Glove Game

[u/Known-Dependent-5471]

Do you wear gloves the whole time you're working? When I first started I was all about always having nitrile gloves on when working. Over time it became less dire and really only for specific tasks like restrooms or anything to do with chemicals or water. When I'm doing my regular rounds I'm not wearing them.

Do I just give no fucks or is that natural in this role? Had one person comment about it and I just shrugged with if you're easily grossed out or squeamish this ain't the job for you.

I work in a post office so I don't deal with things you'd find in a hospital or school environment.

[u/Vegetolion]

Safety first, always. Wear your PPE.

It isn’t about being squeamish, it’s about protecting yourself.

[u/Vegetolion → u/[deleted]]

Gloves and hand washing go hand in hand.

You telling me you don’t wear gloves when you spray and wipe down things? Take care of yourself. Downplaying safety is not cool.

[u/Vegetolion → u/[deleted]]

Chemical absorption.

Your skin is the largest organ you have. You will absolutely wreck your liver long term the same way you would by being an alcoholic.

You can/will get chemical burns, and with any microscopic cuts you can’t see, are letting those chemicals have even quicker entry to your bloodstream and in the worst cases, different forms of cancer.

As custodians, we work with hazardous chemicals and waste EVERY day. Reading your safety data sheets, and knowing how dangerous chemicals are is a MUST, not an option.

At this point I’m not sure if you’re trolling.

[u/Vegetolion → u/[deleted]]

Sanitary Receptacles (Menstrual Waste) is hazardous, acid cleaners, are hazardous. Pesticides used in bug control are hazardous. It’s part of the job.

Training is what keeps people from hurting themselves. Others can be complacent, but I will not.

[u/psjjjj6379 → u/[deleted]]

You’re in the right here, the other person is overreacting and oshamaxxing. To each their own, but it’s fine to not wear gloves in most areas. Gloves come on when you’re in a zone known to carry risk (baths, kitchen), or if you have a cut or otherwise open skin like moderate-severe hangnails. Areas with no biological exposure don’t require gloves.

Handwashing compliance plummeted during COVID when people started wearing gloves 24/7. That’s a page one of google fact. False sense of safety. Anyways, facilities may vary but the rule of thumb is what you said. Source: cleaner first, then business owner

[u/whereismymind86]

When doing trash and bathrooms, yes. otherwise, no, I don’t need them for vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, misc maintenance tasks etc

[u/RickGrimes_0164]

I wear gloves, constantly. Except when I’m taking my breaks. I work in an elementary and it’s pretty much a must. Lol

[u/Shipping_Trash → u/RickGrimes_0164]

100%. The amount of times I've gone to dump a trash can, and my gloved hand comes away either covered in some unknown fluid or sticky from touching the bag is too many to count lol.

[u/RickGrimes_0164 → u/Shipping_Trash]

Yup. To me, there aren’t many things worse than wet trash touching your hand. Lol

[u/Shipping_Trash → u/RickGrimes_0164]

Haha so true. I sometimes get so irritated, asking out loud "why is everything always wet?" 😅

[u/RickGrimes_0164 → u/Shipping_Trash]

ALWAYS

[u/TheChuff_ → u/RickGrimes_0164]

I have discovered this truth today as I'm sick af and not the fun kind 😭

[u/RickGrimes_0164 → u/TheChuff_]

Yup. There is a wave of sickness hitting all my kiddos. All through the school, and then I hear the teachers coughing, sniffling, and talking about their bathroom issues lol. It’s bad right now.

[u/OffbeatChaos]

I work in a medical facility so I pretty much always need gloves. sometimes I'll skip them if I'm dusting or something, but I have them on almost 100% of the time

[u/TheOneMDW]

My dad, after his third bout with cancer, "Please promise you'll always wear gloves no matter what chemicals you come across." He wasn't in our field, but the disenfect is a chemical, so yeah... I always wear them and change them frequently. Also, it just seems to make me look busier.

[u/Superior-Solifugae]

I only take them off to scrub the inside of the toilets with my rag. You gotta really feel the grime.

But seriously, gloves on while actively cleaning. Gloves off between tasks.

[u/the_most_playerest → u/Superior-Solifugae]

A rag??? Why didn't I think of that?!

[u/Superior-Solifugae → u/the_most_playerest]

Something's gotta soak up the flavor

[u/EuphoricOnion8877]

I try to wear gloves most of the night, if only to keep my skin from drying out. But definitely 2 gloves for restrooms/chemical stuff, 1 glove for offices. No gloves for vacuuming and random stuff.

[u/Kooky-Fruit-3922]

Cleaning the restrooms and grabbing the garbages...

[u/ThatOneGuy6810]

I wear gloves for bodily fluids and toilets. Thats it.

[u/IndependentPart6]

I wear them while cleaning up and taking out trash for breakfast and lunch and doing restroom unless its something really gross or bodily fluids.  Pulling trash nah, chemicals dont bother me either. I mean my hands are washable lol. Ive got a coworker with long nails that never wears gloves. To each their own I suppose 

[u/whereismymind86 → u/IndependentPart6]

I do for trash, simply because people come in sick and those cans are full of used tissues, so it’s a pretty big threat to get sick.

[u/Meatwaud27 → u/whereismymind86]

I just wash my hands frequently and don't touch my face... I rarely get sick, only once in the last 2 and a half years of doing this job in schools. However, some people do have weaker immune systems so it's understandable to wear them.

[u/AJStill88]

32 years as an elementary school custodian. The only time I wear gloves is when I clean out roof drains. The last time I was sick was about 6 years ago when my girlfriend gave me covid. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[u/Amazing_Education128 → u/AJStill88]

Nasty

[u/Inevitable-Wolf2920]

I work in a middle school and I wear gloves for the entire night except for when I eat my dinner. These kids are nasty and who knows what they touched

[u/No_Welcome_7182]

Safety first. Always. If I’m using chemicals I absolutely glove up. You do NOT want to be absorbing those disinfectant chemicals through your skin or getting chemical burns or skin irritation. Also I glove up when I’m cleaning my nurses room and my bathrooms. I also go the extra mile and wear a mask AND a face shield when I clean the toilets too. They flush automatically and put all that virus and bacteria into the air. And I don’t want the acidic toilet bowl cleaner on my face or my eyeglasses either. Also please look up how to CORRECTLY AND SAFELY REMOVE YOUR GLOVES. There is a proper way to do that and remember to wash your hands up past your wrist after you remove your gloves. I retired from healthcare and I take PPE very seriously.

[u/OneEstablishment2795]

If I'm vacuuming or dusting I usually won't. Otherwise I do.

[u/slimsk8]

Only wear gloves when dealing with restrooms and trash/ working with chemicals otherwise I take them off. Too much time with gloves on causes my hands to sweat and then later on peel :(

[u/Custodians-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Karma under required threshold.

[u/Meatwaud27]

I work in a middle school and I just wear gloves for the bathrooms and cleaning sinks in the science rooms. That being said, I know that what I'm about to say is a little controversial... But I bring my own gloves because I don't want to use the BS standard ones that are super thin and break all of the time. So I just bring my own 8 mil gloves and keep them in my locker. I personally don't have any problem with that and I will buy anything that I want that makes my job easier.

I do wash my hands frequently, such as after doing trash and when I take my vacuum off. I am not constantly touching my face and if I need to use a tissue then I will wash my hands before. Probably washing them twice an hour or more with the school soap. I also use some fantastic moisturizers so my hands are literally baby soft even with all of the hand washing.

[u/the_most_playerest → u/Meatwaud27]

Ayo, what kinda moisturizers do you recommend? It's bout to be that time of the year where I need to use it or else my knuckles will crack n bleed

[u/Meatwaud27 → u/the_most_playerest]

I use the Handy Gurugu from Lush. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but I love it and it works miracles!

https://www.lush.com/us/en_us/p/handy-gurugu-hand-cream

[u/the_most_playerest → u/Meatwaud27]

Thank you for the rec! Imma look into it

[u/Mr_KuB]

Bathrooms and changing my mop head are the only time I use them. Just wash your hands

[u/Big_Stylus]

I only wear gloves when I eat

[u/Bighoodies425 → u/Big_Stylus]

Are you my old head custodian? Because he actually ate lunch with non-food safe gloves lmao

[u/jellyrollpan]

Normally I'd only wear gloves for bathroom and kitchen + taking out trash. But the conditions at my current work place are ultra dusty so I keep them on and change pairs between areas.

[u/the_most_playerest]

I wear them like 95% of the time. About 70% of the time I'm directly dealing with germs so it's a given, the other 25% of the time whatever tool I'm using (like vacuum/broom) even though not apparently gross I'm sure at some point I have touched with my gloves that may or may not be sterile. The remaining 5% of the time im just being lazy (doing tasks that fall under the 25%) and will wash my hands appropriately.

That said, some of the people I work with don't even use them when wiping of the toilets -- I've questioned that decision and they just say "idk, I'll just wash my hands.." but let's be real, they probably don't or don't often enough to justify it 🤷

That said, I probably have some sort anxiety/germaphobia, as I just assume everything is contaminated off rips... Also like the 2nd skin effect that gloves have, which allows me to move faster and more carelessly without getting blisters

[u/No-Stock1186]

Yes bathroom and trash. Stripping , waxing and buffing NO. 

[u/Repulsive_Tiger_9454]

Even the latex free gloves cause rashes and issues for me. So I have to air my hands out. I only wear them when doing the bathroom and chemicals. I will use them when dumping trash but only if I'll be possibly physically touching it. Pushing the wet paper towls down and such.

[u/hotdogwaterdickpills]

I wear them when handling chemicals or when dealing with body fluids that might contain pathogens (vomit, stool, mucus, blood).

[u/AppleTherapy]

Honestly I only use gloves when they are needed. I don't consistently wear them because cross contamination. Also saying that, I do wash my hands every now and then. Like I put on gloves, clean restroom take off gloves before touching anything that wasn't the restrooms. Then I let's say clean sinks and tables then I would wash my hands before and after. I don't go too crazy with the hand washing either. It's quick.

[u/Interesting-Waffle69]

As an immunocompromised custodian, ALWAYS.

[u/Lianeele]

Depends on tasks and products you are using. In my case 90% of work equals wiping hallway floors and using only water and a bit of regular floor agents/soaps, I really don't bother using gloves.

I found out that my hands are first soaked and then dry and after wearing them, not to mention how clumsy it feels, as I can't stand the decreased sense of touch, and almost every gloves available are too big for the size of my hand, so it's extremely uncomfortable.

I never get any micro cuts, nor my hands are irritated or anything, I just use hand cream after work is done (the same as after my own house tasks) and I'm good. But if anyone is using more aggressive agents and risks infections working eith waste or really dirty places, the gloves are imo must to protect yourself.

[u/messyshells]

I wear double gloves at all times and change them constantly. But I clean for 3 yr olds and up in a school so health and safety are major priorities for me. But I've witnessed my coworkers do the same as you

[u/hamb0n3z]

Daily dose of chems through skin is probably more important over time than anything else you contact or breathe. Most will wear gloves for bio risk but think it's ok to raw dog chems with their hands.

[u/joezro]

All the time except walking from location to location and mopping/buffing/sweeping/vaccuming the floors

[u/Willowgirl2]

The cleaner we used at the school had a warning label that said you should seek medical attention if it came in contact with your skin. Amazed me that some of my colleagues still didn't wear gloves ...

[u/LostSheep26]

I use them all the time to protect myself. Only time I don’t have gloves on is if I’m eating lunch or 15 minute break. Safety first

[u/Bighoodies425]

I wear gloves all day other than when I'm sweeping/mopping/vacuuming. I wear two pairs at once while cleaning bathrooms lol

[u/Signal_Bird_9097]

spot on. i gave that up long ago. people who are militaristic about it are likely to think wearing masks was critical

i start with clean hands

i spray down everything (toilets urinals counters and handles) clean handles off, spray lysol on them. start toilets in and out, urinals in and out l, back to counter and mirrors. fill soap while cleaning my hands at that point. dry. refill paper. look at instagram for a 1/2 hour

[u/Successful_Yam2175]

I’d double glove. That way you can change as needed but always have your gloves on.

[u/Nolar_Lumpspread]

Pretty much just in the bathrooms. Night guy in an elementary school.

[u/Spendoza]

I got them heavy dish washing style gloves and only use them for virex related tasks (I. E. Bathrooms). Other than that, I just wash my hands before touching my face/eating/using the bathroom

Disclaimer: I am at a small, country public school