Iowa State University Extension


When you select gloves to wear when working with pesticides this spring, buy an extra pair or two.

To keep them clean--and ready to use at a moment's notice--seal new or freshly washed gloves in a gallon-sized zip-close plastic bag. Keep the gloves in your tractor or with equipment where they'll be handy but not in your way.

After you mix or handle the pesticide, wash your gloved hands with water (and soap, if possible) before you take off the gloves. Put them back in the plastic bag and seal it until the gloves can be washed or disposed.

Never leave contaminated gloves where someone else might touch them. Pesticides stay on the gloves and can contaminate other fabrics or clothes. Dispose of gloves as you would empty pesticide containers or bags. If they're discarded with trash, cut them up so no one can use them again.

You also might want to keep a second pair of gloves handy in another plastic bag in case the gloves you're wearing happen to get punctured or ripped. Don't get caught short-handed when it comes to pesticide protection this season.