Rubber gloves are important household cleaning tools to protect our hands from being subjected to abrasive solutions. We also need those pairs to help us deal with dust, oils, and even trash. Therefore, it is understandable that they should be washed and disinfected properly for our own sake.
Washing them is one thing, as we typically do with soap and disinfectants, but can you put rubber gloves in the dryer? Well, you might be able to put them in washing machine using a garment bag, but you should not use the dryer afterward.
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Can You Dry Rubber Gloves in the Dryer?
Many of us want to know how to dry inside of rubber gloves, but putting them into the dryer is not the right way.
Most rubber gloves used for household settings can resist certain abrasive chemicals quite well. Therefore, we can wear them to protect our skin from getting irritated by cleaning products, even bleach.
However, rubber is not among the materials that resist heat well. Even high-heat protection materials like leather should not be subjected to machine washing and drying.
That’s why it is advised that we do not use the dryer to quickly heat up the gloves to make water evaporate from their inside. Rubber gloves can become brittle after several washing and drying times like this. And we risk losing the glove’s durability after such cleaning methods.
How to Dry Rubber Gloves?
So it is not recommended to put rubber gloves in the dryer; we should also not wash these gloves in the dishwasher. What can we do, then, to clean and dry a dirty pair of rubber gloves the right way?
Here’re the steps you can follow to ensure glove hygiene without damaging it:
Step 1: Wear the gloves and wash them
It is best that you use soap or mild detergent to wash your pair. Just put it on and have the warm water running, then pour some soap onto the gloves.
Rub your hands together to create friction to wash off dirt and oils on the gloves. Make sure you scrub every finger and the part near the wrist to make sure the whole pair is cleaned thoroughly.
Now, run the warm water again and rinse the pair while still wearing it. Scrub the gloves a little more with the water on, and that’s how you finish cleaning rubber gloves.
You can take them off and wash your hands with soap.
Step 2: Wash the inside of the gloves
Indeed, we cannot leave out the inside of the rubber gloves where not only dirt but our sweat has built up.
In this part, you should use soap with warm water to make a soapy cleaning solution. Then, turn the pair inside out and soak it in the mixture.
Leave the gloves there for several minutes before rinsing them with water.
Step 3: Dry the gloves and disinfect them
Use a clean towel to dry the inside of the gloves. Then, do the same for the pair’s outside. You can hang them in a ventilated area and wait for them to dry.
Then, it’s time to use a rubber-safe sanitizer to disinfect rubber gloves. Make sure you follow the instructions to thoroughly sanitize the inside and outside of the pair.
Also, make sure to wash your hands when you finish disinfecting the gloves.
Step 4: Dry your rubber gloves
Now that the pair is washed and disinfected, you should dry it properly.
First, dry both gloves inside and outside with another clean towel. Then, you can use a clipper or a DIY hanger made from a binder clip, a loop, and a bungee cord.
The important thing is that you leave the two glove wrists open for the cool air to get in and dry your gloves naturally. Of course, please do not put them near any source of excessive heat.
Conclusion
So, for the question “can you put rubber gloves in the dryer”, the answer is no. There are things we should just wash by hand and then dry naturally.
If you are worried that drying the gloves at room temperature will take too long, it’s recommended to have a spare pair. It’s good that we can have one for use while the other is washed and ready for the next use.
Anyway, if you find the article helpful, feel free to share it with others. Thank you!
This is Edward Manning, the editor in chief of Construction Informer. Quite a bit of my time is spent researching the market and interviewing experts in the field so that I can give you reliable information.