Cleaning gloves for janitorial crews

Why commercial crews use disposable cleaning gloves

One pair per room, then the bin

Cleaning gloves have two jobs. They protect the worker from the products, and they stop what one room holds from reaching the next. A reusable pair can do the first job. The second means washing, drying and storing it between rooms, every room, every night.

The employer's duty is short. The OSHA hand protection rule says employers must select and require hand protection when hands are exposed to hazards such as skin absorption of harmful substances, cuts, punctures and chemical burns. Selection has to rest on the task, the conditions, how long the glove is worn and the hazards present. It names no material.

Some crews also fall under OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard, for example crews who clean clinics or whose duties include cleaning up blood. Where it applies, gloves are required when hand contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials can be reasonably anticipated, and disposable gloves must not be washed or decontaminated for reuse.

That is why janitorial gloves are usually disposable. A fresh pair of our 3.5 mil nitrile costs about 13 cents, and nobody has to wonder where the last one has been.

Nitrile, Nitro-V or vinyl gloves for cleaning

Three materials, four gloves

Our cleaning collection holds four gloves for cleaning in three materials. All four are latex-free and powder-free, and most cases hold 1,000 gloves. Some XL cases hold 900.

Nitrile gloves for cleaning are our default. OSHA's PPE guide says nitrile, as a material, protects when working with oils, greases, acids, caustics and alcohols, which covers most of a janitorial cart at splash level. Both of our 3.5 mil industrial gloves come in XS to XL.

Our Nitro-V blend industrial glove mixes nitrile and vinyl. Its page lists janitorial work and cleaners among its uses, and it is the lowest priced glove in the collection at $58.95 a case. Only size M is in stock today.

The Biomass clear vinyl is the lightest, at 3 grams, and is free of latex, powder and accelerators. Its page calls it ideal for food handling, so it fits break room and pantry tasks. It is also in stock only in M right now. If a crew stocks just one glove, we suggest nitrile.

Glove thickness for each cleaning job

Thin for wiping, thick for scrubbing

OSHA's PPE guide puts the tradeoff plainly: the thicker the glove material, the greater the chemical resistance, but thick gloves may impair grip and dexterity. Here is how we match our gloves to the work.

Above 3.5 mil, our industrial line is listed at 5 mil (Black Heavy Duty), 7 mil (Black Diamond Grip) and 8 mil (Orange Diamond Grip). Several sizes are sold out today, so check the page before you order.

Heavy duty cleaning gloves for chemicals

Splash protection, not immersion

Heavy duty cleaning gloves put more film between a splash and your skin. For degreasers, oven cleaners and restroom acids, our black heavy duty industrial nitrile is listed at 5 mil and 6 grams, $79.95 a case. Size L is sold out today.

Bleach needs one caveat. OSHA's guide says nitrile is generally not recommended for strong oxidizing agents, and bleach is an oxidizer. CDC lists rubber or plastic gloves for wiping with diluted bleach, so we treat our gloves as protection for diluted bleach and splashes, not concentrate.

Color coding gloves by area

One color per zone, no crossover

No OSHA rule assigns glove colors to cleaning areas. Color coding is a house system: you decide which color goes where, put it on every cart and train it. Then a supervisor can see at a glance that the restroom glove never touched the break room counter.

• Blue for kitchens, break rooms and general wiping, where you want to see soil on the glove.
• Black for restrooms and trash runs, a color that only ever goes into those rooms.
• Orange for heavy jobs such as floor stripping, so a thick glove is never mistaken for a thin one.

We stock nitrile in three colors: blue industrial nitrile at 3.5 mil ($64.95), black at 3.5 mil ($62.95) and 5 mil ($79.95), and orange diamond grip nitrile at 8 mil ($99.95). Black cleaning gloves hide grime, which suits crews who work in front of tenants and customers. Blue and orange show soil, which tells a worker when a pair is done.

Sizing a cleaning crew

Every worker in their own size

A glove that is too tight tears at the thumb. One that is too loose bunches at the fingertips and slips off wet. OSHA's general PPE rule asks employers to select PPE that properly fits each affected employee, and OSHA's PPE guide notes that PPE that does not fit may not give the protection intended and may discourage use.

Our glove sizes run XS to XL on both 3.5 mil industrial gloves and M to XXL on the orange diamond grip.

Buying janitorial supplies by the case

What a case costs per glove

Gloves are one of the few janitorial supplies a crew uses up every shift, so the per-glove price matters. Every glove in our cleaning gloves collection comes by the case, and most cases hold 10 boxes of 100. Divide the case price by 1,000 to get the real cost.

To plan volume, do the math for your own crew. As an example: 6 cleaners x 8 rooms a night x 1 pair per room x 2 gloves x 5 nights = 480 gloves a week. That is example math, not an industry figure. At that pace a crew uses about two cases a month, split across the sizes your crew wears. Add extra for torn pairs.

Order gloves on the same cycle as the rest of your commercial cleaning supplies. Some XL cases hold 900, so those run a little higher per glove. Shipping is free on contiguous US orders for a limited time, and most orders are processed within 1 business day.