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  Q: Should I wear gloves when applying shoe polish?

If you do not wish to stain your hands, then yes, you should wear gloves. Most shoe polish paste's/wax are absorbed by the skin, and it can take a reasonable amount of time for them to be expelled from the skin. You should also refrain from rubbing your eyes after polishing shoes: as most polish products have chemicals which will irritate your eyes. Likewise, it's a good idea to open a window or a door whilst polishing shoes, the volatile chemicals within shoe polish products can produce headaches and other unpleasant side effects when used in a room without any ventilation. However, on the whole, there is nothing to worry about when using polish without gloves; the problems that can arise are fairly minimal and are not of a serious risk to health.