Dry Out & Clean Kitchen Gloves With This Common Kitchen Ingredient

You slip on your trusty kitchen gloves prior to going one-on-one against layers of baked-on grease, singed leftovers, and slimy residue that has accumulated in a sludgy pool at the bottom of your oven. After all, there's no way you would attempt to clean the disgusting mess with your bare hands. Unfortunately, in doing so your gloves can often get as dirty as the places they're being used to disinfect. However, instead of trashing your hand protectors at the end of each use, you can save a substantial amount of money by cleaning them with a common kitchen ingredient: baking soda.

They may be categorized as kitchen or dishwashing gloves, but their powers stretch far beyond the room where meals are prepared. The durable, waterproof, multipurpose handwear, typically made from natural or synthetic rubber or latex, features safeguarding abilities that can be used throughout your home. Whether they're shielding your skin while you get dirty toilets to sparkle again or as you furiously scrub stubborn cat urine stains from your carpet, kitchen gloves provide an invaluable line of defense against chemicals, extreme water temperatures, and icky germs. Yet, they're not perfect. When using gloves to clean revolting messes, they can get, well, dirty — inside and out. Tackling repulsive chores can cause your hands to sweat and when they're encased in warm gloves, that moisture can trigger a gross, smelly, damp breeding ground for bacteria. This is why it's critical to dry out and clean kitchen gloves regularly.

Baking soda is renowned for its moisture-absorbing properties and its ability to neutralize foul odors. Consequently, it serves as an effective tool to combat potential bacteria growth in everyday kitchen gloves. If you're using a pair of kitchen gloves for the first time and want to reduce the pungent smell of rubber, or if your hands are especially sweaty, combine 3 tablespoons of baking soda with 2 to 4 drops of lavender essential oil in a bowl, mix, then pour into an empty spice container with a shaker top. Sprinkle the mix inside the gloves before sliding them on your hands. Doing so will help keep the gloves' interior dry, fresh-smelling, and slime-free.

To clean the exterior and interior of your kitchen gloves with baking soda, start by placing the gloves on your hands and running them under the faucet until they're evenly saturated with warm water. Next, pour enough baking soda on the gloves to adequately coat the surface. Then rub it on the entirety of the gloves, paying close attention to the fingers and palms. When you're done, rinse the gloves thoroughly under running water, turn them inside out, and repeat the process. After rinsing, dry the gloves outside in the sun. Hang them vertically by clipping the wrist portion to a clothesline with the fingers pointing down. Once the interior is dry, turn the gloves right side out to dry the exterior.