outside them.
  • Put on the gloves, then wash the outside with soap or a mild detergent and hot water..then, turn the gloves inside out and soak them in a mixture of baking soda, soap, and water for 3hours. After 3 hours, take out and dry them up very well.

In conclusion

What to do if your dishwashing gloves are still sticky even after making use of all the tricks listed above, Replace them. Here’s the one we recommend, it has its own inbuilt scrubber.

One of all these tricks would surely work on your sticky gloves and if they don’t, that simply means that your dishwashing gloves have aged too much and need to be replaced.

Using sticky gloves is very unhygienic and not advisable as you do not want your hands to end up as grubby after using your dishwashing gloves. So, if you notice that none of the tricks listed above worked for your gloves, it is time to throw them out and get new ones.

Read next: The Best Types Of Dishwashing Gloves And Which to Get

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