[julianbiggs]

I'm not a woose, but god my hands were cold today window cleaning !!!! I was wearing marigold sort of gloves but my hands  were still freezing. Any suggestions for the best gloves to wear while it's ******* cold outside !!!

[windows_chepstow]

Hi Julian, you woose,

This is the best post I've read about gloves, by an ex-moderator.

Wavie Davie said:

There are three basic types of gloves for us to use.

Open Cell neoprene - Unger, Contico - where some water seeps through to the skin, it then warms up to your skin temperature and you shouldn't cool down by too much because the water evaporating is on the outside of the glove, which is insulated. If the moisture evaporating was on your skin - same principle as sweating to cool you - it would chill you down to the outside temperature. When you DO cool down, you dip the gloves back into the hot water in your bucket. They need to be washed every second day minimum, because they end up like old socks. Whatever you're handling gets wet from the damp glove.

Closed Cell neoprene - Glacier - insulate the same way but no water gets to your skin. You've got to have really warm hands to give you a start, but same as before, you can dip your gloved hands into hot water every now and again too. Both the neoprene types of glove have a velcro'd strap to keep them secure on your hand, or to keep your cuffs tucked into the open end of the gloves. Both open and closed cell neoprenes are also very easy to damage, but you can buy repair kits from diving equipment shops. You sew the tear and then apply a urethane sealant to seal the gap.

Rubber Gloves - Marigolds - are OK for washing up inside, but would need an inner liner for insulation if you were outside. The ones from Omni, as Justin shows, are a thicker hard-wearing rubber glove with an inner insulating glove sewn together at the open edge. They are definitely warm! It's going to have to be really cold to use the additional liners you can get with them. Once wiped - or rubbed against your work clothes! - they're dry. Good for using cloths or writing a slip to leave with customers. Only drawback so far is that the open end IS fairly open, I'll maybe get some large elastic bands from a friendly postie to help with that. They look bulky compared to neoprenes, but are surprisingly easy to use traditional window cleaning gear with. Overall, they're the best glove I've used so far, and I've tried every glove I mentioned.

The Marigolds with cotton inner gloves were from years ago when I was sea-fishing, before anyone asks!

[mick hay]

its my 1st winter too, i got myself some unger gloves, 1st day with them today and they kept me nice and warm, dry too!!!

[marc al]

  Still haven't had to put any gloves on yet, find neoprene ones too warm, marigolds are plenty warm enough for me.

  Marc

[P @ F]

UNGER ALL THE WAY , I suffer real bad with cold hands , this is the second winter for me , used unger last year and i have no cause to change

  Rich  P @ F 

[H h20]

UNGER ALL THE WAY , I suffer real bad with cold hands , this is the second winter for me , used unger last year and i have no cause to change

  Rich  P @ F 

Rich How many poles have you got? ,Gaz

[windows_chepstow]

  Still haven't had to put any gloves on yet, find neoprene ones too warm, marigolds are plenty warm enough for me.

  Marc

I've sensitive skin (the big Geordie puff I am) so even in the Summer I wear gloves when working traditionally.

But I find a large hard-wearing Marigold with a pair of cotton inners from Boots are great.  Can't beat them.

Cheap, easy to replace when I keep on losing them and very comfortable.

In Summer when my sweat soaks the inners, I just swop them for another pair. 

[P @ F]

Hey Gaz , i got 3 in all , one is 3 to 6 foot for downs .
                                     one is 6 to 24 foot for ups .
                                     one is bloody long 6 section , dont know what for yet !

 Going for commercial soon , but it seems the only way im gonna do it is to tread on some toes , dont wanna do it but im gonna have to soon !

 AM I A BAD MAN ?

  Rich  P @ F 

[julianbiggs]

its my 1st winter too, i got myself some unger gloves, 1st day with them today and they kept me nice and warm, dry too!!!

Thanks for that. i'll get some!!

[Ian_Giles]

For trad work I'd go for the Unger ones, but they are completely waterproof until you damage them, Wavie -Davie was a little wrong on that one, up until I changed over to WFP I had used them for several years.
Your hands do get wet in them because they sweat, and my god do they stink after a while!!
A damn good glove though.

If you are a WFP'er then I think the ones that Omnipole supply are absolutely the tops
I use them for trad work too, don't even notice I have them on to be honest, but if you are not used to wearing gloves while you work then you will find them really bulky and awkward.

My mum used to wear marigolds..........and a pinny too.........I'm saying no more

Ian

[H h20]

Hey Gaz , i got 3 in all , one is 3 to 6 foot for downs .
                                     one is 6 to 24 foot for ups .
                                     one is bloody long 6 section , dont know what for yet !

 Going for commercial soon , but it seems the only way im gonna do it is to tread on some toes , dont wanna do it but im gonna have to soon !

 AM I A BAD MAN ?

  Rich  P @ F 

Rich,it`s a big bad world out there,you do what you have to mate,as for having the big looooooooooong pole as the saying goes "always be prepared",Gaz

[P @ F]

That was the idea , i didnt want to get new work and then get there and look a right plank when i couldnt reach ! 

Rich  P @ F

[marc al]

  I also wear a pinny for special customers!

[chris@c.m.s]

I also bought unger gloves today and found them very warm, was also given advise not to wring a scrim out with them though as it stresses the stitching, also no ladder sliding with them     

[T_W_CONTRACTS]

ive been using those industrial marigolds, just like normal ones but thicker, got them from asda;s £3.99.

they do the job 

[D.Salkeld_Ltd]

 I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to cold danny's. This winter is my first winter with gloves.  I bought a pair of Unger Neoprene from Cleantech for £15.  Lovely, warm and dry.  No more fear of wringing out the sill cloths or a wet cold ally ladder and I don't spend time flapping me arms about trying to warm up me icle dannies. I know I've made the money up in a couple of days.
Another thing I noticed, my hands don't get dirty!!

David

[martindrz400]

gloves ihavn't worn gloves for 25 years of window cleaning perhaps try ironing instead

[H h20]

gloves ihavn't worn gloves for 25 years of window cleaning perhaps try ironing instead

But wouldn`t that burn your hands?

[thewindowcleaner1]

gloves ihavn't worn gloves for 25 years of window cleaning perhaps try ironing instead

But wouldn`t that burn your hands?

Only if you turn it on...

[simbo]

just bought a pair of neoprene fishing gloves, toastie not sure how hard wearing though
only £10 from local angling shop though
cheers simb0