Tools: You will need:
Do not try to brush the needles off by wiping two gloves together.
This can scatter needles, and most needles will remain anchored anyway.
Instead, bag the glove in a disposable paper lunch sack until you can remove the needles.
First, inspect the cactus.
Take note of the color of the needles so you know what to look for.
If the cactus has long needles and very short needles, take note of the color and size of each.
Notice that the needles will usually be gathered in clumps.
So look for brown spots on the glove with the naked eye.
If any needles penetrated into your hands, start your search at the corresponding spot on the glove.
While removing the needles, notice the sound the needles make when you scrape the tweezers over them.
A firmly anchored needle makes a pop sound as it catches the tweezers and lets them go.
The feel and sound are very distinctive, and you can use this "scraping test" to find hidden needles elsewhere on the whole glove.
(I wonder if a phonograph would be a useful tool for finding other cactus needles. Simply rub the glove over the phonograph needle, and listen to the audio output; headphones would surely help.)
Checking the whole glove visually under magnification would be more work than the glove is worth and is not recommended. Use magnification only when removing needles.
Collect the cactus needles on a strip of tape.
Gather any leftover loose needles by patting the gloves with tape (don't rub or brush).
Fold the tape over.
Burn the tape.
— Nov 15, 2009
Keywords: work gloves, cactus thorns, needlenose pliers
Copyright © 2009 all rights reserved.
write me here
Los Alamos, NM USA