PPE and Safety Apparel

Wearing personal protective equipment apparel and garments is an effective way to reduce or eliminate contamination in research labs and cleanrooms. Cleanroom protective wear is essential in maintaining a critical environment. The protective clothing acts as a barrier to prevent contaminants from entering the environment you are working in. These apparel and garments include masks, gowns, lab coats, shoe covers, gloves, and bouffant caps.

What is a Bouffant Cap?

Bouffant caps are designed for environments where contamination levels are strongly controlled. The caps are made lightweight and breathable so that they can be worn all day for comfort. The cap’s function is to keep stray hair in and contaminants out. It completely covers the hair and fits snugly around the hairline. It gets its name from the beehive hairstyle that was once popular. 

What is a Bouffant Cap Used For?

Cleanrooms need to have a controlled environment to ensure the purity of their research operations. Hair caps prevent cross-contamination and human contamination. These caps are inexpensive, lightweight, comfortable to wear and provide protection against product contamination. Bouffant caps also keep the hair out of your eyes when working to make sure you have optimum visibility at all times.

What Material are Bouffant Caps Made From?

Bouffant caps come in different fabrics, sizes, and colors. In healthcare and medical research, bouffant caps are typically made from spunbound polypropylene and a latex-free elastic gathering that holds the cap in place. This type of bouffant cap effectively reduces or eliminates particulate protection. This protective barrier is formed by fibers bonding together to form a woven-like material that prevents any apertures.

Are Bouffant Caps PPE?

Bouffant caps are PPE that prevent stray hairs from contaminating a work area in laboratories, medical facilities, and cleanrooms where sterility is mandatory. Beard covers are also available and made from polypropylene material.

Is a Bouffant a Hair Net?

A bouffant cap is different from a hair net. Hair nets are made from nylon or polyester mesh material that forms a webbing effect with openings. Bouffant caps are made from polypropylene with no openings. Hair can slip through the openings of a hair net whereas that is not possible with a bouffant cap. Hair nets also blend in with your hair so they are somewhat camouflaged. Bouffant caps stand out making them much more noticeable for compliance checks.

Can You Wash Bouffant Caps?

Washing bouffant caps are not recommended, especially since the price for disposable bouffant caps are minimal. The recommended frequency of change will depend on the ISO classification of the critical environment of the lab. The higher the ISO rating the higher the frequency of change. 

Disposable bouffant caps are widely used. These caps can be thrown away after every procedure or at the end of every day. They are a cost effective solution for general applications. They are usually packaged and double bagged to reduce contamination for cleanroom use.

What Gives a Bouffant Cap Its Cleanroom Rating?

Cleanroom ratings are based on ISO classifications. ISO classifications measure the level of cleanliness in cleanrooms based on the quantity and size of the particle. A cleanroom rating is based on particles per cubic foot and HEPA air changes per hour.

For example, ISO 5 is a super clean cleanroom rating with not any more than 3,520 particles > 0.5 micron a cubic meter and 250-300 HEPA air changes an hour. This is equal to the FED standard of class 100 or 100 particles per cubic foot.

ISO 6 is a very clean cleanroom classification that is not any more than 35,200 particles > 0.5 micron a cubic meter and 180 HEPA air changes an hour. This is equal to the FED standard of class 1000 or 1000 particles per cubic foot.

ISO 5 and ISO 6 bouffant caps are generally made out of low lint spunbonded polypropylene nonwoven material. Nonwoven material filters particulates to control contamination in critical environments. Tians bouffant caps are designed with a machine welded seam that eliminates needle holes, thread, and stitching.

Lab Pro offers a large variety of bouffant cap products. For over 40 years, Lab Pro Inc. has been committed to delivering the highest quality chemicals, tweezers, and hard-wire cutters, lab supplies, and cleanroom PPE apparel to medical device and electronic manufacturing companies and laboratories worldwide. To learn more, visit the biggest Lab Supply showroom in California, or contact us online or at 888-452-2776.