The winter cold can sometimes be so unforgiving that gloves cannot possibly offer us enough warmth. Furthermore, if we wear overly thick gloves, dexterity will be compromised, thus preventing us from performing work at our best.
In such cases, which often happen for outdoor workers in winter weather, hand warmers can be a life-saver. But, how to use hand warmers in gloves? Can we even insert the warmers inside our mittens?
Read on to know more.
Table of Contents
What to Prepare
A pair of hand warmers for your hands
For your information, hand warmers are disposable products for one-time use. Depending on the product quality and content, it can last from 5 to 8 hours before you can discard the piece.
So how do these hand warmers work? In truth, they utilize the iron oxidation process to generate heat and warm us up. We mostly put them in hidden places like our gloves, shoes, or pockets to keep warm for a short period.
The stuff inside these disposable hand warmers is small pieces of iron, activated carbon, cellulose, vermiculite, salt, and water. As these substances react upon exposure to oxygen, the hand warmer will be activated.
A pair of liner (optional)
Many people claim that they can directly attach the hand warmer onto their hands. It is usable that way if the piece’s heating power is not too strong.
However, in some cases, people are actually hurt due to the direct contact of their skin with the warmer. Therefore, preparing a thin liner glove is recommended.
Thick winter gloves
Hand Warmer How to Use and Put It Inside Our Gloves
Step 1: Activate a hand warmer
Do this when you are ready for work since the package will stop warming you up once the iron oxidation ends.
Just tear the outer package and expose the handwarmer to oxygen. Then, shake the stuff inside a bit to activate it.
The simple act of opening and shaking the warmer will immediately allow the substances inside to react and emit heat within several minutes.
Step 2: Put on your thin liner pair
As stated above, putting on a well-fitted thin liner will prevent accidental burn by the warmer due to direct contact.
Step 3: Attach the hand warmer to your palm
Instead of wearing your thick gloves then inserting the hand warmers inside gloves, you should attach these pieces on your liner.
Peel the cover of the handwarmer’s adhesive side, then tape it onto your liner’s palm. Press it one more time to secure the piece before you put the thick winter gloves on.
Step 4: Wear your winter gloves
Lastly, just hold the hand warmer lightly after putting the thick pair on and do your tasks.
Here’s a short video to show you how to use hot hands hand warmers without an adhesive side. You can see the video maker not using a thin liner. It’s your call.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hot are these hand warmers?
Well, after fully activated, meaning 5 -10 minutes upon exposure to oxygen, the temperature inside hand warmer gloves can reach 165 °F (more than 73 °C). So that’s why we should be careful when using this product.
Warning: We should avoid inserting these hand warmers inside mittens or shoes with ventilation.
Is the stuff inside hand warmers toxic?
When the chemicals are kept inside the package, they do not harm our health. We can attach and use the hand warmer heating pad without worry.
However, we should not try to tear the pieces and directly touch or digest those small substances inside. The iron is toxic, as it can cause severe reactions. Therefore, make sure to keep the warmers somewhere secure to avoid our pets eating the dangerous chemicals.
Should I let the hand warmers touch my phone?
Probably not. We do not recommend letting the activated hand warmer anywhere near your phone screens. Direct contact with such a heat source might hurt your phones’ functions.
Therefore, if you want to keep the phone next to your hand warmer, put the latter inside a small sock or a zip-lock bag. Then, you can keep the hand warmer near your phone.
Can I put the heat warmer inside my shoes?
Definitely yes. These hand warmers work for our feet, too, with the same heating benefit. You can put them at the bottom of the toe portion or the top toe box space. With that, you can prevent the pieces from moving around too much while still having enough warmth. Make sure to wear socks.
Conclusion
Hand warmers are of excellent use in the cold winter when we work outdoors. They warm us up and prevent our hands from feeling stiff in the cold weather. So, after learning how to use hand warmers in gloves, you should be able to utilize the pieces well without hurting your hands.
Feel free to share this post with your family and colleagues, so they know how to make excellent use of this helpful product. Leave us a comment if you like; thank you for reading!
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.