Gowning and De-gowning Protocol

Following these rules will help maintain the cleanroom standard of cleanliness (Class 1000) and minimize contamination of samples and devices built in the cleanroom. If you are not familiar with cleanroom protocols and/or wish to receive additional training, please contact the cleanroom supervisor.

Gowning procedure

Pre-gowning area:

The pre-gowning area is the first room one enters when opening the 026 door from the hallway.

1. Before entering the pre-gowning area, remove any garments (e.g., coat, hat, or sweater) that will not be worn in the cleanroom and wash hands in the hallway restrooms.
2. If bringing parts into the cleanroom, remove all cardboard, foam or packaging before entering the pre-gowning area. Any unwrapped items should be pre-cleaned before entering room 026 and repacked in a clean plastic bag.
3. Immediately upon entering the pre-gowning area, clean shoes with the shoe scrubber located along the left-hand-side wall. Operate the shoe scrubber by pushing the handle forward.
4. Step on the Tacky Mat several times to clean shoe soles (step several times or until there are no visible prints on the tacky mat). Open the automatic sliding door to the gowning area using the BLUE switch on the right.
   Before activating the switch, check that all other doors to pre-gowning and gowning areas are closed. The pressure differential between the gowning room and the pre-gowning room is minimal so it is important to make sure that all other doors are closed when opening the door to the gowning area.

All cleanroom apparel (coveralls, hairnets, beard covers, gloves) and cleaning supplies (wipes, 70% IPA) are stored on the shelf located on the right hand side. The pre-gowning area is a small, Class 10000 environment. To maintain its level of cleanliness, and avoid crowding other users during the gowning or de-gowning processes, limit the number of simultaneous users to two at any given time.

1. The gowning bench divides the gowning room into a “clean” area (cleanroom side) and a dirtier, “street” area (pre-gowning side).
2. Put on a hairnet as soon as you enter the gowning room; make sure that all hair is covered (e.g., bangs should not be visible outside the hairnet). Users with sideburns, mustache or beard must wear a beard cover.
3. Any items or small equipment that will be brought into the cleanroom must be cleaned at this time. Put on yellow latex gloves and use dry wipes and 70% isopropyl alcohol (IPA) to wipe down all items. After cleaning, set items on the far left-hand-side of the bench.
   • Discard latex gloves used for cleaning in the waste receptacle.
4. Find your hanger (labeled with your name) and take the cleanroom coverall off the hanger. Inspect the garment for tears and contaminants.
   • Do not let any part of the cleanroom coverall touch the floor at any time.
5. To put on the cleanroom coverall, sit on the bench with both feet on the “street” side of the bench. Make sure to hold both sleeves and the right leg in your hands to keep the garment from touching the floor:
   • Step into the LEFT garment leg and swing that leg over the bench, putting your foot down on the “clean” side.
   • Step into the RIGHT garment leg and put that foot down on the “clean” side.
   • Stand up on the “clean” side of the bench, pull up upper half of the coverall, adjust the garment hood over the hairnet, and zip the coverall all the way up.
6. Put on cleanroom nitrile gloves. Make sure to pick up only one glove at a time, and hold it by the cuff side.
   • Do not touch the finger tips while adjusting the gloves.
   • Pull the cuff of the gloves over the coverall sleeves.
7. Before entering the cleanroom, use wall mirror to check that hair and hairnet are tucked under hood, coverall is fully zipped, and gloves cuffs are worn over sleeves.
8. Open the automatic sliding door to the cleanroom using the BLUE switch.
   • The two gowning room doors are interlocked: each blue switch only functions when the other door is fully closed.
9. Step on Tacky Mat located inside the cleanroom to clean coverall booties.