To save money and keep your disposable gloves safe and effective for use, you’ll need to properly store them. Gloves need to be stored in a cool and dry environment while keeping extra light and heat away from the storage area.
Effective disposable gloves will help keep you and your staff from contamination and hazardous materials, which is why you should do everything possible to make your disposable gloves last longer.
What Is the Shelf Life of Disposable Gloves?
How long any type of disposable glove lasts also depends on the type of materials used to make the glove and how well you store them.
Generally, the manufacturer of the gloves will put a best if used by date on the box. Generally, if not indicated on the box, vinyl or nitrile gloves have a shelf life of about five years without degrading, as long as they are properly stored.
When the gloves are made from latex, the expiration date usually reaches no more than three years after manufacturing unless indicated otherwise on the package.
Tips to Appropriately Store Disposable Gloves in the Summer
Hot summer days can degrade gloves when they’re not stored properly. You should never store gloves inside a room or home that is above 90 °F. Generally, the best temperature to store gloves at ranges from 50 to 72 °F. That means keeping your air conditioner on at the right temperature on those blistering summer days.
Keep your gloves away from moist areas to prevent bacteria growth. High levels of heat or sunlight can also be damaging to disposable gloves. Store disposable gloves away from electrical sources or radiators. Further, keep the gloves in their packaging to protect them from air exposure.
Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to properly store your gloves as well. How do you know if the gloves aren’t safe to use? The best way to know when they’re no longer safe is to check for breaks, surface cracks, and/or loss of elasticity.
How High Levels of Heat Can Affect Disposable Gloves
Areas with high levels of heat during the summer can cause serious damage to disposable gloves if the indoor temperature levels rise too high for too long. Heat and light can cause the materials to break down and the gloves lose their ability to stretch. It is also important to keep fluorescent light from bulbs and electrical equipment away from your gloves to avoid both extra heat and UV levels.
Essentially, to keep your gloves safe, set the thermostat at a lower temperature on those scorching days and turn down lights in the storage area.
Before You Go
Whether you have purchased nitrile, latex, or vinyl gloves, you’ll need to store them in a dry, cool environment away from light, especially during the summer months. Doing so helps ensure their effectiveness as a protective layer.