Imagine having to wash up a huge pile of dishes, three meals a day, throughout the year, not to mention the other cleaning chores at home - with your bare hands without the aid and protection of a pair of household gloves.
The consequence of such long-term exposure of your hands and nails to the effects of detergent, water, and other contaminants is unimaginable. No efforts should therefore be spared in search of the gloves that will suit you uniquely for the best possible comfort and protection.
The Consumer Council has completed a test on 19 pairs of household gloves to evaluate, and compare, systematically their physical measurement and properties as well as the effects of accelerated ageing test and immersion in simulated liquid detergent and other chemical solutions.
The samples comprised both the latex or rubber types (16 models ranging in price from $6 to $18.9 per pair), and the more expensive nitrile and PVC types (from $11.9 to $21.9 a pair) for those who are allergic to latex.
In the test, the samples were measured with precision for the thickness of the fingers and palm, and the palm circumferences of different sizes. The size of gloves should fit snugly; too big or small the gloves will make your job unwieldy and cumbersome.
For physical properties, the samples were tested to determine: air and water leak, tear and puncture resistance, tensile strength and elongation.
On water and air leak, all samples were tested with reference to EN 374-2 and found to perform most satisfactorily with full marks - all rated with 5 points on a scale of 5.
On tear and puncture resistance tested with reference to the European Standard EN 388, the samples varied substantially in their performance, ranging from a high 5 points to a mere 2.5 points in both tear and puncture resistance. A damaged glove will obviously defeat the protection it is designed for.
On tensile strength and elongation tested in accordance to the US ASTM D412-06A, the results indicated a marked difference in performance between the latex models and the non-latex models which were rated rather poorly from 3.5 points to 2 points, and 1.5 points to 1 point, in the case of tensile strength and elongation respectively.
The gloves were also subjected to stringent accelerated ageing test at 70℃ for 96 hours (4 days) and 166 hours (7 days) and compared their changes afterwards in respect of tensile strength and elongation properties. The top performer scored 5 points while at the lower end of the scale one received 2.5 points.
Further, the samples were put through a chemical test by immersion for 24 hours each in a simulated liquid detergent at 60℃ (2% sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate), and 2 chemical solutions at 20℃, namely, 30% hydrochloric acid and 20% sodium hydroxide, with mixed results ranging from 4 points to 2 points.
The test showed that price may not necessarily be a good indicator of the quality and comfort of household gloves. The 10 models that were given an overall rating of 4 points were priced from $6 to $18.9 a pair while the remaining 9 models from $6.3 to $21.9 (the 3 more expensive non-latex models happened to be in the latter group).
Some useful tips in the use of household gloves:
- If the gloves leave your hands clammy and uncomfortable after prolonged wearing, choose those models with cotton (or flock) lining. Or, don a pair of cotton gloves before you put on the rubber gloves.
- Physical properties of household gloves may deteriorate during storage, it is not advisable to buy gloves in big bulk.
- Separate gloves should be used for bathroom and kitchen to keep hygiene; buy different colours for easy distinction.
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- 2014.01.14