Cotton gloves are a popular choice for many work environments. They’re commonly used in foodservice, yard and landscape work, material handling, electronics and inspection, or any other application where a light-duty level of protection is needed. Cotton is a natural fiber that’s naturally breathable, soft and flexible. This makes it comfortable to wear, and they’re also ambidextrous so they can be worn on either hand. In recent years, cotton gloves have become increasingly popular in healthcare settings as they can be worn while delivering medication to patients. In addition, research shows that cotton gloves that incorporate semipermeable materials like Sympatex are well tolerated by patients with hand dermatoses.
Despite the many benefits of cotton gloves, they have their drawbacks too. For example, institutional insistence that patrons and special collections staff don them when handling rare books and paper can actually cause the books and papers to be damaged, because the gloves trap dirt on the fingers rather than dispersing it. Cotton gloves are also very porous and absorbent, meaning that moisture from the hands can transfer back to the collection materials through the glove or pick up dirt on the surface of the glove itself.
For these reasons, we offer a wide selection of different cotton work glove styles to meet the needs of various applications and conditions. We also have a number of different coatings and added features that can be used with these cotton glove styles to enhance their performance. For instance, we carry dotted cotton gloves that have PVC dots sewn into the fabric for improved gripping and abrasion resistance. This is especially useful in wet applications where the glove may get sticky from liquids or oils. We also offer a line of cotton gloves that are made with a soft, fuzzy napping material on the outside of the woven cotton fabric for a smoother and more comfortable fit.
Some of the most important things to keep in mind when selecting cotton gloves are the type and amount of material in the gloves as well as the amount of abrasion resistance required for the specific application. For general use, string knit, terry cloth and jersey cotton gloves are a good choice because they’re made with one layer of woven cotton fabric or quilted fabric layers respectively. These types of cotton gloves are also often available in a range of sizes to accommodate most people. For situations that require a little extra heat and abrasion resistance, we have heavy duty cotton gloves, which are made with two quilted fabric layers, or the hot mills style that’s designed for increased heat and abrasion protection.
In addition to offering a variety of different cotton glove types, we also carry several options for adding a rubber or latex coating to these cotton gloves. This additional coating can provide an excellent grip and increase abrasion resistance even further, while also providing increased chemical resistance. We also have a selection of cotton gloves that are available in a black color for situations where it’s desirable to hide dirt and grime on the hands.