Gardening gloves are essential for gardeners because not only is it fashionable and beautifies their hands, it also protects them from some dangers.
Gardening gloves makes gardening less stressful and more enjoyable because your hands are protected from blisters, cuts, and infections.
Gardening gloves come in different sizes and fits, so there is a glove for your hand size.
You can also opt for gloves with adjustable cuffs.
Gardening gloves can also protect your hands from getting wet and muddy.
You can go for gloves made with leathers, rubbers and latex.
They are water resistant and lasts long.
Uses of gardening gloves.
Gardening gloves are not just necessary for gardening, they are very useful.
I’ll be listing some of the uses of these gardening gloves and why you should use them.
1. Gardening gloves helps to keep the hands and fingernails clean and dry.
You can work for hours without getting any dirt, mud or water on your hands.
2. Gardening gloves protect your hands from blisters and calluses.
Working in the soil for hours can injure your hands.
Handling garden tools for hours can cause blisters and calluses.
This can be avoided when you wear gloves. It also protects you from getting cut by thorns, rocks etc.
3. Gardening gloves also protect you from insect bites and stings.
These are not uncommon if you garden a lot.
You will come across insects, spiders etc. that may bite or sting you.
You will not be harmed if you have your gloves on.
4. If you have cuts, scrapes and wounds, they could get infected when exposed to soil.
These infections could be terrible and lead to a whole lot of other health problems.
You can avoid this by wearing gardening gloves.
These protect these cuts and you can work safe.
5. Gardening gloves can also be used to protect the hands from poisonous plants.
Plants like poison ivy can cause irritation and damage to the skin.
You can avoid this by wearing gardening gloves.
Some gardening gloves even have long cuffs that reach you to the elbow, so your skin is protected.
Related: Here is an article I wrote on how to soften leather gardening gloves
Should you use gardening gloves?
Yes. Gardening gloves are a must when gardening, for a number of reasons.
I know you like to feel the soil in your hands because it makes you feel closer to nature, but it is dangerous.
Let’s talk about some reasons why you should use gardening gloves and why not using them can be dangerous.
1. You should use gardening gloves because the soil can carry tetanus and harmful bacteria which will give you the infection.
Believe me, you don’t want to have that.
Gardening without gloves can get your hands cut by thorny stems and shrubs, this allows tetanus to get into your body and you would need to go to the hospital for a tetanus shot.
Even if you don’t have plants that are thorny, tetanus bacteria in the soil can get into your body through existing cuts and scrapes in your hands.
2. Lyme disease.
Ticks are often found in the soil.
These insects are carriers of Lyme disease which affects both animals and humans.
Some of its symptoms are headaches, muscle aches and fever.
If an infected tick bites you while you’re gardening, you’ll be infected.
Wearing gardening gloves can protect you from this disease.
This is why you should always wear gardening gloves while working in your garden.
3. Some plants contain toxic compounds.
Plants like Lily of the valley will irritate and hurt your skin if the juice makes contact with your skin.
The toxic compounds from these plants can cause dizziness, vomiting and rash.
This is why you should wear gardening gloves. They protect you from more than you know.
4. You should use gardening gloves because there might be chemical remnants or fungi in the soil.
You may have sprayed your garden with pesticides, fungicides etc.
The remnants could be in your soil even after a long time.
Exposing yourself to these chemicals can cause irritation and rash to your skin.
Is it safe to garden without gloves?
No, it isn’t.
And I have explained adequately why you shouldn’t garden without gardening gloves.
It isn’t safe at all.
You could get dizzy, vomit, have skin rash or even fall sick.
You can get serious infections, fever and muscle aches just by gardening without gloves.
Disadvantages of not using gardening gloves.
There are a lot of disadvantages of gardening without gloves which I have explained in length.
In addition to these, there are lots of diseases that you can get from not using gardening gloves.
I’ll be mentioning a few of them.
1. Sepsis.
Bacteria like salmonella, campylobacter jejuni and Escherichia coli live in the soil because most fertilizers contain animal manure like goat’s, cow’s, horse’s etc.
These manure carry these bacteria.
If you get cut from thorns during gardening, these bacteria could get into your body.
They cause blood infections that can lead to septic shock, organ failures and even death.
This is why you should never garden without your gardening gloves.
2. Legionella.
Another name for it is Longbeachae.
This bacteria is found in potting mix and compost and can cause the Legionnaires’ disease.
This disease causes pneumonia amidst other things.
You can get infected with this bacteria while touching and inhaling soil.
3. Rose Gardener’s disease.
This disease also called Sporotrichosis, is caused by a fungus found in soil and plant matter.
If you have cuts or scrapes on your skin and you garden without gloves, this fungus enters your body through the cuts and becomes a bump after about 12 weeks.
This later leads to open sores.
Aside this fungus, there are other fungi living in the soil that can weaken your immune system or cause lung infections.
You wouldn’t want that.
Conclusion.
Gardening gloves are used to protect the hands and skin from getting wet and dirty, infections, insect bites and stings etc.
It is important you use gardening gloves if you care about your health and life.
Not using it can lead to serious health issues and even death.
They come in different prices, sizes, colors and styles so you’ll always find one you like.
References.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/tools/choosing-garden-gloves.htm
https://imb.uq.edu.au/article/2018/01/least-five-reasons-you-should-wear-gardening-gloves
