The Best Method For Cleaning Your Gardening Gloves
If you love gardening, there's a good chance you own at least one pair of gardening gloves. Gardening gloves are an essential gardening tool, protecting your skin from being torn or damaged by harmful pesticides, disease-causing bacteria, prickly thorns, and poisonous weeds. They even, more basically, keep dirt from getting under your nails. However, naturally, they get dirty and might smell rank with regular use. So they must be thoroughly cleaned to prevent the spread of germs and to ensure their longevity.
Though garden gloves should be cleaned after every use to prevent dirt and bacteria from settling in, the cleaning frequency will also depend on how filthy they are. The dirtier they get, the more often they need to be washed. The gloves' material also plays a key role since you can easily wash away the dirt, but the cleaning procedure depends on the type of glove you own. Determine if your glove falls in the cotton, leather, rubber, or latex category before using any cleaning products.
How to clean your gardening gloves
To clean your cotton, knit, or cloth-based gardening gloves, keep them on your hands while rinsing them under water to get rid of dirt and debris. Now, you can put them in the washing machine, add your preferred detergent, and use a cold water cycle to clean them. Or you can follow the same steps to hand wash them. In case there are some stubborn stains left behind, work some stain-removing solution into the glove and leave it on for about 15 minutes before rinsing off the glove and letting it air dry.
If you own a leather glove, use a soft-bristled brush or your fingers to dislodge the dirt. After you have shaken out the dirt, apply some saddle soap on a paper towel or cloth and rub it on the glove. Once the glove is clean, dampen a clean paper towel or cloth to mop away the soap before letting it air dry.
To clean your rubber gloves or latex gloves, rinse them with cold water and use a detergent or dishwashing liquid to clean them. You can even use a cleaning brush to work out any stains left behind. Once clean, let them air dry to prevent mildew growth.
Make your gardening gloves last longer
Keeping gardening gloves clean can go a long way in extending their life, but you can also follow some tips to maintain them. First of all, never store your gloves under the glare of the sun or in a heated area. The heat will irritate the material, and direct sunlight can fade its color. Store your gloves at room temperature in a dry location to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Since leather gloves can become stiff, treat them using some leather conditioner or linseed oil after you clean and dry them. Use a dry cloth to rub in the oil or conditioner and let it air dry completely before storing.
Another handy trick is to sprinkle some baby powder inside your gloves if they continue smelling after you clean them. Further, allow your gloves to air dry as much as possible instead of leaving them on a heated surface to maintain their shape.