Grease and skin - any problem?

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Location
London
If do sometimes use latex gloves for things like handling dirty chains but I find them a fag when doing serious fettling - they seem to keep catching on stuff and periodically tearing anyway.

So I often do without. Being a firm beliiver in greasing any metal-to-metal contact, screws and bolts etc and taking care to clean the existing gunk from threads, my hands often get very greasy.

Any health risk in this?

I do give my hands a once-over in cheap moisturiser before starting though as it makes cleaning them later easier.

Clean family friendly on-topic replies only please :smile:
 

numbnuts

Legendary Member
Any health risk in this?
Yes dermatitis
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Never had any trouble so far with grease and oil on the old mitts.
After a good fettle I use washing up liquid and a scouring pad to get the muck of.
Works well for me...
 

snorri

Legendary Member
There are health risks associated with petroleum products coming in contact with the skin, some people seem more susceptible than others. I believe it is easier to avoid a problem in the first place than to treat a problem that may arise, so I usually wear latex gloves nowadays. These gloves are cheap, so if you need to replace them in the middle of a job it is no big loss.:smile:
 

annedonnelly

Girl from the North Country
You can get barrier creams that you apply before starting work which make it easier to scrub the oil and grease off later. I have a tub but usually forget to use it!

I'd be worried about long-term effects if I was getting greasy every day but the occasional mucky job doesn't worry me
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
I alwatys use Vaseline as my bicycle grease for all nuts, bolts, bearings etc. No probs. May be gentler of course as is designed for skin contact.
 
OP
OP
Blue Hills
Location
London
There are health risks associated with petroleum products coming in contact with the skin, some people seem more susceptible than others. I believe it is easier to avoid a problem in the first place than to treat a problem that may arise, so I usually wear latex gloves nowadays. These gloves are cheap, so if you need to replace them in the middle of a job it is no big loss.:smile:
Wasn't through being a cheapskate that I was concerned about tearing the gloves - more the bother of it. Yes the petroleum* aspect concerned me and motivated the question, though I get the feeling from the replies that it's no great concern for occasional once a week or every 2 weeks or so.

*I'm no scientist (far from it) but I also wondered about "lithium".

As for Ianrauk's scouring pad - hell you're tough.
 

Andrew_Culture

Internet Marketing bod
latex gloves are so cheap I figure I might as well use them. If I do get muck on my hands then a spoonful of sugar and a squirt of washing up liquid cleans them up nicely.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Not even worth getting concerned. Be more careful with using copper slip though. That can be nasty, so ensure you apply with a tool, not hands.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk 2
 

MrJamie

Oaf on a Bike
I tend to do the same as Ian, washing up liquid and scouring pad/nail brush on the skin gets the hands clean pretty quickly of bike filth, its as close as ill get to exfoliating. ;)

I do wear latex gloves sometimes though, because its quicker and I cant always seem to get the black crap out from under my nails as if its just dyed the skin and then im self concious of looking like i havent washed my hands in a week.
 

RaRa

Well-Known Member
Location
Dorset
If you want something totally natural I find lemon juice and vinegar works well. I buy the white pickling vinegar from Asda for under a quid and it lasts ages.
 

compo

Veteran
Location
Harlow
Also, if you expect to get a bit greasy, just scrape your fingernails across a cake of soap so you fill under the nails with soap. This helps prevents the ingress of grease and is a doddle to scrub out when the job's finished.
 
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