Apron hygiene · UK
Shared lead aprons carry bacteria, including MRSA. Washing damages them, and wiping depends on someone remembering. Until now there was no third option.
The evidence
Aprons are shared, stored on open racks and worn under sterile gowns. Every group that has swabbed them has found the same thing.
Operating theatre · USA · 2019
Methicillin-resistant Staph epidermidis on 5 of 20 aprons, plus Neisseria, Strep viridans and Pseudomonas. A disinfectant wipe cleared standard cultures immediately, but organisms were detectable again six hours later.
Jain et al., J Infect Prev1Interventional radiology · USA · 2014
25 aprons worn by radiologists, nurses and technologists were sampled. Three of the Staph aureus isolates were methicillin-resistant (MRSA). Tinea is the fungus behind ringworm.
Jaber et al., JVIR2Radiology · UK · 2010
15 lead rubber aprons from a UK department carried coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staph aureus, Bacillus, diphtheroids and fungal spores. Counts fell after cleaning, which is the point: they are rarely cleaned.
Boyle & Strudwick, Radiography3Tertiary hospital · 2026
515 samples from garments in routine use. Vests and aprons were significantly more contaminated than thyroid shields, and the authors conclude that visual inspection underestimates contamination.
Tong et al., Am J Infect Control4A 2025 study that tested a hospital's existing wipe-down routine found it reduced contaminated samples from 37% to 25%, made no measurable difference to Staph aureus, and that the inside of the apron was the most contaminated surface.5
Why you cannot just wash it
Under the fabric is a flexible sheet of lead, lead-composite or lead-free material. It cracks. It is the part that protects you, and it is the part water, heat and solvents damage.
Clean regularly using approved products, following the manufacturer's instructions. Do not use overly harsh chemicals; they damage the materials. Log routine wipe-downs and deep disinfection against each garment's asset record. Hang every apron on a dedicated wide hanger between uses, and never fold it, drape it over a rail or leave it on the floor.
Across the industry, garment manufacturers' instructions prohibit machine washing, dry cleaning and autoclaving, and most restrict bleach and alcohol. That leaves a wipe and good intentions. Read Rothband's care guide.
Your apron hygiene picture
This is a general picture based on your answers and published research. It is not an infection-control assessment. Cleaning and disinfection frequency for shared PPE should be set with your Infection Prevention and Control team, and any cleaning method must follow the garment manufacturer's care instructions.
The third option
The Novven 3 is a PPE hygiene cabinet built for garments that cannot be washed. Hang the aprons, close the door, press one button.
The cabinet circulates treated air through the garments and extracts it through an activated carbon filter, so the room stays clear. Three programmes: disinfection, drying, and deodorising. A screen with mechanical buttons that work with gloves, a cycle log for traceability, and filter and generator alerts so maintenance is not a guess.
Performance figures are the manufacturer's (JVD, France), from independent laboratory testing. Over 2,200 Novven cabinets are installed worldwide. Source8
What a routine looks like
The reason aprons are not sanitised is that nobody has a good way to do it. A routine only works if it takes less effort than skipping it.
Talk to Rothband
Tell us about your fleet and how it is cleaned today. A Rothband specialist will come back to you about a hygiene routine, and about seeing the cabinet in use.
Guidance
Direct answers, with the research behind them. Where a decision belongs with your Infection Prevention and Control team or your RPA, we say so.
Yes. Every published study that has swabbed them has found contamination, and several found MRSA. Aprons are shared between staff, stored on open racks, worn over clothing and under sterile gowns, and rarely cleaned. Organisms recovered include Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA), methicillin-resistant Staph epidermidis, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella and tinea fungi.1,2,3,5
No. Manufacturers' instructions prohibit machine washing, dry cleaning and autoclaving, and most restrict bleach and alcohol, because they damage the protective core. Rothband's care guidance is to clean regularly with approved products per the manufacturer's instructions, avoid harsh chemicals, and hang garments on a wide hanger between uses. The core already cracks in normal use: in one four-year hospital study, 47% of garments developed tears and 31% had to be withdrawn.6
They reduce contamination when used, but they depend on someone using them, and the effect is short-lived. In an operating theatre study, a hospital-grade wipe cleared standard cultures immediately, yet organisms were detectable again six hours later.1 Where a hospital already had a wipe-down routine, contaminated samples only fell from 37% to 25%, and the inside of the garment stayed the dirtiest surface.5
The cabinet uses no water, no chemicals and no high heat, which is what makes it suitable for garments that cannot be washed. Its disinfection programme uses treated air, so material compatibility matters. Rothband is confirming a written compatibility statement for its garment materials with the manufacturer, and this page will state it once received. Until then, follow Rothband's care guidance for cleaning.
Any cleaning or disinfection method for a protective garment should be checked against the manufacturer's care instructions before use.
There is no UK standard frequency; it is set locally by your Infection Prevention and Control team. The research points the same way: disinfect before use in theatre where the apron sits under a sterile gown, and at least daily for shared garments in interventional rooms. A cabinet makes a daily routine practical because it runs overnight without staff time.1
Hung on a proper hanger or rack, never folded, draped over hooks or sat on. Poor storage is a common cause of cracks in the core. Open racks in corridors also leave shared garments exposed between uses. A closed cabinet that dries and disinfects is storage and hygiene in one place.
These answers are general guidance written by Rothband (WSR Medical Solutions Ltd), a UK radiation protection manufacturer since 1911. They are not a substitute for your local infection prevention and control policy, your risk assessment or the advice of your Radiation Protection Adviser.
Apron hygiene · UK
Shared lead aprons carry bacteria, including MRSA. Washing damages them, and wiping depends on someone remembering. Until now there was no third option.
The evidence
Aprons are shared, stored on open racks and worn under sterile gowns. Every group that has swabbed them has found the same thing.
Operating theatre · USA · 2019
Methicillin-resistant Staph epidermidis on 5 of 20 aprons, plus Neisseria, Strep viridans and Pseudomonas. A disinfectant wipe cleared standard cultures immediately, but organisms were detectable again six hours later.
Jain et al., J Infect Prev1Interventional radiology · USA · 2014
25 aprons worn by radiologists, nurses and technologists were sampled. Three of the Staph aureus isolates were methicillin-resistant (MRSA). Tinea is the fungus behind ringworm.
Jaber et al., JVIR2Radiology · UK · 2010
15 lead rubber aprons from a UK department carried coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staph aureus, Bacillus, diphtheroids and fungal spores. Counts fell after cleaning, which is the point: they are rarely cleaned.
Boyle & Strudwick, Radiography3Tertiary hospital · 2026
515 samples from garments in routine use. Vests and aprons were significantly more contaminated than thyroid shields, and the authors conclude that visual inspection underestimates contamination.
Tong et al., Am J Infect Control4A 2025 study that tested a hospital's existing wipe-down routine found it reduced contaminated samples from 37% to 25%, made no measurable difference to Staph aureus, and that the inside of the apron was the most contaminated surface.5
Why you cannot just wash it
Under the fabric is a flexible sheet of lead, lead-composite or lead-free material. It cracks. It is the part that protects you, and it is the part water, heat and solvents damage.
Clean regularly using approved products, following the manufacturer's instructions. Do not use overly harsh chemicals; they damage the materials. Log routine wipe-downs and deep disinfection against each garment's asset record. Hang every apron on a dedicated wide hanger between uses, and never fold it, drape it over a rail or leave it on the floor.
Across the industry, garment manufacturers' instructions prohibit machine washing, dry cleaning and autoclaving, and most restrict bleach and alcohol. That leaves a wipe and good intentions. Read Rothband's care guide.
Your apron hygiene picture
This is a general picture based on your answers and published research. It is not an infection-control assessment. Cleaning and disinfection frequency for shared PPE should be set with your Infection Prevention and Control team, and any cleaning method must follow the garment manufacturer's care instructions.
The third option
The Novven 3 is a PPE hygiene cabinet built for garments that cannot be washed. Hang the aprons, close the door, press one button.
The cabinet circulates treated air through the garments and extracts it through an activated carbon filter, so the room stays clear. Three programmes: disinfection, drying, and deodorising. A screen with mechanical buttons that work with gloves, a cycle log for traceability, and filter and generator alerts so maintenance is not a guess.
Performance figures are the manufacturer's (JVD, France), from independent laboratory testing. Over 2,200 Novven cabinets are installed worldwide. Source8
What a routine looks like
The reason aprons are not sanitised is that nobody has a good way to do it. A routine only works if it takes less effort than skipping it.
Talk to Rothband
Tell us about your fleet and how it is cleaned today. A Rothband specialist will come back to you about a hygiene routine, and about seeing the cabinet in use.
Guidance
Direct answers, with the research behind them. Where a decision belongs with your Infection Prevention and Control team or your RPA, we say so.
Yes. Every published study that has swabbed them has found contamination, and several found MRSA. Aprons are shared between staff, stored on open racks, worn over clothing and under sterile gowns, and rarely cleaned. Organisms recovered include Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA), methicillin-resistant Staph epidermidis, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella and tinea fungi.1,2,3,5
No. Manufacturers' instructions prohibit machine washing, dry cleaning and autoclaving, and most restrict bleach and alcohol, because they damage the protective core. Rothband's care guidance is to clean regularly with approved products per the manufacturer's instructions, avoid harsh chemicals, and hang garments on a wide hanger between uses. The core already cracks in normal use: in one four-year hospital study, 47% of garments developed tears and 31% had to be withdrawn.6
They reduce contamination when used, but they depend on someone using them, and the effect is short-lived. In an operating theatre study, a hospital-grade wipe cleared standard cultures immediately, yet organisms were detectable again six hours later.1 Where a hospital already had a wipe-down routine, contaminated samples only fell from 37% to 25%, and the inside of the garment stayed the dirtiest surface.5
The cabinet uses no water, no chemicals and no high heat, which is what makes it suitable for garments that cannot be washed. Its disinfection programme uses treated air, so material compatibility matters. Rothband is confirming a written compatibility statement for its garment materials with the manufacturer, and this page will state it once received. Until then, follow Rothband's care guidance for cleaning.
Any cleaning or disinfection method for a protective garment should be checked against the manufacturer's care instructions before use.
There is no UK standard frequency; it is set locally by your Infection Prevention and Control team. The research points the same way: disinfect before use in theatre where the apron sits under a sterile gown, and at least daily for shared garments in interventional rooms. A cabinet makes a daily routine practical because it runs overnight without staff time.1
Hung on a proper hanger or rack, never folded, draped over hooks or sat on. Poor storage is a common cause of cracks in the core. Open racks in corridors also leave shared garments exposed between uses. A closed cabinet that dries and disinfects is storage and hygiene in one place.
These answers are general guidance written by Rothband (WSR Medical Solutions Ltd), a UK radiation protection manufacturer since 1911. They are not a substitute for your local infection prevention and control policy, your risk assessment or the advice of your Radiation Protection Adviser.
