Working with both wet and dry concrete can pose serious damage to the hands. Therefore hand protection becomes very crucial while working with concrete.
This protection can be offered by a good pair of work gloves that are designed especially for the concrete handling works.
There are various stages of concrete handling from: mixing, pouring, sculpting and handling and there are particular gloves designed for doing all these works.
Work gloves for concrete should be all rounder that is they should be able to offer protection from various things such as they should be waterproof, they should be cut resistant and abrasion resistant, they should be durable and provide anti-slip grip!
In this article I am going to tell you about each of the features required in gloves for concrete work in detail so that you know the essential features required to save your hands form the harmful effects of concrete!
So, let’s get started ASAP!
Required features in gloves while working with wet cement:
If you work with wet cement, you should look for the following features in your work gloves:
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- It should be made of synthetic rubber like nitrile butadiene
- It should be oil resistant
- It should have cotton flocking for offering greater comfort
- It should have a textured surface for added grip
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Required features in gloves while working with dry cement:
If you work with dry cement, you should look for the following features in your work gloves:
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- It should be made of fully coated materials or top grain leather
- It should have anti-slip grip for handling slippery objects
- It should be abrasion resistant like the palm should be coated with string knit material
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8 Overall features required in gloves for concrete work
Your work gloves for doing concrete work should the following features:
1.) It should be waterproof:
The very first feature that your gloves for concrete work should have is that it should be waterproof. Cement work consists of handling a lot of water related stuffs starting from mixing to pouring to sculpting.
If the gloves are not waterproof then water might soak in the gloves to your hands keeping it wet all day long. Not only water but along with water the harmful concrete particles might also get along the gloves and reach our hands bringing about many harmful effects.
2.) Materials:
Work gloves for concrete should be made of materials such as rubber, nitrile, high-grade plastic, etc. these materials are not porous and are naturally water repellant therefore making it perfect for doing concrete works.
3.) It should be cut resistant:
The gloves should be cut resistant because handling cement and sculpting includes dealing with other heavy tools and equipments which might cut your hands. Therefore, gloves made of cut resistant materials especially in certain areas such as palms and fingers are advisable.
4.) It should offer a good grip:
Handling cement means working with watery and slippery objects and tools because once you touch wet cement, your hands will become slippery and will loose the grip required to hold other tools. Therefore, the gloves should provide a good grip and should be slip-resistant.
5.) It should be abrasion resistant:
Yes working with cement might invite abrasions because your hands would get continuously rubbed against the hard cement surfaces while working.
Therefore the gloves should be abrasion-resistant in order to save you from the harsh effects of constant rubbing against hard surfaces especially in the palm areas.
6.) It should have cotton flocking:
Flocking means the process of depositing numerous small fiber particles called flock onto a surface. The flocking should be in the inner side of the gloves and should be of cotton material.
This will act like a cushioning to your hands, because rubber or nitrile might not be very comforting to wear for the whole day. Also, the cotton layer will soak up the moisture in case of sweating or water leak in to the gloves
7.) It should be very durable:
Yes, durability is the very first thing to be sought for in a concrete work gloves because working with cement all day means dealing with not only water but also harmful chemicals of the cement.
Top grain leather, full grain leather, synthetic rubber, nitrile butadiene are some of the materials that are very durable.
8.) It should be of proper fitting:
Loose gloves or poorly fitted gloves will not only be the cause of discomfort while working with concrete but also can cause many harmful effects. For example, if the gloves are loose it might suddenly come down while work and make your hands exposed to the harmful concrete.
In other case, if the gloves’ openings are too wide it might get filled with water while mixing the cement. Therefore, gloves with proper fitting and longer cuffs are ideal for concrete works.
Top Concrete Gloves
1.) SHOWA 845-377L-08 377 Nitrile Foam Coating on Nitrile Glove (Best Gloves for Wet Concrete)
- Impermeable, highly flexible, excellent wet and oil grip
- Protects hands from oils, hydrocarbons, grease and abrasion
- Reinforced knit cuff
- Seamless 13-guage liner prevents irritation
- Ideal for concreting, drilling, engineering, heavy construction, maintenance, oil and gas, rigging
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
If you want to keep your hands safe and dry from the concrete, these are hands down the best work gloves for you.
They have a foam coating that keeps your hands super comfy and protected from the cement and mud. They are very durable too being made of nitrile rubber. The seamless 13 gauge prevents irritation from all day wearing of the gloves.
The knit cuff holds the gloves tightly on the wrists so that water does not sip in while you dip your hands in water. The oil and slip resistant grip allows you to hold any slippery objects and the gloves are grease, cut and abrasion resistant too.
Features:
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- Impermeable
- Oil and slip resistant grip
- Abrasion, grease and cut resistant
- Very flexible
- Super comfortable
- Holds tight in the wrist
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2.) G&F Rubber Latex Double Coated Work Gloves for Construction (Best Gloves for Handling Concrete Blocks)
- Double dipped latex coating provide extra heavy duty
- Cotton blend technology, rubber coated with Blue latex
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
This latex dipped rubber work gloves are great for your concrete work to protect your hands from the dirt and wet nature of the concrete.
The double dipped latex coated provides that extra toughness required for handling concrete. The cotton blend technology keeps the hands super comfy and breathable.
The threads are strongly woven and provide great durability. They not only provide excellent grip but also offer protection against any cut and scratch. They fit well in the hands and don’t slip off while working.
Features:
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- Doubly coated with latex
- Cotton blend technology
- Durable
- Comfortable
- Excellent grip
- Waterproof
- Fits well
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3.) SHOWA Atlas 300 Fit Palm Coating Natural Rubber Glove (Heavy Duty Rubber Gloves for Concrete Work)
- Excellent wet and dry grip
- No irritating seams
- Ergonomic design reduces hand fatigue
- Machine washable
- 10-gauge liner
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
This rubber made gloves are very comfortable and provide excellent wet and dry grip. The ergonomic design provides great comfort and relieves fatigue of the hands. There are no irritating seams as well so you won’t feel irritated wearing them all day long.
The wrist cuffs restrict the entry of concrete and dirt in the hands and the lightweight coating and the rough textured design provides excellent grip. The 10 gauge cotton polyester liner offers breathability and prevents sweating of the hands.
Features:
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- Optimal fit
- 10 gauge cotton polyester liner
- Reduces fatigue
- Wrist cuffs prevents entry of debris
- Lightweight
- Great grip
- Durable and comfortable
- Offers breathability
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Can you mix concrete with your hands?
You can definitely mix concrete with your hands but be sure that you are wearing gloves while the mixing process or less the concrete will dry on your hands and cause severe ailments. In severe cases, your skin might come off while taking off the concrete and bleed profusely.
Even if it does not dry on your hands, still the harsh chemicals on concrete is enough to peel off your skin and make hands excessively dry!
Therefore, be sure that you wear a good rubber gloves while mixing the concrete.
See also: Why Do Electricians Wear Rubber Gloves While Working?
How to Take Care of Concrete Gloves?
There are different types of gloves available for concrete and all of them need different caring as per the care label provided by the manufacturer.
Caring for coated gloves
If your gloves have a coating on them, then you should follow the following caring instructions:
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- At first, read the label of care instructions provided by the manufacturer to check if any specific detergent and water temperature is mentioned or not
- Take a bucket of cold water (30 degree Celsius and below)
- Mix a mild detergent that does not have any bleaching agent in it
- Put the gloves in the bucket and rub with your hands gently
- Wash off the gloves in cold water
- Heat them in low heat settings or under the fan
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Caring for nylon gloves
Caring for nylon gloves is quite similar just a difference in the water temperature:
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- Mix a mild detergent in warm water (40 degree Celsius and above)
- Dip the gloves in the soap-water solution and rub gently to take off the dirt
- Wash the gloves in normal water
- Dry them in low heat or under the fan
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Benefits of wearing gloves while doing concrete work
There are several benefits of wearing gloves while doing concrete work:
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- They will protect the hands from the harsh chemicals present in the concrete
- They provide better grip while handling wet cement
- They provide comfort while you hold concrete blocks and thus save your hands from the pain
- They save your hands from becoming rough by touching concrete with bare hands
- They save the skin of your hands from peeling off and help to retain the natural oil of your skin
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Effects of not wearing gloves while doing concrete work
Concrete is corrosive in nature and has alkali in it which might pose the following ill effects on your hands if you touch concrete with bare hands without wearing gloves:
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- It can cause chemical burns
- It will peel your skin while taking off the concrete from the hands
- It will strip your hands of all the essential oils present on the skin
- It will cause skin irritation
- In excessive case your hands will start bleeding from the harsh chemicals of the concrete
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If you’re looking for gloves for construction check out the video below
It’s time to bid Adieu!
Be very careful while working with concrete because if your hands get exposed to concrete it might cause skin diseases and injuries to your hands.
Look for the features we mentioned in the work gloves for concrete and you will be happy with your purchase!
That’s all for today dear ladies and gentlemen!
Take care of your health till we meet again in our next article and…
Have a great day ahead!
