Every household should probably have three types of gloves on hand at all times. Check your supply closet for regular rubber gloves—the loose-fitting ones you associate with cleaning—and also look to see if you have the tight-fitting gloves, like the ones a medical professional might use. Garden gloves, too, are good to have on hand.

Swipe through to learn about glove-required tasks around the house.

Cleaning the Bathroom

You should definitely wear those yellow cleaning gloves when it comes to tidying up the bathroom. All kinds of germs could be lurking on bathroom surfaces and you don’t want to come in contact with them or risk spreading them.

Handling Raw Meat

Pull out the slim-fit, nitrile gloves to work with raw proteins in the kitchen. You’ll want the dexterity these gloves provide, and you'll want the protection from cross-contamination of bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli.

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Washing Dishes

Turn to the yellow cleaning gloves when it’s time to clean up after dinner. Hot, soapy water can be hard on your skin and nails; wearing gloves will protect them. Plus, you won’t have to touch the yuck left on dirty plates.

Handling Garbage

Put on the gloves to avoid contacting whatever yuck is lingering in the kitchen trash. Not only is the yuck gross, but it also might be dangerous if old food, for example, has spoiled. There could also be bugs in the trash that you don't want climbing on your hands.

Gardening Work

If you need to rake leaves, prune the bushes or pull weeds, put on a pair of heavy-duty outdoor gloves. Don’t be tempted to think you’re going to just trim a couple things without a need for gloves. If you’re like most of us, one quick trim turns into a solid hour of trimming and by then, your hands are wrecked.

Using Harsh Chemicals

If you use powdered bleach to clean the kitchen sink, be sure to put household gloves on to keep your hands and arms safe. Similarly, if you’re working with ammonia, another powerful cleaning agent, protect your hands.

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Spicy or Colorful Ingredients

Chopping up a Scotch bonnet chili or rubbing a turmeric-based spice rub over your pork chops? Get out the doctor gloves. Spicy chili on your fingers is no bueno when you accidentally rub your eye 20 minutes later. And other ingredients can impart color to your hands, under your fingernails, etc.