The Expert Guide To Poly Gloves: Uses, Types, Advantages, Disadvantages

Do you work in the food industry? Do you have nest-friendly gloves to use in your restaurant or café? If the answer is yes, then you must consider Poly gloves!

Are you looking f a cost-effective, more eco-friendly glove to put on and remove in your daily chores easily res? If your answer is yes, then you should add poly gloves to the top of your purchasing list!

Let me take you on the journey to know all you neto about poly gloves.

When you stand in line waiting for the bar sandwich worker to give you your sandwich or prep you a fast salad, you will notice how they change gloves, do handwashing then put on another pair of gloves.

Or when you’re dying your hair in a hair salon and the hairdresser uses simple plastic gloves to protect her hand from the dye chemicals yet can be easily removed and changed between clients.

Imagine how many sandwiches and salads are made a day and how many people dye their hair in salons.

Using expensive gloves like nitrile gloves for these simple, quick jobs would burden business owners, cafés, restaurants…etc.

That’s to say, poly gloves are the magical, most economical solutions for such dilemmas. 

And not only for big industries, but poly gloves can come in handy in your daily tasks, whether you’re cooking, cleaning, or washing the dishes.

In this article, we are going to talk about:

What are poly gloves? And more about their types, advantages, and disadvantages, the usage of these gloves in the food industry & other fields, and what are the main characteristics of these gloves?

Let’s dig in.

What are poly gloves?

It is called polyethylene gloves (PE Gloves) are named after what they are made of, Polyethylene resin.

What’s a polyethylene resin?

It’s a type of chemical material consisting of similar polymers to Ethylene.

It was discovered accidentally back in 1898 by a German chemist called Hans von pechmann, then proceeded to the first practical production of PE in 1933.

Polyethylene is known as “commodity resin.”

Why?

As it is one of the most common and cheapest plastics used worldwide, it can be produced in large amounts at a very low cost.

What is PE used for generally?

Polyethylene has excellent chemical stability; thus, it’s mainly used as an insulator layer in bags and foils you put your food in.

Now it’s used in many industries, including food wrap, plastic bottles, shopping bags, and poly gloves.

How are poly gloves made?

They’re made by a process called “cutting and heat sealing.”

What happens in this process?

In this process, two polyethylene sheets are seemed together and sealed with heat to create the poly gloves, unlike latex, nitrile, and vinyl which are hand shape molded and then dipped.

Now we’ve seen what a Polyethylene resin is and how poly gloves are made, let’s see what their types are.

What are the types of poly gloves?

Poly gloves are very thin and lightweight; they have different types according to the kind of polyethylene resin they are made of:

• Low-Density polyethylene gloves (LDPE)

They are transparent, soft, flexible & strong polyethylene. Moreover, it’s less rigid and stiff and offers excellent sensitivity.

Consequently, it can be used in hair salons for hairdressing and dying.

• High-density polyethylene gloves (HDPE)

They are thin, lightweight types of polyethylene. However, it’s harder and stiffer than LDPE; it costs less.

Therefore, used mainly in places where little dexterity is needed, like petrol stations and department stores.

Before moving to the following types, we must be familiar with embossing.

So, what is embossing or embossed gloves?

An embossed glove has a pattern on its outside to give it a textured surface.

Some poly gloves are internally embossed to prevent stickiness due to sweat or used for long periods and for easier donning and doffing.

For more about donning and doffing your poly gloves correctly, check our article; here’s everything about PPE. 

Now we’ve talked about embossing, let’s see the other types of poly gloves.

• Cast Polyethylene gloves (CPE)

They are transparent but thicker types of poly gloves. Moreover, they’re embossed to make you feel this thickness, which gives them good resistance and a peculiar roughened surface.

It has a significant advantage of much higher sensitivity and firmer grip. 

Moreover, they’re durable and can be worn for longer hours.

• Thermoplastic polyethylene gloves (TPE)

They are the thickest of all. Made of thermoplastic elastomer, which is highly flexible and elastic, nearly as elastic as rubber gloves. Additionally, they’re embossed softly to make you feel softer and for elasticity and elongation.

Likewise, soft embossing makes TPE more flexible and tensile than CPE.

•  Hybrid poly gloves

A new type of poly gloves made of LDPE with improved features, like internal and external embossed texture for better grip and dexterity. Also, easier slipping in, even with wet hands.

They’re 100% recyclable, which make them eco-friendly. Moreover, causing less harmful emissions during the manufacturing process & less material waste.

Hybrid poly gloves have a tapered cuff and are more elastic and heat-resistant.

To summarize, there are different types of poly gloves.

While LDPE is softer, stronger, and more flexible and offers more sensitivity, HDLP is thinner and lighter weight but more rigid and costs less.

Meanwhile, CPE Gloves are thick yet strong and embossed for a better grip and dexterity.

TPE are the thickest, embossed softly for better comfort and easier donning and doffing

Further, there are new hybrid poly gloves with unique features of being more eco-friendly and internally and externally embossed.LDPE & HDPE are much cheaper and more cost-effective than CPE & TPE but overall, they are usually offering a cheaper and better alternative to vinyl and latex gloves in some industries. 

Find out 6 excellent alternatives to black vinyl gloves all poly gloves usually have many benefits, despite their differences …so let’s go through these benefits.

What are the advantages of poly gloves?

Being the most cost-effective gloves, for instance, is great, but that’s not the only thing we love about poly gloves; they have multiple other features making them a great alternative. 

• Loose fit

One of the best things about poly gloves is that they’re loose fit.

Why is that?

They can be easily put on and removed when needed.  

To illustrate, that’s super helpful when your task requires a frequent and rapid change of gloves. 

Furthermore, they are more comfortable and allow breathability. The loose fit means hands will not perspire much and will stay more relaxed than having the hot hand

• The dotted patterns

 These patterns and being embossed make the poly gloves don’t slip and can be easily opened for use.

• Ambidextrous design

It means you can mix the right hand and left hand without worrying about which glove goes to which hand.

• Different sizes and styles.

Poly gloves come in different sizes and styles, fitting both women & men. 

In addition, some poly gloves are made to be Elbow length and even shoulder-length, not just wrist lengths. Thus, giving more protection to the entire forearm.

• Strength & Durability

Despite being thinner than many other gloves, poly gloves are not easily damaged.

On the contrary, they have a strong barrier and evident seal, and they’re water impermeable.

• Multiple colors

Poly gloves come in transparent or blue, or pink color

Why?

Colored poly gloves are usually used in food industries for an excellent visual and to recognize them easily in the food processor and handling areas.

• Latex free and powder-free

Poly gloves are latex-free & powder-free gloves, which makes them a safe choice with no worries for people allergic to latex protein.

In other words, they’re no need to worry about latex or powder meeting food and causing trouble for people who are allergic; poly gloves are non-irritant and non-toxic

• Eco-friendly

Poly gloves can be recycled and used, and their manufacturing process doesn’t cause damage to the environment as some gloves, for example, vinyl gloves

Read more about how Eco-Friendly; biodegradable gloves will stop ruining our oceans

• Food graded gloves.

The great thing about Poly gloves is, that they’re made of a non-leaching material.

To demonstrate, it will not leach into food.

Additionally, they’re phthalate and silicon free that’s why they’re trendy and safe choices in the food industries

Beware of food contamination; check our Medrux guide to food gloves & food safety

With all these advantages in mind, poly gloves must be an excellent choice for you.

Regardless, every rose has Its thorn, so let’s see what its drawbacks are.

Poly gloves…. What are the Disadvantages?

• Non-sterile

Poly gloves are not the best choice when it comes to sterility, they are not sterile enough to be used in highly contaminated areas like hospitals, surgical rooms…etc.

Check our article for more on choosing sterile vs non-sterile gloves; know which one is best relevant

• Disposable

They’re intended for single use only. 

Therefore, it must be thrown and disposed of after use which can be a bit expensive but that may not be an issue for poly gloves as they’re already cost-effective 

• Limited uses

They’re not suitable for the heavy and harsh work environment.

Moreover, they’re not puncture resistant and not designed to protect against higher risks such as punctures, tears and, impact.

• Not Flame resistant 

poly gloves are not resistant to flames; they are made of plastic, after all, so they can easily catch fires and burn.

With this in mind, it’s better to avoid being near flames, especially if you’re working in kitchens, Given these points, poly gloves are excellent with many benefits like their ambidextrous design and loose fit, different colors and sizes, being the most economical option for quick services tasks providing comfort for wearing and changing them frequently and latex and powder free; nevertheless, they are not for all kind of works like heavy-duty work or sterile medical use.

Looking for an all-purpose glove? Here are the best 8 all-purpose gloves you will always rely on

Let’s read more into the uses of poly gloves and why are they important in the food industries 

Why are poly gloves being a great choice and widely used in food industries?

According to the WHO, “Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances causes more than 200 diseases, An estimated 600 million – almost 1 in 10 people in the world – fall ill after eating contaminated food, and 420,000 die every year, resulting in the loss of 33 million healthy life years” (1)

Hence, one of the most important fields where poly gloves are used is the Food industry & kitchens.

There’s a wide range of tasks regarding food and beverages.

From food processing and manufacturing to cooking, prepping, and serving food.

Poly gloves are used to ensure the protection of workers and to prevent cross-contamination and contamination of food.

Quick service jobs include food sampling, salad preparations, decorations and garnishing, buffet service lines, and hospitality.

Workers should wear gloves while doing such simple tasks to ensure the hygiene and safety of consumed food.

Thus, Poly gloves can be used in:

• Cafés and restaurants
• Sandwiches bars and delis
• School cafeterias
• Bars and catering
• Delicatessens
• Bakeries and doughnuts shops

We’ve seen how vital poly gloves are in food industries to protect consumed food from bacteria and chemicals.

Here’s how to choose the best gloves for cooking. 

You must be wondering what other places where these gloves can be of great help … let’s find out.

What other applications of poly gloves?

Some poly gloves are strong and durable and can be used for different applications like Beauty and hair salons.

Additionally, they’re widely seen in hotel management, service, and hospitality.

What’s more, In the medical field, they can be used as an over-glove to provide more protection over worn nitrile or latex gloves.
They can also be used for the examination of medical devices. Likewise, CPE gloves are used by nurses for handling patients, or they can be helpful in educational sessions for nursing staff, for example.

If you’re looking for medical gloves, here are 6 specifications and 4 types to choose for medical gloves; check now! It can be used in Generic cleaning as in household cleaning and simple daily tasks, painting & gardening.

Also, you can also use them in barbecue picnics.

Looking for the best barbecue and grilling gloves? Here are the best grilling glove options!

As a final point, Poly gloves are helpful to protect your hand against chemicals in detergents. They protect our hands against different surfaces.

For example, they’re widely used in lighter-duty, food industries, hospitality, gardening, painting, and simple generic cleaning.

By now, I believe you probably think you need a box of poly gloves around in your home or are looking to buy bulk for your business.

What should you look for while purchasing poly gloves?

Things to consider while purchasing?

There are many available brands out there offering different options of poly gloves.

Let’s explore a few things to remember when buying poly gloves.

Always look for a CE-marked poly glove; it means the gloves comply with the European Union rules and requirements for manufacturing and commercial marketing. The gloves may not be sold or used without a proper CE mark.

If you’re using your poly gloves for food handling, make sure they are food grade and approved by FDA.

Know The task intended for use and the degree of protection you need because poly gloves aren’t for all tasks, only the simple ones

Select the right size of the gloves. Choosing the right-sized poly gloves can make your life much easier.

The quality of the poly gloves is very significant, especially when you intend to use them in the healthcare or food sectors. Make sure the gloves have high quality.
Here are 9 dreadful things to avoid when choosing the right food service gloves

The most important thing is you should pick the trusty Manufacturer or Supplier when you purchase them in bulk; avoid cheap gloves as they are the worst! Here is why.

In conclusion, 

Poly gloves are indispensable in many industries and facilities, being economical, eco-friendly, and up to light tasks.

With many features and benefits, it’s now considered the glove of choice for quick tasks.

By the end of our article, we hope you now have a good idea about poly gloves.

What are their types and all the information about their advantages, disadvantages, and uses, so when you decide to buy a poly glove, you will know exactly what to look for. 

If you want more information or questions, don’t hesitate to send us.

We’ll happily answer your thoughts.