Mum 'embarrassed' after Screwfix purchase leaves toddler 'scared' of her

18 May 2024 , 16:10

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Harriet Spencer was quite literally green-fingered when her new gloves dyed her hands (Image: Harriet Spencer/SWNS)

A gardener was quite literally green-fingered when her new gloves dyed her hands.

Harriet Spencer, 29, bought new black and yellow gardening gloves from her local Screwfix, in Southport, Merseyside, on April 25. But after three hours tending to her garden she took them off to find her hands had turned dark green - where she thinks the dye had run off on her skin.

Harriet claims no amount of scrubbing would get the green dye off her skin and though faded, the colour is still there. Mum-of-one Harriet, a business owner, from Southport said: "It was awful - it's faded now but my hands were actually like the Incredible Hulk. I did panic and my toddler was a bit scared of me.

"It's gone through all my skin and right through my nail beds. I'm lucky I don't have eczema because I've had to wash my hands a lot. My hands are really sore and covered in blisters from all the scrubbing. The only way this will come out is with time, as I shed layers of skin."

Harriet's green hands after using the gloves (Harriet Spencer/SWNS)

Harriet bought the Screwfix site premium rigger gloves for £2.69 and says they were wet through when she took them off after gardening. Her left hand was entirely green - as was her right hand except for the palm. She tried olive oil, then exfoliant to remove the dye, and even Screwfix's own dye remover, she says - but nothing worked.

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Harriet says she called Screwfix customer services and was told it was just "leakage from the leather". She said: "It's just ridiculous - leakage from leather - you'd never get into a car. It didn't rain, but everything in the garden was wet. Still it's baffling, we're in the UK, you'd expect them to be able to cope with wet conditions.

"I'm really surprised they're still selling them. The reaction from people I don't know has been the funniest - everyone's asking what happened to my hands - it's also pretty embarrassing."

Inside Harriet's glove (Harriet Spencer/SWNS)

A spokesperson from Screwfix said: "Our quality assurance team are reviewing the production batch and we have advised the customer that any skin discolouration caused from the mix of the natural materials of the gloves and heat can be removed by gentle hand washing with detergents.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience, and we have offered to fully reimburse the customer for the purchase and any products used to remove the colour."

Rom Preston-Ellis