Today the “surgical scrub” is a rite of passage for medical students rotating through theatres but hand washing between cases has only become standard in the last century. The earliest record of surgical gloves is from 1758 with a sheep’s caecum being used to protect the surgeon’s hands during obstetric practice. The concept of gloves to protect patients was only introduced in the late 19th century as Pasteur’s revolutionary work on germ theory was slowly being accepted for its role in surgical mortality. By 1870, Lister - a key player in founding the aseptic technique - was developing sterilisation of surgical instruments and recommending washing open wounds prior to surgery, resulting in a dramatic reduction in mortality rates. The dedicated surgical glove was invented in 1889, although surprisingly this was to counteract dermatitis caused by Lister’s sterilisation agents rather than for infection control. In 1894 Lister once again revolutionised surgery by introducing sterilisation of the gloves themselves, but it was not until the early 1920s that gloves were routinely used by many surgical staff as part of the aseptic technique. A study by Hernigou reviewing photographs of the operating room found that fewer than 60% of surgeons were using gloves in the 1930s and 100% glove compliance was reached in 1950. In 1964 the first disposable rubber gloves were brought to the market and similar products are now used in standard operating practices worldwide. [1] Hernigou (2022) The strange history of surgical gloves in orthopaedic surgery (part I): from no gloves and no hand washing to the introduction of cotton gloves in orthopaedic surgery. Int Orthop [2] Ellis (2008) Evolution of the surgical glove. J. Am. Coll. Surg.