Caring for someone at home
Home care essentials,
at trade prices
If you look after a parent, partner or relative at home, you go through gloves, aprons and sanitiser far faster than any supermarket pack allows for. These are the same supplies we deliver to UK care homes and clinics, in professional pack sizes, so you buy once instead of every week.
No account needed
Check out as a guest
£9.90 delivery
Delivered to your door
Order by 4pm
Next-day on stocked items
CE and UKCA marked
The same stock clinics use
Disposable gloves
Powder-free nitrile gloves in every size. Nitrile is latex-free, so it avoids the allergy risk that comes with natural rubber latex. It is the sensible default for personal care at home.
Nitrile Powder Free Gloves – XS
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Nitrile Powder Free Gloves – S
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Nitrile Powder Free Gloves – M
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Nitrile Powder Free Gloves – L
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Nitrile Powder Free Gloves – XL
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Hand hygiene
Sanitising gel in a pocket size for out and about, and a refill bottle for the home. Good hand hygiene is the single most effective thing a carer can do to prevent infection.
Purewell™ Hand Sanitising Gel - 100ml
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Hand Sanitising Gel - 5 Litre Refill Bottle
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
EcoTech Wipes™ Surface Disinfectant Wipes 70% Alcohol
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Aprons and masks
Disposable aprons on a roll for personal care, and fluid-repellent masks for when someone in the house is unwell.
Hand towels and couch roll
Disposable paper towels are more hygienic than a shared hand towel, and worth switching to in any home where personal care happens.
Embossed Centre Feed Handtowels 2ply White
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Mini Centre-Feed Towel 2 Ply
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
White C-Fold Hand Towel 2 Ply
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
C-Fold Green Hand Towels 1ply
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
White Interfold Hand Towels 2 Ply
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Dispensers and storage
Wall-mounted dispensers keep gloves, aprons and towels clean, dry and to hand, and stop a box of gloves being pulled out in handfuls.
Confidence™ Triple Glove Dispenser
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Confidence™ Apron / Sack Dispenser
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Hygihub™ Glove & Apron Dispenser
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Confidence™ Hand Towel Dispenser
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Dispenser for Paper Hand Towels
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Confidence™ Metal Couch Roll Holder
Delivery as soon as Tuesday 15 September
Inc. VAT
Medication storage
If a relative has medicines that must be kept refrigerated, a fridge thermometer confirms the temperature stays in the 2 to 8°C range they need.
Guides for carers
Plain answers to the questions carers ask
Written for people looking after a relative at home rather than for a clinical team. No jargon, and free to read whether you buy from us or not.
All carer guides- Sharps Disposal at Home: What to Do With Used NeedlesUsed needles are clinical waste and cannot go in the household bin. Your council collects a sealed sharps bin from your home, usually free.Read this · 9 min
- Preventing Infection When Caring for Someone at HomeOlder people are more vulnerable to infection and recover more slowly. Six habits that make the biggest difference, without turning the house into a hospital.Read this · 5 min
- Choosing Gloves for Elderly Care: Size, Material and FitPowder-free nitrile in the right size is the answer for almost every family carer. Why material and fit matter more than price, and how to size yours.Read this · 4 min
- Hand Hygiene for Family Carers: When and How to WashHandwashing is the single most effective thing a carer can do to prevent infection. When to wash, when sanitiser is enough, and the spots people miss.Read this · 4 min
- Do You Need to Wear Gloves to Care for a Family Member?Not for everything. Gloves are for tasks involving bodily fluids, broken skin or infection risk. Here is when to wear them and when clean hands are enough.Read this · 4 min
- What Supplies Do You Need to Care for a Relative at Home?A straightforward starter checklist for family carers: gloves, aprons, hand hygiene, waste and the few extras that make daily care easier.Read this · 4 min
- How Often Should You Change Gloves When Caring for Someone at Home?Change gloves between every separate care task, and always between personal care and anything else. A clear, practical guide for family carers.Read this · 4 min
Good to know
Common questions from family carers
- Can I order as a member of the public, without a trade account?
- Yes. Anyone can buy from Optimised Medical Supplies Ltd. You can check out as a guest with a card, with no account to create, no minimum order and no trade credentials needed. An account is only useful if you want to save addresses and reorder quickly.
- Do you deliver to home addresses?
- Yes, we deliver to any mainland UK home address. Delivery is a flat £9.90 on every order, and stocked items ordered before 4pm on a working day are dispatched the same day for next-business-day delivery.
- Why are the pack sizes bigger than in a supermarket?
- These are the pack sizes we supply to clinics and care homes. If you are providing personal care several times a day, a box of 100 gloves lasts a fortnight rather than a few days, and works out considerably cheaper per glove than a small retail pack.
- Which gloves should I use for personal care at home?
- Powder-free nitrile is the sensible default. It is latex-free, so there is no risk of a latex allergy reaction for you or the person you care for, and it resists tearing better than vinyl. Size matters more than people expect, because a glove that is too small tears at the thumb.
- How often should I change gloves when caring for someone?
- Change them between every separate care task, and always between personal care and anything else. Wash your hands before putting gloves on and again after taking them off, every time.
- Do I need aprons as well as gloves?
- For personal care, yes. A disposable apron protects your clothing from splashes and stops anything being carried from one task to the next. Aprons on a roll are easier to use than flat-packed ones because they dispense one at a time.
- Are these the same products used by care homes?
- Yes. Everything we sell comes from the same catalogue we supply to NHS trusts, private clinics and care home groups, and all medical devices are CE or UKCA marked where applicable.
- Can I get VAT relief as a disabled person or carer?
- We currently charge VAT on all orders and are not able to process VAT relief declarations at checkout. If VAT exemption is important to you, it is worth checking whether a product qualifies before ordering.