To Glove or Not to Glove – Preserving The Past

The Customer

An archival and conservation company currently uses BCR® Nylon Single-Knit white full-finger gloves for their preservation activities.

 The Applications

Skin contains oils (sebum) and acids that can damage the emulsions and ink on photos, slides, and negatives. An ungloved hand can not only do irreparable damage to your materials, it can also leave fingerprints on scanner glass that may negatively affect scanning quality.

 The Glove Solution

Berkshire’s BCR® full-finger white gloves are made from 100% continuous filament, pre-shrunk nylon. They are lightweight, soft, and comfortable to wear. Because they are constructed using a special seamless technique, the result is a low-shedding, no-run, non-ravel glove. This means there is less risk of the glove catching on a sharp edge.

Latex Gloves

If your library, museum or company standard operating procedures (SOPs) call for a latex, PVC or nitrile glove, the challenge of contact dermatitis and excessive persperation is a reality. BCR® Nylon Single-Knit gloves also come in a half-finger (glove liner) design that can be worn under your outer glove. This is ideal for operators who need to retain maximum dexterity and fingertip sensitivity while wicking moisture from their palms for comfort.

BCR® Nylon Single-Knit full-finger and half-finger gloves are ambidextrous and can be re-laundered for economical multiple use. They are available in small, medium, large and extra-large sizes.

Tip

Cotton gloves are often recommended for handling photos and negatives. They are less expensive but thicker than nylon gloves, so they will impact fingertip dexterity. They also shed large amounts of fibers and particles, which can negatively affect your preservation activities.

Did You Know?

There is much to learn about the cleaning and maintenance of controlled environments. Berkshire’s team of highly trained representatives can help you understand the best practices and products for your application.

Contact Berkshire with Questions »