How To Clean Smelly Gloves
There are a lot of perks that stem from wearing dishwashing gloves, such as protecting your skin from hot water and cleaning solutions. However, there are a couple of undeniable downsides that come along with using these household helpers: They often make your hands smell like rubber and many people don’t know how to clean them.
Learn how to care for stinky rubber gloves, then take a look at how to get rid of that latex smell.
How to Clean Rubber Gloves
Believe it or not, your dishwashing gloves do need to be cleaned. After all, you’re sticking your hands in them, so you want to make sure they’re not dirty. In addition, the inside of a glove is warm and damp, which is the perfect breeding ground for many types of germs.So, it’s a good thing that learning how to clean rubber gloves is fairly simple! All you’ll need is a mild soap, like dishwashing liquid.
- Once you’ve finished washing the dishes or whatever other household chore you’ve been tending to, rinse the gloves with water to remove any traces of cleaning solutions.
- Wash the outside of the gloves using the dish soap.
- Rinse your gloves once more to remove any soap suds.
- Let them air dry.
- When the outside of the gloves has dried, turn the gloves inside out and repeat the first four steps.
Note: The above method is for unlined gloves made of rubber or latex. Check the manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning lined gloves or those made of fabric.
How to Get Rid of That Latex Smell
One of the most common complaints about rubber gloves is that they leave a foul smell behind on hands. As you well know, dishwashing gloves have been around for decades now, meaning people have had a lot of time to experiment with ways to fight that awful rubbery odor.Here are some smelly glove solutions that might come in handy (if you’ll pardon our pun):
- Baking soda — Baking soda is renowned for its ability to knock out unpleasant aromas in the house. Try sprinkling some on the insides of dry gloves before you start washing dishes or cleaning the bathroom. Take this tip to the next level by mixing a drop or two of your favorite essential oil with the baking soda first.
- Lotion — Apply a sweet-smelling lotion to your hands before and after using rubber gloves. Doing so can help mask the scent of the latex, and can also keep your skin hydrated if it tends to dry out inside of gloves.
- Scented soap — Another great way to snuff out the stench of latex is to break out the good stuff. Turn your gloves inside out and use a pleasant antibacterial soap for cleaning. You can repeat this several times if need be. Just be certain to let the gloves dry completely before turning them right-side out again.
Other Ways to Combat Smelly Gloves
Naturally, if your gloves don’t stink in the first place, you don’t have to worry about having hands that smell like rubber. Fortunately, there are a variety of gloves on the market that have been created to deal with the notorious odor of the latex rubber glove, such as:- Latex-free options
- Gloves scented to smell like vanilla, chamomile, lavender and more
- Dishwashing gloves lined with foam or cotton
And if you’re finding life’s so hectic you barely have time to wash the dishes, much less your dishwashing gloves, reach out for some cleaning backup. The professional housekeepers at Merry Maids are happy to lend a hand — gloved or no — so that you can focus on doing the things that make you smile.
