Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Pole 2 Pole on April 17, 2011, 09:01:23 am

Title: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Pole 2 Pole on April 17, 2011, 09:01:23 am
Morning all. As title says, i'm starting to get all sorts of hard skin issues on my hands. The one on the inside base of my thumb is almost starting to cause limited movement, ie clicking my fingers is almost impossible. It's all started after a couple of years of poling. I tried uploading piccies but computer is soo slow.Has anyone else had similar probs???? If sooooo, how did they overcome it??? Thankyou, Dean
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: alanwilson on April 17, 2011, 09:02:25 am
can't help mate but I would go and see a doctor
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Slash on April 17, 2011, 09:02:46 am
Give it up,you 'll go blind ;D
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Londoner on April 17, 2011, 09:04:27 am
Wear gloves, just cheap work gloves are fine
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: bumper on April 17, 2011, 09:04:33 am
its called  w****rs cramp ;D
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Pole 2 Pole on April 17, 2011, 09:05:13 am
Fnaw Fnaw  ;D
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: bobby p on April 17, 2011, 09:07:52 am
personally id not hurry to a doctor  because then it will be on your records and could well stop you ever getting a job later.  i once was diagnosed with premature wear of the knee joints and it stays on your record even if my knees are okay now
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: bumper on April 17, 2011, 09:08:04 am
try using your left hand or get someone to help you ;D
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Pole 2 Pole on April 17, 2011, 09:09:19 am
Oh dear. Some of you must be really bored lol. Still trying to sort out piccy
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: bumper on April 17, 2011, 09:15:06 am
its nice sunny day 2day im going to play with my pole than do some garding .
                  bumper
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Pole 2 Pole on April 17, 2011, 09:27:45 am
Damn. Why can't I send pic from my iPhone???? Bloody technology lol. Still 2 weeks off the smokes :-)
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Pope vader on April 17, 2011, 09:29:29 am
i have a problem with my right had  turns out it is tendonitis and have to get a glove for it,  nothing can be done  it is because the hand is over scretched and stretcing the tendon
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: simon w on April 17, 2011, 09:31:47 am
Try moisturising your hands more often, this will help stop the skin cracking and a thin pair of work gloves will help eliminate friction between hands and pole.
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Pole 2 Pole on April 17, 2011, 09:32:56 am
I personally think it's just where the skin goes hard to protect itself,if thar makes sense. I'll go n see the quack next week. I pay me taxes  ;D  ;D ;D
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: WISEOWL on April 17, 2011, 10:40:50 am
Seamstresses get this phenomenon with their finger tips.

I also have hard skin on my thumb but not to the extent of limited mobility.

Maybe you're working too hard  :)
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: bad trippy on April 17, 2011, 10:46:12 am
I have hard skin on the inside of my right thumb, it give me discomfort when im on the pole, but last week i bought a bag full of girl hair bands from my local pound store,and wrapped a single hair band around my thumb,
Jobs a good un!
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Steve Sed on April 17, 2011, 01:36:36 pm
I also wonder whether the ingrained carbon deposits on the hands may be harmful long term.
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Alex Gardiner on April 17, 2011, 01:45:45 pm
I also wonder whether the ingrained carbon deposits on the hands may be harmful long term.

Quoting from the carbon fibre 'Material Safety Data Sheet' "Protective Gloves - no specific hand protection noted, but gloves may still be advisable (rubber or plastic)".

For all water fed pole work the use of protective gloves should form a standard part of any contractor's method statement and risk assessment.  Any employer certainly should ensure that gloves are used for all aspects of water fed pole work.  Pure water has a very drying affect on the skin which will exacerbate any skin condition or cracking.  Also, the contaminants found on hose reels and pole hose should ideally be kept away from bare skin.  When using carbon fibre poles, it also helps protect against black carbon dust.  When using fibre glass poles (mainly pull-extruded poles - Bayersan, Exel) gloves should ideally be worn to help protect against splinters.  When using aluminium poles, gloves should also be used to help prevent aluminium poisoning of the skin.
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Pole 2 Pole on April 17, 2011, 03:05:01 pm
Can it be reversed Alex? To your knowledge. And maybe you should send a copy of that out with every pole you send. Cos mine are going to pot :-(
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: bumper on April 17, 2011, 03:10:38 pm
do dornt hear fishemen complaining when fishing the pole
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Pole 2 Pole on April 17, 2011, 03:23:52 pm
They ain't holding it for hours on end. I hold my pole for at least 4 hours at a time :-)
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Alex Gardiner on April 17, 2011, 03:35:44 pm
Can it be reversed Alex? To your knowledge. And maybe you should send a copy of that out with every pole you send. Cos mine are going to pot :-(

Speaking from my own experience after about a year of water fed pole work my hands were really suffering (16 previous years of trad had never had the same effect).  I started wearing gloves and gradually my hands got a lot better.  Nowadays I always wear disposable nitrile gloves when window cleaning and I have absolutely no problems with my hands at all.

The user guide for our poles on our website (I can't put a link up due to forum rules) recommends the use of gloves. 
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: ♠Winp®oClean♠ on April 17, 2011, 03:55:48 pm
Morning all. As title says, i'm starting to get all sorts of hard skin issues on my hands. The one on the inside base of my thumb is almost starting to cause limited movement, ie clicking my fingers is almost impossible. It's all started after a couple of years of poling. I tried uploading piccies but computer is soo slow.Has anyone else had similar probs???? If sooooo, how did they overcome it??? Thankyou, Dean


I get this, at the base of my right thumb (edge of palm) & the side of the thumb knuckle. What I do is cut it off with nail clippers periodically & then use moisturiser!

I always wear gloves for wfp these days so it's not as bad.
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Pole 2 Pole on April 17, 2011, 04:18:29 pm
Gloves it is from now on I guess. I've just taped up the slx too. Around the base of pole. We'll see if things change. Hope so. Left hand is fine. Just the right :-)
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Nathanael Jones on April 17, 2011, 05:19:35 pm
Your condition could be made worse by the soap you are using. If your skin is cracked & damaged the soap chems can get in & irritate the area. Check your hand soap, if it contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) then switching to a natural soap will almost certainly help.
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Crystal-clear on April 17, 2011, 06:08:53 pm
dam we better get a load of disposable gloves for summer use, ive been bare handed so far with a carbon composit pole the Slx.

apart from a load of dirt around my thumb knuckle im not effected ,
but i was thinking all this pure water on my skin cant be good for us day in day out.
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: JS_Cleaning on April 17, 2011, 06:29:12 pm
been on wfp now a couple of years, my grip in right hand it quite bad now and i get pins and needles in my right hand when poling for prolonged periods of time, i just swap hands over when it happens though
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Richard Neal on April 17, 2011, 06:50:16 pm
we will all have the weirdest sun tan line!! brown arms (right darker due to posing while driving with the window open) and white hands  ;D
Title: Re: My right hand is falling apart
Post by: Richard Neal on April 17, 2011, 06:52:38 pm
i have a problem with my right had  turns out it is tendonitis and have to get a glove for it,  nothing can be done  it is because the hand is over scretched and stretcing the tendon

I had this a few years ago when i was trad, i got a wrist brace from the hospital and wore it for work every day for about 5 months and it slowly sorted itself out, the nurse said it takes as long to heal as it took to get damaged and she was right, i have no problems now.