Pesticide safety and protective equipment

Why protective equipment matters

Risk depends on how toxic a product is and how much exposure you get; even very low toxicity products can be hazardous if too much is inhaled, gets on the skin, or is swallowed.^[1]

PPE can greatly reduce skin, inhalation, eye and oral exposure, and with it the chance of pesticide poisoning.^[3]

Pesticides get into the body through the mouth, the lungs, the skin and the eyes. The skin usually gets the most exposure, so cover as much of your body as you can and put on the required clothing before you open the container.^[12][10]

University of Missouri Extension puts it more starkly: about 97 percent of the exposure people get while spraying comes through skin contact.^[10]

Start with the label

Protective equipment requirements appear in the label's Precautionary Statements section, under Hazards to Humans and Domestic Animals. Read that whole section, because the same product can need more protection for mixing and loading than for applying.^[16][10]

EPA bases the PPE on a label on more than how poisonous one dose is. It also allows for repeated exposure and for how a person is exposed while mixing, loading and applying.^[4]

Labels change. Products are reevaluated on a schedule and their labels can be revised at any time, so read the whole label every time you buy, even a product you have used before.^[4][1]

Baits, aerosols, fertilizers with pesticide in them and 'natural' products are all pesticides, and each must be handled with the PPE its label requires.^[3]

• No clothing listed: the EPA citizen's guide and the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship homeowner page both recommend gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and closed shoes.^[7][12]
• Least toxic products: UC IPM says you still need protective gear, at minimum chemical-resistant gloves, eye protection, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and closed shoes.^[9]
• Ready-to-use sprays: for many home and garden jobs UC IPM suggests a ready-to-use product in a trigger sprayer, which skips diluting and mixing a concentrate.^[9]
• Contact lenses can trap material against the eye. Wear eye protection or take the lenses out before mixing and applying.^[12]

The pieces

• Gloves: materials differ in how well and how long they protect against a given product; pay attention to the glove types named on the label. Waterproof gloves are highly protective only for dry and water-based formulations.^[5]
• Sleeves and gloves: wear sleeves outside the gloves when spraying below the shoulders, and gloves outside the sleeves when spraying overhead.^[5]
• Eyes: labels may require shielded safety glasses, goggles, a face shield or a full-face respirator. Chemical goggles have baffled vents that keep splashes out; ordinary safety goggles do not.^[5]
• Footwear: use footwear that won't absorb spray, such as waterproof or chemical-resistant boots or shoe covers.^[5]
• Respirators: when a label requires one, use a NIOSH-approved respirator; tight-fitting respirators need fit testing and don't seal over beards.^[5]

Choosing gloves by the label's resistance category

Hands are the part of the body most often exposed, which makes gloves one of the most important pieces of PPE. Pesticide on your gloves or hands ends up on everything you touch.^[11]

Waterproof is not the same as chemical-resistant. Some labels name a glove material; others give an EPA chemical resistance category from A to H, based on the solvents in the product. A chart adapted from EPA's rates each glove material for each category.^[10][11]

For category A, dry and water-based formulations, every material on the chart rates high, including natural rubber, polyethylene and PVC. Barrier laminate rates high in all eight categories. Butyl, nitrile, neoprene and natural rubber vary from category B on, and natural rubber and polyethylene rate none for several of them.^[10][11]

The chart's ratings assume gloves at least 14 mils thick (a mil is 0.001 inch). Thicker gloves generally resist chemicals, tears and punctures better; common chemical-resistant gloves run 12 to 22 mils.^[10][11]

• High resistance: clean or replace the gloves at the end of each day's work, and rinse them off at rest breaks.^[10][11]
• Moderate resistance: clean or replace them within 1 to 2 hours of contact.^[10][11]
• Slight resistance: clean or replace them within 10 minutes of contact.^[10]
• No resistance: don't wear that material when contact is possible.^[10]
• Never use gloves lined with cloth or cotton. The lining can't be cleaned properly, and fabric soaks up spray and holds it against your skin.^[11][9]
• Elbow-length gloves protect more and are required for some jobs.^[5]
• A few fumigant labels are exceptions: some say not to wear gloves at all, and some call for dry cotton gloves. Follow the label.^[11]
• After you take gloves off, wash your hands with soap and plenty of hot water.^[11]

Eyes and face

Splashes on the face happen less often than on the hands, but they can do more harm, especially to the eyes.^[10]

• Safety glasses give only minimal protection from chemical dust or splash, even with side shields. Even when a label allows them, chemical splash goggles protect better.^[10]
• Pick goggles with indirect venting. Directly vented goggles have holes that liquid or spray can get through.^[10][5]
• A face shield is for heavy splashing and should not be worn without safety glasses or goggles under it.^[10]
• Where a label says 'goggles', goggles or a full-face respirator meet it; where it says 'full-face respirator', nothing else does.^[10]
• Cover goggles fit over prescription glasses, and special goggles are needed with a half-mask respirator. Wear eyewear straps under any required headgear.^[10][5]

Clothing, boots, aprons and hats

• Most coveralls are cotton or cotton-polyester and are not chemical-resistant. Some labels require them over a layer of clothing.^[5]
• Cotton coveralls hold trace residues that washing can't remove, so University of Missouri Extension says to replace them at least once a year.^[10]
• Disposable coveralls go in the trash at the end of the day. Don't wash them: laundering reduces their repellency and can move contamination to the inside.^[10]
• Wear a chemical-resistant apron, covering mid-chest to knees, when mixing, loading or cleaning spray equipment, even if the label doesn't require one.^[5][10]
• Wear pant legs outside your boots so spray can't run down into them. Boots that were exposed should be cleaned after each day's use and never worn indoors.^[5][10]
• When spraying overhead, wear a chemical-resistant hood or wide-brimmed hat that won't soak up spray.^[5][10]
• Protective gear adds heat. EPA's worker rules require employers to take steps to prevent heat illness while PPE is being worn.^[8]

Respirators: when and which kind

When a label requires a respirator, its wording is specific: use the type it names, approved by NIOSH. A 'TC' number on the respirator or filter shows the NIOSH approval.^[5][16][10]

There are two jobs a respirator can do. Particulate filters catch dusts, mists, fogs and spray droplets but do not remove gases or vapors. Chemical cartridges, most often organic vapor (OV) cartridges with activated carbon, remove vapors but give no protection from particles when used alone. A label may call for a cartridge combined with an N, R or P filter.^{[14][15][4][16]}

Particulate filters are rated N (not oil-resistant), R (oil-resistant for up to 8 hours) or P (oil-proof), each at 95, 99 or 100 efficiency; a 100 filter removes 99.97% of the hardest-to-catch particle size. Organic vapor cartridges are color-coded black and P100 filters magenta.^[14][15]

Some labels still use older terms such as 'dust/mist' for particulate filters or 'pre-filter approved for pesticides' for an N, R or P filter worn with a cartridge.^[16][10]

• Before first use: EPA requires anyone working with a product whose label calls for respiratory protection to get a medical evaluation and then a fit test. Hold off buying a respirator until both are done.^[17][16]
• Fit: tight-fitting respirators must be fit tested at least every 12 months, and again after weight change or dental work. Beards and stubble are not allowed under the seal; loose-fitting powered respirators (PAPRs) are the option for people with facial hair.^[13][5]
• Every time you put it on: do a seal check. That is a different, quicker step than the fit test.^[5]
• Filters: replace them when breathing gets hard, when they are damaged, when the label or maker says to, and after at most 8 hours of total use if there are no other instructions.^[8][5]
• Cartridges: replace them on the maker's or label's schedule, whichever is more frequent, and at the first odor, taste or irritation. Don't wait for a smell, though: whether you notice one depends on the product, the person and the weather.^[8][5]
• Air-purifying respirators supply no oxygen and must never be used where oxygen is low or the air is immediately dangerous to life, such as some fumigant jobs in enclosed spaces.^[13]

Other ways to reduce exposure

• Choose the lowest-toxicity product that will work, using the signal word and active ingredients to compare.^[1]
• Use only the amount the label calls for; too much increases exposure for people, pets and the environment.^[1]
• Keep children, pets and sensitive people out of the treatment area, and store food, toys, pet bowls and clothing away from it.^[1]
• Remember that disinfectants are pesticides too; read their labels.^[1]
• Mix or dilute outdoors or somewhere well ventilated, and mix only what you need for that job.^[7][12]
• Keep measuring cups and spoons for pesticides only, labeled, and stored away from the kitchen.^[9][7]
• Don't eat, drink or smoke while you mix or apply, and wash before you do any of those afterward.^[7][9]

Cleaning up afterward

• Wash reusable gloves with soap and water, take off the rest of your PPE while still wearing them, then wash the gloves again before removing them.^[6]
• Store and wash contaminated clothes separately from family laundry; pre-rinse them, wash a few items at a time in hot water, and run an empty hot cycle afterward.^[2]
• Throw away clothing soaked with pesticide rather than washing it, and discard PPE that can't be cleaned properly.^[2][6]
• Some labels give specific washing instructions; follow them.^[2]
• Wash work clothes after every use: clothing that kept pesticide off your skin becomes a source of it if it isn't laundered.^[2][12]
• Use a heavy-duty detergent and the hottest water you can. Bleach and ammonia don't help remove pesticide residues.^[2]
• Line dry if you can. Sunlight breaks down many pesticides, and it keeps residue out of the dryer.^[2][6]
• If someone else does the wash, tell them the clothes may carry pesticide and how to handle them safely.^[12][8]
• If clothes get soaked with spray or splashed with concentrate, take them off right away, wash any skin it touched with soap and water, and finish in clean clothes. Bag the ruined clothing and put it in the garbage outdoors.^[12][2]
• Never reuse disposable PPE. Clean washable items before throwing them out; PPE still contaminated with pesticide goes out as the label directs, or as household hazardous waste if the label is silent.^[6]
• Store clean PPE apart from your personal clothing and away from where pesticides are kept.^[8][6]
• Remove your work clothes and shower as soon as you can after applying.^[9]

Common questions

Is an N95 mask enough for spraying pesticides?

Only if the label calls for a particulate filter. N95 filters catch droplets and dusts but don't remove vapors; labels that need vapor protection call for an organic vapor cartridge, sometimes paired with an N, R or P filter.^[14][15][4]

Are leather or cotton work gloves OK?

No. Leather, canvas, cotton and other fabric gloves soak up pesticide and hold it against your skin. Use unlined chemical-resistant gloves unless the label says otherwise.^[5][10][9]

Can I wash pesticide clothes with the family laundry if I use bleach?

No. Wash them separately, and know that bleach and ammonia don't improve residue removal. Run an empty hot cycle afterward.^[2]

Do I really need goggles for a garden spray?

If the label requires eye protection, yes. Even when it doesn't, UC IPM lists eye protection in the minimum gear for any pesticide, and chemical splash goggles protect much better than safety glasses.^[9][10]

Sources

1. National Pesticide Information Center, “Minimizing Pesticide Exposures.” npic.orst.edu/health/minexp.html (accessed 2026-11-10)
2. National Pesticide Information Center, “Dirty work clothes: how should I wash out pesticides?.” npic.orst.edu/capro/dirtyclothes.html (accessed 2026-11-10)
3. Pesticide Environmental Stewardship, “Personal Protective Equipment.” pesticidestewardship.org/personal-protective-equipment/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
4. Pesticide Environmental Stewardship, “The Label and Personal Protective Equipment.” pesticidestewardship.org/personal-protective-equipment/the-label-and-personal-protective-equipment/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
5. Pesticide Environmental Stewardship, “Components of Personal Protective Equipment.” pesticidestewardship.org/personal-protective-equipment/components-of-personal-protective-equipment/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
6. Pesticide Environmental Stewardship, “Cleaning, Maintenance, Storage, and Disposal of PPE.” pesticidestewardship.org/personal-protective-equipment/cleaning-maintenance-storage-and-disposal/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
7. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Citizen's Guide to Pest Control and Pesticide Safety (EPA 735-K-04-002).” www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-08/documents/citizens_guide_to_pest_control_and_pesticide_safety.pdf (accessed 2026-11-10)
8. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Personal Protective Equipment for Pesticide Handlers.” www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/personal-protective-equipment-pesticide-handlers (accessed 2026-11-10)
9. UC Statewide IPM Program, “Pesticides: Safe and Effective Use in the Home and Landscape (Pest Notes 74126).” ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74126.html (accessed 2026-11-10)
10. University of Missouri Extension, “Personal Protective Equipment for Working With Pesticides (G1917).” extension.missouri.edu/publications/g1917 (accessed 2026-11-10)
11. South Dakota State University Extension, “Pesticide Personal Protective Equipment: Glove Selection.” extension.sdstate.edu/pesticide-personal-protective-equipment-glove-selection (accessed 2026-11-10)
12. Pesticide Environmental Stewardship, “Using Pesticides Safely and Correctly (Homeowner).” pesticidestewardship.org/homeowner/using-pesticides-safely-and-correctly/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
13. Pesticide Environmental Stewardship, “Types of Respirators for Pesticide Users.” pesticidestewardship.org/respirators/types-of-respirators/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
14. Pesticide Environmental Stewardship, “Particulate Filters.” pesticidestewardship.org/respirators/particulate-filters/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
15. Pesticide Environmental Stewardship, “Chemical Cartridges or Canisters.” pesticidestewardship.org/respirators/chemical-cartridges-or-canisters/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
16. Pesticide Environmental Stewardship, “What respirator do I need?.” pesticidestewardship.org/respirators/what-respirator-do-i-need/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
17. Pesticide Environmental Stewardship, “Medical Clearance.” pesticidestewardship.org/respirators/medical-clearance/ (accessed 2026-11-10)
18. America's Poison Centers, “America's Poison Centers: Poison Help line.” poisoncenters.org/ (accessed 2026-11-10)