Hello, I've searched the archives and didn't find this topic: What's the current philosophy on using cotton gloves for different materials? I have a temporary assistant who was trained differently than I, and she says you need to wear gloves for glazed ceramics because skin oils can interact with the glaze (depending on type of glaze). I was trained that you use gloves for metals, paper, fabric, leather, unglazed ceramics and unfinished wood. Slippery artifacts - glass, glazed ceramic, polished wood - and any object with condition problems (flaking paint, raised veneer, brittle paper that could be torn by gloves, etc.) are better handled without gloves (and with well-washed hands). There are a number of exceptions, which I did see in the archives, but is this still basically true? Does bare skin contact affect glazed ceramics? I'd like some input before I pontificate about "the right way" - maybe I've missed something. Thanks, John Marks Curator of Collections Geneva (NY) Historical Society ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).