This information explains how to correctly put on a pair of sterile gloves. It’s important to follow these instructions carefully to avoid infection.
If your kit has other sterile items, take out the gloves in their wrapper. Do not touch the other items. Place the gloves away from the sterile area. After you put on both gloves, you can touch the other items.
Steps to correctly put on sterile gloves
- If you have rings on your fingers, take them off. Then, wash your hands with warm soap and water for at least 20 seconds (see Figure 1). Dry your hands with a paper towel and use that same towel to turn off the faucet. If you don’t have disposable towels, it’s OK to use clean cloth towels. Replace them when they’re wet.
Figure 1.Wash your hands with soap and water
- Place the package with the sterile gloves on a clean, dry surface. Open the package and pull the edges of the package down to keep them flat (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. Open the package and pull the edges down
- Sometimes, the sterile gloves are in a wrapper inside the package. If so, open the sterile gloves wrapper, touching only the outer side.
- Use the thumb and fingers of your nondominant hand (the hand you don’t write with) to pinch the folded inner surface of one glove. Lift up the glove, making sure the outside does not touch anything (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. Lift up the first glove
- Place your dominant hand into the glove, palm side up. Use your other hand to gently pull the cuff up and over your wrist, only touching the glove’s inner surface (see Figure 4). Make sure the outside of the glove does not touch anything.
Figure 4. Place your hand in the glove and pull the cuff over your wrist
- Slip the fingers of your gloved hand under the cuff of the other glove. Hold the glove up (see Figure 5). Do not let it touch anything. Keep the thumb on your gloved hand pointing away, so it’s out of the way and doesn’t touch the glove.
Figure 5. Hold up the other glove
- Slide your other hand into the glove, making sure to only touch the inside. Keep the fingers of your gloved hand tucked under the cuff (see Figure 6).
Figure 6. Slide your hand into the glove
- Use your gloved hand to gently pull the cuff up and over your wrist (see Figure 7). Do not touch anything except the outside of the glove, including your wrist.
Figure 7. Pull the cuff over your wrist
- Keep your hands above waist-level. Do not touch anything that isn’t sterile. This will lower your chance of contamination.
