[KS Cleaning]

Gloves or some other protective layer should be used by all water-fed pole window cleaners.

The one downside of using pure-carbon poles (IMO) is that with age and wear they will produce carbon  residue which can cause staining on the skin. Wearing gloves of some sort will prevent this completely.

There are many reasons why water-fed pole window cleaners should wear gloves:
1. Window cleaners hands have always been prone to cracking - this is made worse by the 'drying' effect of pure water.
2. Hygiene - when working with hose that is run along the ground it ensures good hygiene for instance when you then are eating your lunch or dealing with money etc for clients.
3. Prevents carbon fibre poles from leaving black staining.

Personally I use Nitrile disposable gloves all year round, usually a pair will last all day. In the winter I then put a pair of gloves over the top of them for extra warmth. The great thing about using these is that I can quickly peel them off to drive, eat or interact with client and my hands are completely clean to do so.

Alex,can you tell me if the SLX is manufactured differently these days,I have an SLX 25 just over a year old and the sections are a smooth carbon finish so they extend/collapse with ease.I bought an SLX 22 about 6 weeks ago and the sections are more textured/wrapped meaning it doesn't extend/collapse so smoothly.It is more like a rigid CLX.

[DeLuce]

« Reply #19 on: Today at 06:53:38 pm »Trouble is with gloves, you dont get an "all-over" tan 
Lol that's what I was thinking. Vanity or what   

[FCS]

On Ebay there're loads of sellers offering nitrile gloves with at £10 or so for TWELVE pairs. I use them all year round, they stand up to a couple of washes then dump 'em and replace (with two more)..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-PAIRS-NEW-NITRILE-COATED-WORK-GLOVES-BLACK-RED-CONSTRUCTION-GARDARDENING-/180822650690?pt=UK_BOI_ProtectiveGear_RL&var=&hash=item6fc644b08e#ht_521wt_1110

I've had these, they're pretty good, thin enough to work easily in, breathable backs, cheap as chips.

[Mike #1]

To much like builder's gloves for me , I prefer use disposable nitrile gloves and the gul gloves from gardiners as an outer glove .

The gul gloves last for about a year if looked after properly . MIKE

[JackieW]

Just curious, how  do you cope wearing gloves in the summer? I am trad and only wore my gloves for about three days in the past winter. Are these 'nitrile'? gloves breathable?

[dazmond]

when the weather is hot and sunny i dont bother with gloves as i like to have tanned hands as well.to be fair the hose doesnt pick up as much dirt when dry.i put up with the black hands for the few days its sunny throughout the year!!

mostly the weather is cloudy,showery and cold so i wear gloves around 80% of the time!!

[Cliff perkins]

Lol u lot and dirty hands.
1 real easy solution as people have already said is to get a cloth or a glove like you use to wash a car to reel hose away.
Any carbon/dirt of poles themselves just keep some babywipes in van to clean hands.
Alternately we all carry masses of water on our vans so wash hands with that and carry a towel to dry them.
Sorry but its not that hard 

[traps7]

Problem is Cliff carbon fibre doesn't come off with a quick wash. It stains for days. Not nice. Even Swarfega doesn't touch it.

[Cliff perkins]

Ive never had a problem with it and i use carbon poles everyday.as long as u clean hands regulary shouldnt be a problem.