Industries that use nitrile gloves

Nitrile gloves used for daily work

One glove, a dozen trades

So what are nitrile gloves used for? Almost any job where hands meet blood, food, oil, ink or cleaning products all day. Nitrile is a synthetic rubber with no natural latex in it, so it skips the latex allergy problem and holds up to oils and many chemicals better than vinyl.

Rubber gloves started in the operating room. The history of medical gloves goes back to 1894, when William Halsted put sterilized medical gloves into use at Johns Hopkins. Today the same idea covers kitchens, garages and tattoo studios. We sell every glove by the case, most holding 1,000, and these are the kinds of work they are made for.

Industries that buy gloves by the case

Twelve trades, twelve kinds of wear

Each entry covers why the work goes through gloves fast and what to look for. For the full list of collections, see the industries we supply.

1. 01

   

   01: Medical & dental offices

   Clinics that glove up for every patient

   Best forExams, cleanings, lab work

   Clinics change gloves between every patient, so a busy office can empty a case in weeks. OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard requires gloves whenever hand contact with blood can be reasonably anticipated, and it counts saliva in dental procedures as potentially infectious.

   For feel, we suggest nitrile exam gloves around 3 to 3.5 mil. Our medical collection runs from 3 mil up to the 5.5 mil Black Heavy Duty Nitrile at $84.95 a case.

2. 02

   02: Auto repair shops

   Garages that work in oil all day

   Best forOil changes, brakes, engine work

   Oil, brake fluid and grease wear out a thin glove fast, and a sharp bracket will tear one. That is why we suggest mechanic nitrile gloves at 5 mil or more, with a textured grip.

   Black hides grime, so it suits shop work. Our auto shop glove collection carries five gloves, from the 3.5 mil Black Nitrile at $62.95 to the 8 mil Orange Diamond Grip.

   TryBlack Diamond Grip, 7 mil $92.95
3. 03

   

   03: Tattoo studios

   Studios that change pairs between every client

   Best forSetup, sessions, cleanup

   A session takes gloves for setup, for the work and again for cleanup, so one client can take several pairs. We suggest black because ink and smudges disappear against it.

   Layering two colors makes a tear show right away. Our tattoo gloves in black include the 3.5 mil Black Nitrile (Industrial) and the 4 mil Black Nitrile (Medical).

4. 04

   

   04: Restaurants & food service

   Kitchens that keep bare hands off the food

   Best forPrep lines, delis, catering

   The FDA Food Code asks food workers not to touch ready-to-eat food with bare hands, and it lists single-use gloves as one way to do that. Each pair is used for one task, then thrown away.

   That adds up to a lot of gloves per shift. Our Blue and Black Nitrile (Industrial) gloves state that they comply with 21 CFR 177.2600, the FDA rule for rubber that touches food.

5. 05

   05: Janitorial & cleaning crews

   Crews that handle chemicals on every shift

   Best forRestrooms, kitchens, floors

   Bleach, degreasers and restroom cleaners all reach the skin without a barrier. Disposable cleaning gloves let a crew change pairs between rooms instead of carrying grime from one to the next.

   Nitrile resists many cleaning chemicals, though not all of them. Check the safety data sheet for anything strong your crew uses daily.

   TryBlack Nitro-V (Industrial) $58.95
6. 06

   

   06: Veterinary clinics

   Clinics that treat patients who bite & scratch

   Best forExams, wound care, kennels

   Vet techs need a thin glove for exams and a tougher one for kennel cleaning and wound care. Good veterinary gloves stretch enough to hold a squirming animal without splitting at the cuff.

   Our veterinary collection holds 11 gloves, from 3 mil exam gloves to the 5.5 mil Black Heavy Duty Nitrile.

7. 07

   07: Police & corrections

   Officers who search, cuff & collect evidence

   Best forSearches, evidence, first aid

   Pat-downs, vehicle searches and evidence collection all call for gloves. Where OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard covers a department, it requires gloves when hand contact with blood can be reasonably anticipated, and a search or first aid at a scene can bring that contact.

   Good law enforcement gloves stay thin enough to work a radio or a phone, and ours are touch-screen compatible. No disposable glove stops a needle, so search with care.

8. 08

   08: EMS & fire crews

   Crews who treat patients on the move

   Best forPatient care, trauma calls

   Plan on several pairs per call. OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard says disposable gloves must be replaced as soon as practical when contaminated, and as soon as feasible when torn or punctured. We suggest stocking exam grade nitrile in every size, since no one has time to hunt for a medium.

   The Blue Nitrile (Medical) at 3.5 mil and $61.95 a case is our top-selling medical glove on the store.

9. 09

   

   09: Nail & hair salons

   Salons that work with color, acetone & acrylic

   Best forColor, polish, acrylics

   OSHA notes that nitrile gloves protect against many chemicals in nail products, but latex or vinyl gloves are appropriate when handling acetone. So we suggest salons stock two gloves.

   Hair color takes at least one pair per client too. Our nail salon collection pairs nitrile with our clear vinyl glove for acetone work.

10. 10

    10: Car wash & detailing

    Detailers who work wet from start to finish

    Best forWash bays, interiors, film

    Soap, wax and tire dressing make a smooth glove slippery. We suggest diamond texture for wet grip and black or orange to hide product stains.

    Our Orange Diamond Grip is 8 mil and made for oily or wet work. It costs $99.95 a case, with 900 gloves in XL and XXL.

11. 11

    11: Manufacturing & warehouses

    Plants where gloves meet grease, parts & boxes

    Best forAssembly, machining, packing

    Assembly lines, machine shops and packing floors need a glove that survives hours of handling. OSHA asks employers to pick hand protection based on the task, how long it lasts and the hazards involved, so we suggest stocking two thicknesses.

    Thick diamond grip gloves cover parts work. A 3.5 mil glove handles light packing and scanner use.

    TryOrange Diamond Grip, 8 mil $99.95
12. 12

    12: Households that buy in bulk

    Homes that keep a case under the sink

    Best forCooking, cleaning, pets

    Families who cook, clean, garden, color hair or care for a pet go through more gloves than they expect. Most cases are 10 boxes of 100, so one box can sit in the kitchen, one in the garage and one in the car.

    Our lowest priced cases are the two Nitro-V gloves at $58.95, and shipping is free on all contiguous US orders for a limited time.

How each industry picks a glove

Grade, thickness & color

Three choices decide most glove orders. Grade first: medical work needs exam grade gloves, food work needs gloves made for food contact. Then thickness, since a heavier glove resists tears but gives up some feel. Color comes last, and it is more practical than it looks.

For nitrile gloves for cleaning, we suggest a 3.5 to 5.5 gram glove, light enough to change between rooms. Kitchens buying nitrile gloves for cooking should look for a glove that complies with 21 CFR 177.2600, such as our food industry gloves.