How to Use Disposable Gloves the Right Way: Best Practices for Food Handlers

July 24, 2025

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How to Use Disposable Gloves the Right Way: Best Practices for Food Handlers

As a foodservice establishment, you’re constantly juggling a hundred different priorities: managing inventory, training staff, pleasing guests, and keeping up with the latest food trends.

With so much on your plate, it’s easy for something like glove use to slip down the list. But the truth is, proper glove wearing practices should always be near the top.

They play a critical role in protecting the people who matter most: your staff and your customers. Beyond that, they also safeguard your hard-earned reputation and ensure your business stays in good standing with health inspectors.

In an industry where word travels fast and a single mistake can go viral, taking glove use seriously isn’t just about avoiding fines; it’s about building trust and showing that your operation holds itself to the highest standards of food safety.

In this article, we’ll break down where disposable gloves shine, why using them matters, how to use them the right way, and wrap it up with some quick tips you can use at your next staff meeting.

Let’s get into it!

Why Proper Disposable Glove Use Matters: The Safety Implications

Improper glove use isn’t just a technical violation, it can create a direct threat to your customers’ health.

Cross-contamination is one of the biggest causes of foodborne illness outbreaks. According to the CDC, about 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses each year, leading to roughly 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

Most incidents are preventable with solid hygiene and proper glove use. Also consider:

Health inspection scores: Many jurisdictions cite improper glove use as a critical violation, potentially leading to fines or closures.
Customer trust: No one wants to eat somewhere rumored to have hygiene issues. Social media reviews can turn one glove-related slip into a PR nightmare.
Employee safety: Gloves protect staff from direct contact with allergens, cleaning chemicals, and bodily fluids in case of cuts.

Why Disposable Gloves Are a Big Deal in Foodservice

Let’s start with the basics: disposable gloves create a barrier between hands (which can carry countless germs) and food. In a perfect world, hands would always be meticulously clean. But in a bustling kitchen where staff are handling everything from raw chicken to cash registers, that’s a pipe dream.

The right glove use:

Reduces the risk of cross-contamination
Keeps pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli out of your customers’ meals
Signals professionalism and cleanliness to inspectors and guests alike

However, gloves are not magic shields. If they’re misused, they can actually spread more bacteria than bare hands. That’s why thoughtful, proper glove use is crucial.

Foodservice Situations Where Disposable Gloves Are Especially Useful

Not every task in your kitchen needs gloves. In fact, some tasks are better with bare, freshly washed hands. But here are some situations where gloves are your best friend:

1. Handling Ready-to-Eat Foods
2. Working with Allergens
3. Managing Raw Proteins
4. Garnishing or Final Plating
5. Cleaning or Handling Waste (With Different Gloves)

1. Handling Ready-to-Eat Foods

This is the most important situation for disposable glove use in foodservice. Whenever staff are preparing salads, sandwiches, garnishes, or desserts that won’t be cooked afterward, gloves are generally required by health departments. Bare hands can easily transfer pathogens.

2. Working with Allergens

If your operation deals with food allergies (e.g., nuts, gluten, dairy, shellfish), using fresh gloves when switching tasks is a must. It helps prevent accidental allergen transfer and protects your customers from serious reactions and your business from liability.

3. Managing Raw Proteins

Gloves aren’t technically legally required for handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood (washing your hands afterward is often the main rule), but doing so is highly recommended to prevent potential foodborne illnesses. Gloves act as a barrier, minimizing the transfer of harmful bacteria from your hands to the meat and vice versa.

4. Garnishing or Final Plating

When cooks or servers add final touches, like fresh herbs or a sprinkle of cheese, it’s smart to glove up. It helps keep food pristine and gives diners peace of mind.

5. Cleaning or Handling Waste (With Different Gloves)

Always use a different set of gloves for cleaning tasks or taking out the trash. That includes switching gloves before returning back to food.

How to Use Disposable Gloves the Right Way in Foodservice

Even seasoned line cooks can slip into bad habits. By reinforcing these best practices, you’ll keep your kitchen safer and your staff sharper.

1. Select the Right Glove
2. Wash Hands Before Donning
3. Donning
4. Change Gloves Frequently
5. Doffing
6. Wash Hands After Doffing

1. Select the Right Glove

It is important to choose the right size and type of glove for the given task at hand.

Staff should select the correct glove size to ensure a snug but comfortable fit; gloves that are too tight are more likely to rip, while gloves that are too loose can slip off or make tasks clumsy.

Each glove type has pros and cons for completing different tasks. Many operations avoid latex due to allergy risks.

Nitrile: Durable, puncture-resistant, good for allergens and heavy-duty prep.
Vinyl: Cheaper, but looser fit and less durable. Best for low-risk tasks like sandwich assembly.
Poly: Very lightweight, often used for quick tasks. Not suited for greasy foods.
Latex: Extremely flexible and tear resistant, good for food prep, be mindful of latex allergies.

Pro Tip: A glove that’s too tight can rip, while a glove that’s too loose can slip off. Both situations increase contamination risks. Stock multiple sizes so everyone can find their correct fit.

2. Wash Hands Before Donning

Before even reaching for a pair of gloves, it’s essential to start with clean hands. Washing hands thoroughly removes dirt, oils, and microbes that could easily transfer to the glove surface during the donning process.

Staff should wash with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds, making sure to scrub under fingernails, between fingers, and around the wrists. A quick rinse isn’t enough; the goal is to remove as many germs as possible so they aren’t trapped inside the glove where moisture and warmth can help them multiply.

Once washed, hands should be dried completely. Damp hands can make gloves harder to put on, cause tearing, and create a moist environment under the glove that encourages bacterial growth.

This first wash step is non-negotiable: gloves are a protective barrier, not a substitute for clean hands.

Pro Tip: Gloves can create a false sense of security. They are never a replacement for good hygiene. Always pair glove use with rigorous hand washing policies.

3. Donning

Once hands are freshly washed and dried, it’s time for donning. The right technique keeps gloves clean on the outside so they can protect the food and your customers effectively.

Pick up each glove by the cuff, touching the outside of the glove as little as possible
Carefully slide onto each hand, avoiding excessive stretching or snapping that could compromise the material.

Pro Tip: When preparing to put a glove on, do not blow into the glove to partially inflate it to make it easier to put on. Doing so can introduce bacteria from your mouth onto the inside of the glove, increasing the risk of contamination.

If a glove tears while putting it on, discard it immediately and try again with a new one. Taking a few extra seconds here helps preserve the protective barrier that gloves are meant to provide.

Pro Tip: Donning (putting on) and doffing (taking off) disposable gloves is all about protecting yourself and preventing contamination. When done correctly, this process reduces the risk of spreading germs or coming into contact with harmful substances. Using the right technique for both putting gloves on and taking them off is essential to keep the protection effective and to avoid accidentally contaminating your hands.

4. Change Gloves Frequently

This is where many kitchens slip up. Disposable gloves are single-use, designed to be worn for one task and then tossed. They must be changed anytime there is a chance of cross-contamination.

Staff should swap out gloves after:

Handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs
Before moving on to ready-to-eat foods
After taking out the trash, cleaning surfaces, handling money, touching cell phones, scratching an itch, or adjusting uniforms.

Pro Tip: Some establishments implement visual cues like color-coded gloves (blue for raw proteins, clear for ready-to-eat) to make remembering to change gloves easier.

Essentially, any time a hand would normally require washing, the gloves should come off, hands should be washed, and a fresh pair should go on.

Gloves that become torn, dirty, or excessively sweaty also need to be changed immediately.

An easy mantra to share with staff is: “When in doubt, change them out!” Frequent changes keep bacteria and allergens from transferring from one food or surface to another.

Pro Tip: A good rule of thumb is to change gloves whenever changing tasks.

5. Doffing

Removing gloves the right way is just as important as putting them on correctly. Improper removal can transfer everything the glove picked up right onto the wearer’s hands.

The safest method is to:

Pinch the outside of one glove near the wrist without touching bare skin.
Slowly peel it away, turning it inside out as it comes off. Hold this glove in the still-gloved hand.
Slide an ungloved finger under the wrist of the remaining glove, taking care not to touch the outside.
Peel it away from the inside, turning it inside out over the first glove. This traps contaminants inside and keeps hands clean.

Gloves should then be immediately disposed of in a proper trash bin, not tossed onto prep tables or floors. Rushing this step or “snapping” gloves off can send microscopic droplets of contamination flying, so always encourage slow, deliberate removal.

6. Wash Hands After Glove Removal

Even after carefully taking gloves off, hands should be washed again right away.

It’s possible that tiny leaks or microscopic tears allowed bacteria through, or that the hands accidentally brushed the outside of the gloves during removal.

Washing hands after glove use ensures that any lingering germs are rinsed away before the next task, whether that’s putting on a new pair of gloves or moving on to a non-food task.

This final wash closes the safety loop and dramatically reduces the risk of spreading harmful microbes around your kitchen or dining area.

Handy Quick Tips for Managers: Make It Stick

Let’s face it, training sessions can go in one ear and out the other. Here are some simple, practical ways to keep glove best practices top-of-mind for your team:

Show and Tell: Don’t just tell staff to change gloves. Physically demonstrate when to change them, and have staff practice.
Post Simple Signs: Place reminder signs at hand sinks and prep stations. (“When in doubt, change them out!”)
Run Glove Drills: Once a week, have a quick pop quiz or random spot-check. Reward staff who do it right. Free dessert doesn’t hurt.
Model the Behavior: If you ever jump on the line, follow all of the rules yourself. Nothing undercuts your message faster than “the boss doesn’t bother.”
Invest in Quality: Cheap gloves tear easily, frustrating staff and tempting them to skip changes. A slightly higher quality glove pays for itself in fewer tears and fewer violations.
Keep an Eye on Expiration Dates: Most gloves have a shelf life of 3-5 years. Expired disposable gloves should not be used because their protective properties degrade over time.
Rotate your stock and store them properly. Keep glove boxes in clean, dry areas, and away from prep surfaces, splashes, and direct sunlight. Don’t store them on top of or inside ingredient bins.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, disposable gloves are a simple tool that packs serious protective power, but only when they are used correctly. For foodservice managers, the challenge is making sure they’re not treated like magic mittens that make your staff invincible.

By reinforcing proper glove habits, you can:

Protect your customers from foodborne illnesses
Keep your business in good standing with inspectors
Build a team culture that truly values food safety

Less stress at your next surprise inspection means more time to focus on what you love: delivering incredible food and experiences to your guests.

Want to boost your team’s glove game? Consider adding glove checks to your daily opening routine or pre-service meetings. It keeps everyone sharp and shows that your kitchen doesn’t just serve great food, you serve it safely.

Have questions about food safety practices? Reach out to the experts at Imperial Dade! Our dedicated team of foodservice experts can help provide the training and product recommendations your establishment needs to keep staff and patrons safe.