Do you wear gloves when shopping?

[CardsFan]

I ask because I really wonder about the benefits of protecting me, or others.

OK, the mask is primarily to protect others (unless you have an N95 mask with a vent that protects you only).

But gloves seem to be non-effective, at least to me.

I wash my hands before I leave. I use sanitizer before and after. I don't touch my face when out and about.

IF the virus is there, the gloves WILL become infected. If I touch my face with the glove, it doesn't matter that I have a glove. If I don't take the gloves off very carefully, I can still get infected.

I don't know, but I think some of these precautions are just to make us feel better about doing something.

 

[Aerides]

I'm a no on gloves. I wear a mask, and do the same as you. Wash before and after, etc. If I can wipe down the cart or basket, I do. But gloves are one more thing to then have to deal with as they are contaminated. Probably why I'm seeing a great many of them discarded on the ground at the stores.... People are shedding them before they get in their cars.

 

[Ronstar]

I wear gloves, but it gets cumbersome when I leave the store and get into my truck. I take my gloves off and throw them on the floor. Then I use a wipe to clean my hands, steering wheel and door handle because the gloves could have transferred the virus to these surfaces.

The way I see it, I’d be ok with no gloves if I clean my hands and surfaces that I touch.

 

[HadEnuff]

I don't buy the argument that a mask doesn't help. Of course, the crappy mask I wear isn't suitable for an in-the-trenches caregiver, but any barrier is better than no barrier at all. So, yes, I wear a mask. Likewise the gloves. But I don't trust either to be a 100% barrier. I get done shopping, I carefully remove the gloves with a plastic bag, place gloves in the bag, and then use hand sanitizer. Take the mask off, place in another bag, use hand sanitizer. Is it perfect? No...is it better than nothing? You betcha.

 

[Montecfo]

I do not wear gloves
I do wear a mask. I think most of us lack the training to use the gloves effectively.

Instead I use hand sanitizer before entering my car after being at the store, and of course wash hands and take other steps when I get home.

On balance, I do not think gloves make things worse, unless they create a false sense of security.

 

[RobbieB]

No gloves.

 

[Freedom56]

I am now forced to wear gloves and a mask by my wife and its now a rule imposed by the city (the mask only). So I wait in the car when we go shopping so I can spare myself the agony. She also carries Clorox wipes to wipe down the shopping cart handle.

 

[Ready]

The main benefit I see to wearing gloves is the same as the face cover - to protect others in case I’m infected. Assuming the virus particles are on my hand I figure wearing gloves places a barrier between my hand and everything in the store that I am touching. But I don’t see it offering any protection to me personally. The gloves can pick up the virus just as easily as your hands, and washing either your glove or your hand accomplishes the same thing.

 

[sengsational]

But gloves seem to be non-effective, at least to me.

They don't help except:

1) They could remind you not to touch your face.

2) They might keep you from contaminating the inside of your car (only applicable if you don't have anything to clean your hands before getting back into your car AND you take the gloves off properly before touching the car door).

The down-side is that you might feel less vulnerable/ more protected, and so, behave a little more recklessly.

 

[FDC319]

I wear neither mask nor gloves when shopping. I am carefl with the hand sanitizer and where my hands go though.

If my state gets silly with requirements, my inner child is going to come out and I'll wear a balaclava, goggles, and concertina wire gloves(probably with thinner gloves underneath).

After that, I'll wear one of my spare biohazard trash bags as a poncho.

 

[CardsFan]

They don't help except:

1) They could remind you not to touch your face.

2) They might keep you from contaminating the inside of your car (only applicable if you don't have anything to clean your hands before getting back into your car AND you take the gloves off properly before touching the car door).

The down-side is that you might feel less vulnerable/ more protected, and so, behave a little more recklessly.

Agree completely, particularly with the bolded part. I see people in gloves and masks, that continually touch the mask, or even worse, pull it down to talk. Saw a guy today, with an N95 mask. He got out of the store, put his hand on the front of the mask (no gloves), and took it off. Got in the car, and drove away. No sanitizer, no wipes. But HE thinks he is protected.

What a waste of a good mask.

When I worked, I visited many chemical plants. A FITTED respirator was a requirement. I had to shave my beard every time I visited.

 

[candrew]

Gloves, no. Mask, yes. Hand sanitizer before entering store and after leaving.

 

[Midpack]

We’ve been wearing masks, but no gloves. We do carry hand sanitizer and use it often. Also washing hands when we get home. May come to gloves one day, but not yet.

 

[audreyh1]

I happily wear gloves. It keeps my hands away from my face. I don’t discard them. I’m careful when removing them in the car, and sanitize my hands immediately. I don’t throw them away - I’ll probably wash my used gloves at some point. I wash my hands when I get home, unload and put away groceries, and wash my hands.

 

[stepford]

I haven't left the house to shop in a month, but during March I did wear disposable gloves to shop. The advantage I saw was that after loading the groceries I could remove and dispose of the gloves then drive off without contaminating the steering wheel or handles of my vehicle. I suppose the same thing could have been achieved with hand sanitizer, but this approach worked for me.

PS. Even contaminated gloves can be disposed of safely by turning them inside out as they are removed.

 

[michelek]

No gloves. Yes mask, yes hand sanitizer very often when out in public.
IMHO that’s the best I can do.

Anything else is just my unlucky draw of the cards if I get the virus.

 

[Jerry1]

No gloves. Plenty of hand sanitizer used frequently during the entire trip. I was thinking about gloves though. I was thinking that I could put the sanitizer on the gloves and save my hands from the effects of the sanitizer. I don’t think the gloves in and of themselves provide much protection for shopping as long as I have wipes and sanitizer working throughout the shopping trip. Definitely wearing a mask.

 

[rk911]

no.

 

[Just_Steve]

Mask, no gloves.

 

[ownyourfuture]

I am now forced to wear gloves and a mask by my wife and its now a rule imposed by the city (the mask only). So I wait in the car when we go shopping so I can spare myself the agony. She also carries Clorox wipes to wipe down the shopping cart handle.

I've adopted a local Kwik Trip as my grocery store.
It's open 24 hours, has all the 'essentials' & since I'm a bit of a night owl anyway, I go there after 10 PM. At any given time after that, there's a pretty good chance I'll be the only customer.

For that reason, I haven't worn gloves or a mask.

At some point I'll have to go to a regular grocery store. At that time I'll probably wear a mask, but no gloves.

a rule imposed by the city (the mask only)

I'm guessing most will disagree, but I wish our city would implement a similar rule. I think it would take away the stigma of wearing one.

 

[unclemick]

O Reilly auto mechanics gloves, homemade mask, Slip-ons left on the back porch. Not to mention sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.

DW is up over forty masks for various places. She has a sewing machine here and at the farm in 'sewing rooms.'

Yes dear.

heh heh heh - Still doing 'shelter in place' also to a large extent.

 

[jollystomper]

I wear gloves. I do not need to wonder about anyone touching anything I purchase, and I prefer to use the self checkout, and you still have to use the touchscreen in some stores. Also because googles, mask and gloves are a good look.

I have wipes in my car to use when entering and exiting. We also keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in each car. The gloves never come into the house. And I rotate them as to not use the same pair more that once a week when going out.

 

[gauss]

No to gloves (what is the point?)

Yes to mask and glasses when out and then hand sanitizer upon returning to the car.
I also will walk around the store sometimes with a lysol wipe in hand.

The main strategy with the mask/glasses is to avoid my hand getting anywhere near my eyes/nose/mouth when I am in a public area.

I try to maintain space between myself and others so that I would be out of their uncovered sneeze/cough zone.

Seems to be working so far.

-gauss

 

[gauss]

I happily wear gloves. It keeps my hands away from my face. I don’t discard them. I’m careful when removing them in the car, and sanitize my hands immediately. I don’t throw them away - I’ll probably wash my used gloves at some point. I wash my hands when I get home, unload and put away groceries, and wash my hands.

Your comment could be interpreted several ways.

1) The gloves would remind you to keep your hands away from you face

2) The gloves are separating (creating a barrier between) your hands and your face

I could see #1 as useful, but hopefully nobody would rely on scenario #2

-gauss

 

[ABQ2015]

I haven't left the house to shop in a month, but during March I did wear disposable gloves to shop. The advantage I saw was that after loading the groceries I could remove and dispose of the gloves then drive off without contaminating the steering wheel or handles of my vehicle. I suppose the same thing could have been achieved with hand sanitizer, but this approach worked for me.

PS. Even contaminated gloves can be disposed of safely by turning them inside out as they are removed.

This is my approach especially because I do not have disinfectant wipes and doubt I will be able to find any at the stores for months (and do not plan to go to multiple stores to hunt for them). But I also use hand sanitizer after taking off the gloves as do not trust the thin latex disposable ones. May use a pair of nitrile gloves the next time. My grocery shopping trips are about 3 weeks apart so I have been shopping only twice since early March. There were no wipes available to clean off the cart the last trip.