If you plan to do any heavy-duty work in your garden, work gloves will quickly become an essential piece of equipment. Gardening can be physically taxing work with a stronger potential for injury than it may initially seem; a good pair of work gloves can keep you safe and make it easier for you to work. Here’s how:
Limits your exposure to bacteria. Soil is, by its very nature, one of the less hygienic substances you’ll come into contact with throughout your life. All sorts of bacteria lurk within your garden soil, untraceable by the human eye. On top of this, animals are likely to have left droppings in your soil, contributing further bacteria. Wearing a sturdy pair of garden gloves minimizes your risk of contact with these harmful germs by creating an effective barrier.
Keeps your nails from breaking. Working with all that dirt and plant matter can be rough on your nails. If you want to protect your manicure, investing in work gloves is your best bet.
Protects you from cuts and abrasions. Pricks and cuts are a definite risk if you tend rose bushes or any other types of thorny plants. The same goes for laying down mulch or trimming trees and hedges. Splinters and other plant-related injuries can easily become infected and keep you out of your garden for a good while. The layer of protection offered by gardening gloves keeps your hands safe from this sort of risk; their thick fabric will take the brunt of the impact from thorns and wood, limiting the chances of your hands being punctured.
Keeps you safe from chemicals. Fertilizers can be rich with chemicals that are excellent for the health of your garden but not for humans. Some fertilizers can cause rashes and other forms of irritation after you’ve touched them. Wear work gloves to block direct exposure between your hands and the fertilizers you use for your plants and limit your exposure to potential harm.
Provides better overall hygiene. One of the worst parts of gardening is getting dirt and plant matter underneath your nails and all over your hands. It’s even worse when you have to tend your garden after a period of rain, plunging your fingers into a muddy flowerbed. When you use work gloves, they receive all the contact with the dirt and mud—not your hands. Once you’re done, all you have to do is take the gloves off and, if necessary, throw them into the washing machine. No hand scrubbing involved!
As you can see, investing in work gloves is a much better option than choosing not to wear them at all. They keep you clean and safe, enabling you to work harder to keep your yard looking its best.
Continue browsing Garden and Yards to learn about other clothing you might need for your garden and home projects.