Dishwashing Gloves: A Silent Threat to Your Health
You’ve probably never thought twice about the dishwashing gloves you use to protect your hands from harsh soaps and hot water. But what if those gloves are actually exposing you to a new set of risks? Many common dish gloves on the market today are made with materials and chemical additives that have been linked to hormone disruption, infertility, and even cancer.
The Dark Side of Synthetic Materials
Most conventional dishwashing gloves are made from synthetic materials like nitrile, neoprene, PVC, or synthetic latex. While these materials offer durability and flexibility, they come at a cost—especially when exposed to heat and water. Here’s a breakdown of the most common materials used in mainstream dish gloves:
• Nitrile is a synthetic rubber made from acrylonitrile and butadiene, which are classified as probable carcinogens.
• Neoprene is made from chloroprene, a chemical linked to hormonal disruption and liver damage, especially when it breaks down.
• PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is one of the most toxic plastics, often softened with phthalates, which are well-known endocrine disruptors.
• Synthetic latex can be blended with various petroleum-based chemicals, and often includes artificial colorants and processing aids that are not disclosed on labels.
The Risks of Skin Contact and Chemical Leaching
Your skin is a permeable barrier that can absorb certain chemicals directly into your bloodstream. The combination of heat, moisture, and pressure—present when washing dishes—can enhance that absorption. When synthetic dish gloves are exposed to hot water, the heat can cause certain chemicals to leach out of the material and onto your skin. Prolonged skin contact increases the likelihood that these toxins are absorbed.
The Health Risks of Toxic Gloves
While no single exposure may be catastrophic, the issue with daily-use items like dish gloves is chronic exposure. Using toxic gloves multiple times per day, over weeks and years, can contribute to a long-term accumulation of harmful substances in your system. Here are just a few of the health concerns tied to the chemicals found in synthetic dish gloves:
• Hormone disruption from phthalates, BPA-type chemicals, and chlorinated compounds
• Infertility and reproductive system imbalances due to endocrine-disrupting chemicals
• Skin irritation or allergic reactions from synthetic latex and chemical additives
• Potential carcinogenic effects, especially from materials like nitrile and neoprene that can off-gas volatile organic compounds when heated
A Safer Alternative: Natural Rubber Gloves
Not all gloves labeled as “natural” are truly non-toxic. However, gloves made from 100% natural rubber latex, without synthetic fillers or colorants, are a much safer alternative. Natural rubber gloves are derived from the sap of the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) and processed without petroleum-based chemicals. When manufactured responsibly, these gloves are biodegradable, free from synthetic dyes and additives, durable, and flexible for household use.
What to Do If You’ve Been Using Synthetic Gloves
If you’ve been using conventional dishwashing gloves for years, don’t panic. Switching to safer gloves is a simple step that can significantly reduce your daily chemical exposure moving forward. To minimize the burden on your body, swap your gloves for a pair made from 100% natural rubber, wash hands thoroughly after dishwashing, support your body’s detox pathways with a nutrient-dense diet and daily movement, and use non-toxic dish soap.
References:
1. Everaert, Stijn, et al. “Balancing Acute and Chronic Occupational Risks: The Use of Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Undergloves by Firefighters to Reduce Exposure to Toxic Contaminants.” Toxics, vol. 11, no. 6, June 2023, p. 534.
2. Humans, IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to. “Chloroprene.” Re-Evaluation of Some Organic Chemicals, Hydrazine and Hydrogen Peroxide, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 1999.
3. Kudzin, Marcin H., et al. “Risks Associated with the Presence of Polyvinyl Chloride in the Environment and Methods for Its Disposal and Utilization.” Materials, vol. 17, no. 1, Dec. 2023, p. 173.
4. Jędruchniewicz, Katarzyna, et al. “COVID-19 Discarded Disposable Gloves as a Source and a Vector of Pollutants in the Environment.” Journal of Hazardous Materials, vol. 417, Sept. 2021, p. 125938.