Gloves and shoes used in cleanrooms are essential materials for preventing the adhesion of dust and microorganisms generated during work. While it's often thought of as consumables, disposable is often the best option. While preparing new gloves every time provides a sense of security, it also increases costs and environmental impact. On the other hand, specialized cleaning and sterilization processes allow for reuse while maintaining cleanliness.

[General Issues: The limitations of disposables]
Gloves and shoes come into direct contact with skin and sebum, making them susceptible to bacteria and dirt. Complete removal of bacteria is difficult with standard tap water washing or simple cleaning. For this reason, disposable gloves are the norm at some sites. However, increased waste increases costs and makes them unsuitable for sustainable operation. Improvements are also needed from the perspective of environmental impact and the SDGs.

[Mechanisms enabling reuse]
The key to reuse is "cleaning" and "sterilization." First, particles and organic matter are thoroughly removed using ultrapure water with a resistance of up to 18.2 MΩ. Ultrapure water contains almost no impurities, so it can remove even the most minute particles that regular pure water cannot. The materials are then dried using a HEPA filter dryer, circulating clean air to prevent recontamination during drying. Furthermore, combining this with a sterilization process kills bacteria and returns the materials to a safe, usable condition.

[Electron Beam Sterilization and Gamma Ray Sterilization]
There are several sterilization methods, but the most commonly used for gloves and shoes are steam sterilization and gamma ray sterilization. Steam sterilization is low-cost and highly efficient. Gamma ray sterilization has high penetration power, making it effective for thick shoes and materials with complex structures.
The materials can be treated while still packaged, minimizing the risk of recontamination.

[Benefits of reuse]
- Reduced new purchase costs
- Reduced environmental impact by reducing waste
- Stable supply of materials (no reliance on disposables)
- Strengthened response capabilities for audits and quality assurance
This not only offers economic benefits, but also benefits from the perspectives of quality assurance and sustainability.

[Vacuum packaging maintenance]
Sterilized materials are vacuum-packaged to prevent recontamination during transport and storage. This maintains purity until the moment of opening, ensuring ready-to-use delivery. In particular, in the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries, the presence or absence of packaging is directly linked to quality assurance.

[Inspection and tracking]
To ensure reuse, pre-shipment inspection and tracking are also important. Thorough hair and foreign object inspections are conducted, and only those that pass are delivered to the site. Furthermore, each material is assigned a barcode, and its history, from cleaning and sterilization to inspection and packaging, is centrally managed. This allows for rapid response to audits and inquiries and realizes a quality assurance system compliant with ISO 9001.

[Our support]
We have established the following process for gloves and shoes.
- Cleaning with ultrapure water up to 18.2 MΩ
- One-way management using a barrier-type washing machine
- HEPA filter drying in a Class 100 clean room
- Sterilization using steam sterilization or gamma rays
- Quality assurance through hair and foreign body inspection
- Vacuum packaging to prevent recontamination
- History tracking using barcode management
By combining these features, we enable reuse rather than disposable use, achieving both quality and cost.

[Summary]
So, do gloves and shoes need to be disposable?
"They can be reused with specialized cleaning and sterilization."

Contact Information
Techno Clean Co., Ltd.
1438-1 Komai, Fujii-cho, Nirasaki-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture, 407-0001
TEL: 0551-30-2525
FAX: 0551-30-2526
Website: https://technoclean.jp/