Did you know that you should be wearing gloves when using disinfectant wipes? Many people do not, but you are putting yourself at risk of coming into contact with the disinfectant chemical and the pathogens you are trying to eliminate.
In many settings, disinfectant wipes are needed to disinfect surfaces. The US Environmental Protection Agency registers disinfectant wipes as antimicrobial pesticides, which are designed to kill or inactivate microbes or germs.
When using a disinfectant wipe, you should almost always wear gloves. The benefit is two-fold. Gloves partly protect you from the harmful microorganisms you are trying to kill with the disinfectant and also protect your skin from the chemical.
Additionally, some disinfectant wipes contain particularly strong chemicals that can harm your skin. In fact, some wipes have chemicals that are so strong that you need to wear chemically resistant gloves when using them.
That said, there are a few brands of disinfectant wipes that do not require the use of gloves, such as Purell Surface Wipes. These wipes are safe to come into contact with your skin.
It’s important to fully read the label on your wipes container to ensure that you are using all necessary personal protective equipment when using the wipe. Unless the label specifically states that gloves do not need to be worn, you should wear gloves to protect yourself.
As a general safety and hygiene practice, you should also wash your hands before and after wearing gloves.
25 авг 2024
