{"id":2001694,"date":"2025-04-27T09:40:39","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T07:40:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abovo.ch\/wissenswertes\/what-is-the-difference-between-disposable-and-reusable-cleanroom-garments\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T12:08:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T11:08:31","slug":"what-is-the-difference-between-disposable-and-reusable-cleanroom-garments","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.abovo.ch\/en\/good-to-know\/what-is-the-difference-between-disposable-and-reusable-cleanroom-garments\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the difference between disposable and reusable cleanroom garments?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In the case of cleanroom garments, a distinction is made between disposable cleanroom garments and reusable cleanroom garments.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the following article, we explain exactly what the difference is between disposable and reusable cleanroom clothing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is disposable and reusable cleanroom clothing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we go into the differences between disposable and reusable cleanroom clothing, let’s first clarify what<\/strong> is meant by disposable cleanroom clothing<\/strong> and what is meant by reusable cleanroom clothing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disposable cleanroom clothing?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Disposable cleanroom garments<\/strong> are garments that have been manufactured for use in cleanrooms, but only for single use<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Cleanroom class ISO <\/strong><\/a>6 <\/strong><\/a>it is recommended<\/a> that single-use clean<\/strong>room garments are pre-cleaned or that pre-cleaned cleanroom garments are only purchased before packaging<\/strong> in order to reduce the concentration of particles that contaminate the cleanroom garments during the manufacturing process. As disposable cleanroom garments are not designed to be laundered in normal cleanroom laundries, special and costly processes must be used for pre-cleaning, which is why pre-cleaned disposable cleanroom garments are significantly more expensive than non-pre-cleaned disposable cleanroom garments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reusable cleanroom clothing?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Reusable cleanroom garments<\/strong> are washable cleanroom garments that can be washed several times<\/strong> – up to 150 times – and can be reused the corresponding number of times<\/strong>. When reprocessing sterile reusable cleanroom garments, certain cleanroom cleaning service providers<\/a> withdraw the garments from circulation after 50 process cycles, whereby there is a study<\/a> according to which particle emission increased after just 25 washing and gamma irradiation cycles. It is therefore advisable<\/strong> to regularly test<\/strong> the reusable cleanroom garments used to see whether they still meet the requirements of the respective cleanroom class in terms of particle emission<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Difference between disposable and reusable cleanroom garments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We have compared<\/strong> the differences between disposable and reusable cleanroom garments<\/strong> in the following table<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/strong><\/td>Disposable cleanroom clothing<\/strong><\/td>Reusable cleanroom clothing<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Repair<\/strong><\/td>No repair planned and therefore no repair costs<\/td>before washing, any damage must be repaired, which involves repair costs (unless repair is included in the leasing contract)<\/td><\/tr>
Wear and tear<\/strong><\/td>constant power constant physical properties<\/td>performance and physical properties can deteriorate over time, which can impair functionality and protective function<\/td><\/tr>
Leasing or buying<\/strong><\/td>No commitment through leasing contractsYou only pay for what you useFlexibility to change the number and sizes of cleanroom garments according to employee demand<\/td>often leased including laundry and repair service in some cases multi-year contract commitment with leasing including laundry service or purchase of own clothing with booked laundry service laundry costs possible even if clothing was not used at allif the number of employees is reduced, it may be that you have to pay for the originally agreed number of garments, although this number is no longer usedif employees are added, it may be that you have to conclude a new contract for the additional number of garments, with a new minimum contract term<\/td><\/tr>
Quality<\/strong><\/td>Inexpensive disposable cleanroom clothing tends to tear easily<\/td>greater stability of the fabric, as it has to last longer<\/td><\/tr>
Chemical resistance<\/strong><\/td>Better resistance to chemicals than reusable cleanroom garments<\/td>Poorer resistance to chemicals than disposable cleanroom garments<\/td><\/tr>
Bacteria and particle filtration efficiency<\/strong><\/td>Better bacteria and particle filtration efficiency than with reusable cleanroom garments<\/td>Poorer bacteria and particle filtration efficiency than disposable cleanroom garments<\/td><\/tr>
Costs<\/strong><\/td>Cheaper to purchase than reusable cleanroom clothing<\/td>More cost-effective in the long term than disposable cleanroom clothing, as reusable clothing can be used several times<\/td><\/tr>
Wearing comfort<\/strong><\/td>generally less breathable fabrics, which makes them less comfortable to wear<\/td>generally more breathable fabrics, which improve wearing comfort<\/td><\/tr>
Laundry<\/strong><\/td>If pre-cleaning is carried out, which is recommended from cleanroom class ISO 6, the cost advantage over reusable cleanroom garments is quickly lost and normal cleanroom laundries do not usually offer pre-cleaning of disposable cleanroom garments, as disposable garments were not actually developed for washing; it is also possible to buy pre-cleaned disposable cleanroom garments before packaging, but these are much more expensive than non-pre-cleaned disposable cleanroom garmentsif disposable cleanroom garments are not pre-cleaned, they are usually contaminated with particles from the manufacturing process<\/td>Laundry service is sometimes included in the lease; otherwise, or if you purchase your own reusable cleanroom garments, you must wash them yourself or commission a laundry service: If you use a laundry service, you must check that the transport and cleaning process corresponds to the cleanroom class for which the cleanroom garments are intended; if you have your own cleanroom laundry system, you must ensure compliance with the process standards yourself.From cleanroom class ISO 6, pre-cleaning before first use is recommended, as the cleanroom garments are usually contaminated with particles during the production process; alternatively, from cleanroom class ISO 6, pre-cleaned reusable cleanroom garments can be used before packaging<\/td><\/tr>
Sustainability<\/strong><\/td>Possible feed into recycling programs for certain items of clothing<\/td>can only be disposed of after a large number of wash cycles (up to 25 to 50 for sterile and up to 150 for non-sterile cleanroom garments) and is therefore more sustainable than disposable cleanroom garments: lower CO2 emissions, less process energy, less water consumption, less wasteDisposal can, however, be more complicated than with disposable cleanroom garments<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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