What are the safest type of gloves to wear when building a PC?

[exHorizon]

I'll preface by saying that I know gloves are not necessary at all when building a PC. But I don't want to get oil from my hands onto the components so I want to wear some gloves to prevent that. I am pretty ocd when it comes to keeping things "new", so wearing gloves is the only way to do that for me. Yes realistically I can wash my hands, etc but I rather just be safe and build with gloves so I want to know what material is the best to use for this? Latex, Cotton, or anti-static gloves? Thank you.

 

[Darkbreeze]

If the oils from your hands is the fear, then I'd suggest nitrile rubber gloves. Latex tears too easily, cotton is a no-no as it will leave fibers and anti-static gloves are a joke. Personally, I think washing your hands well first and touching the case to ground yourself occasionally ought to be more than enough. It has been for the last 30 years for me.

 

[JWoody]

The person above would be correct, as i couldnt give you any better advice, another trick is to leave the powersupply plugged into the wall socket with the Mains switched in the off (0) position after it has been installed, that would effectively leave the case grounded, its not as if it is unsafe as the only potentionally "unsafe" voltages would be inside the PSU itself. A bit off-topic since your more worried about cleanliness, but just an old trick from 20 years of PC building.

 

[exHorizon]

@Darkbreeze Thanks. May I ask why anti-static gloves are a "joke"? As long as they can keep my hands from getting oil on my components, they should work fine, no?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Because I laugh at them. AH, ha ha ha ha. Nah. just kidding. They're bulky, tend to be made of material that can leave fibers behind or in places you don't want there being fibers (Depending on what kind they are) and are almost impossible to do precision work with. There is no sense of "feel" when installing components, and that "feel" is important in some cases. I just don't like them and won't use them. I'm also skeptical that they actually suppress anything.

For your purpose, of not getting any "oil" on hardware, I'd recommend nitrile rubber gloves which can be purchased at any auto parts, harbor freight or home improvement center. I recommend using one size smaller than what you actually think you need. They'll be rather tight and a little more difficult to get on, but if you put a small amount of baby powder on your hands first it will help to slip them on and also help to absorb any sweat from wearing them, inside the glove itself.

As for the "oil" you're worried about. I've never seen this be a problem as long as your hands are fairly clean to begin with. I've gone directly from working under the hood of customer vehicles to rebuilding systems within minutes of each other having done nothing in between aside from a quick wash using hand cleaner and a clean towel. Never had any issues. Aesthetically, if it's fingerprints and such you're worried about, the nitrile gloves should cover that.

 

[exHorizon]

@Darkbreeze thanks. Don't nitrile gloves contain powder in them though?

 

[Darkbreeze]

No. Some latex gloves do, especially those specifically for medical use, but some don't. Some nitrile rubber gloves might too, but none of the ones I buy have been powdered.

I use these, which are 9 mil thick and won't tear without severely trying to do so.

http://www.harborfreight.com/9-mil-nitrile-powder-free-gloves-50-pc-medium-68510.html


They also have the added benefit of being highly anti-static, which makes sense since rubber is an insulator.

 

[exHorizon]

No. Some latex gloves do, especially those specifically for medical use, but some don't. Some nitrile rubber gloves might too, but none of the ones I buy have been powdered.

I use these, which are 9 mil thick and won't tear without severely trying to do so.

http://www.harborfreight.com/9-mil-nitrile-powder-free-gloves-50-pc-medium-68510.html


They also have the added benefit of being highly anti-static, which makes sense since rubber is an insulator.

Ah I see, thanks. So Nitrile is pretty much the only material that would be suitable for wearing during a build?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Not the "only", but maybe the best. Plus, it shouldn't affect those with latex allergies. Nitrile gloves are made out of a synthetic rubber, and are an ideal alternative when latex allergies are of concern.

 

[exHorizon]

Not the "only", but maybe the best. Plus, it shouldn't affect those with latex allergies. Nitrile gloves are made out of a synthetic rubber, and are an ideal alternative when latex allergies are of concern.

Ah ok. And lastly, any other glove materials you would recommend apart from Nitrile?

 

[Darkbreeze]

Aside from Nitrile or no gloves, not really.