If you use gloves to prevent introducing microorganisms into the fist chute, then timing for donning gloves is critical.

Help the bottom get situated in the sling or fisting arena, then put your gloves on immediately before penetration.

Larry Shockey, the originator of FISTFEST, shares this piece of advice in his book, the Sacred Art of Fisting:

"I’ve seen lots of tops glove up, put the bottom’s feet into the stirrups, adjust the chains, arrange the papers on the floor, and then reach for the lube. NO! NO! NO! I’ve even had tops drop a glove on the floor and bend down to retrieve it to put it on. NO! Gloves are cheap. It’s easy to forget. Just throw away the contaminated glove and get a clean one."

— Sacred Art of Fisting, 2012

Most venues are not built with post-fisting cleanup in mind. Sinks may be too shallow to wash. Soap may be unavailable. Faucets may have restricted water output.

Outdoor venues or semi-public areas usually lack proper cleanup facilities.

Bring and wear gloves when playing at these venues—especially if you are fisting more than one person.

I coordinated my first trip to Amsterdam to coincide with the Dirty Dicks monthly fisting party at the Amsterdam Eagle. I packed a small gear bag with lube, poppers, and gloves and headed to the venue to play.

The event did not disappoint. I bottomed for four different guys and topped six. Unfortunately, I only brought four pair of gloves. This led to a little predicament with Rene, my last bottom.

Meanwhile, Jon had enough pummeling and called for a break-break. I cleaned him up and thanked him for the pleasure of playing inside him, S2S. Then I headed to the bathroom to clean up.

Although I hadn't noticed before (since I had worn gloves), the sink was incredibly shallow and the water only stayed on for a few seconds at a time. Jon was into width-play, so my arms were lube free, but it took ten minutes to completely wash just my hands. After finishing, I hustled out to the sling to delve into Rene's fagpit.

The rest is history.

— FF Chronicles: 18.12.0323

If you are wearing gloves for hygienic reasons, you still need to wash your hands and lower forearms between partners.

Most gloves cover about about 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) up the wrist. The anal canal is that same length, if not a bit longer. This means that as a top playing with shallow bottoms, your wrist and lower forearm is still likely be exposed to lube. Any deeper play guarantees exposure unless you are wearing opera length gloves.

Washing the hands and forearms prevents transfering microorganisms into your bottom.

Erik and I had just wrapped up an intense fisting session where his small arms had slipped in past the elbow—a first for him. He had used both the right and left arms with depth play, but per my request, primarily played with the left arm.

After I said "OK, I'm done!", I asked him to hand me the paper towel roll.

I ripped three full squares of paper towels from the roll and laid them across my chest. Eric placed his arm on the squares, and I wrapped the edges around, covering his arm completely. I then carefully slid the towels down his arm until we passed the fingers.

Fast forward eight minutes. Eric is at the sink, scrubbing desparately on his right arm. Since the lube had already dried on this arm, we didn't squeegee it immediately after the session ended.

— FF Chronicles: 21.09.0524