There aren’t formal standards but some applications benefit from color variance. Blue is a common nitrile glove color, but the color does not impact the materials strength, comfort, or chemical resistance.

Some people may be allergic to the dye and notice irritation after wearing the gloves for extended periods of time. You can read more about what to do about glove allergies here.

You can read more the color of gloves and what they mean here.

Doctors double glove when they need protection from a tear in highly infectious situations. By wearing a white glove as a base layer, and then putting a second purple exam glove on, the doctor is quickly able to see a tear or abrasion. The white glove will show through the purple layer upon tearing. Double gloving is effective against blood-borne pathogens and other infectious materials.¹ Healthcare professionals wear two layers of glove to adequately protect themselves. Double gloving can reduce exposure to pathogens by as much as 87% according to research.²

Sources

Guo YP, Wong PM, Li Y, Or PP. Is double-gloving really protective? A comparison between the glove perforation rate among perioperative nurses with single and double gloves during surgery. Am J Surg. 2012 Aug;204(2):210-5. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2011.08.017. Epub 2012 Feb 17. PMID: 22342011.

Sadat-Ali M, Al-Habdan I, Al-Bluwi M, Corea JR, Al-Othman A, Shriyan D, Moussa M, Al-Dhakheel D, Al-Omran A. Can double-gloves improve surgeon-patient barrier efficiency? International Surgery. 2006; 91(3): 181-184.

Orange is a hi-vis color which allows it to be seen easily in dark spaces. Petroleum workers, auto and bike mechanics use orange rubber gloves. Work with industrial grade nitrile material and see the benefits. Not just the benefits, but literally see the grease and petrol on your hands as you work. You can read more about orange gloves and what they’re used for here. Nitrile remains stable in temperatures up to 226° Fahrenheit (107° C), meaning mechanics and aerospace workers can work around engines without harm.

No. Disposable gloves are not reusable under normal circumstances. If supply is available then it is best to not risk infection in medical and high risk settings. You can read more about re-using disposable gloves and the CDC’s guidelines here. The World Health Organization published a report on washing latex gloves when supply must be extended. It’s difficult even when Purell Hand Sanitizer is available to disinfect the gloves because you must remove your gloves without contaminating your skin. It’s quiete the challenge to put on gloves without ripping them, according to Dr. Charles W. Page in Texas (read his full quote here).

To put it simply – medical workers that need the highest level of protection use purple exam gloves. This glove sold by Harmony is rated for chemotherapy protection in accordance with the ASTM D6978-05 guideline. You can read more about guidelines for using purple gloves here. Purple gloves generally are thick enough for medium workloads. Kimberly Clark’s glove is 6.0 millimeters thick which makes it 6 times thicker than less expensive alternatives. You can trust quality standards because they exceed the ASTM 2.5 AQL standard. Keep reading about purple gloves here.

They’re great for house work, gardening, light cut resistant tasks including sheet metal, steel, and glass. There are coated gloves for all levels of protections.Two popular coated gloves are the X-Grip® and Q-Grip®. But protection of these two gloves isn’t heavy duty. You can read all about coated work gloves here. Many food processors wear for cut and abrasion resistance. You can see the best 22 food handling gloves here.