PPE Cleaning Machines
Discover Harstra’s PPE cleaning machines, made to thourogly clean dirty safety gear. Our line-up consists of SCBA washers and washers made to clean smaller PPE such as helmets, breathing masks/facepieces and more.
PPE Cleaning Product Line-up
(Based in North America? Go to our ETL certified line-up)
Professional PPE Cleaning for Fire Departments
Firefighters are exposed to hazardous contaminants during every incident. Smoke, soot and combustion residues settle deep into personal protective equipment (PPE), turning essential protective gear into a potential health risk after use. Proper decontamination is therefore a critical part of firefighter safety.
Professional PPE cleaning machines make it possible to clean PPE in a controlled and repeatable way. Compared to manual cleaning, machine-based cleaning supports consistent results and aligns with established cleaning procedures used by fire departments worldwide. Harstra develops cleaning solutions specifically for professional fire service environments, where reliability and predictable workflows are essential.
What can Harstra cleaning machines clean?
Harstra cleaning machines are designed to clean most commonly used firefighter PPE, excluding protective clothing. The exact configuration depends on the type of equipment and the intended workflow, but the scope of cleaning remains consistent across the range.
Typical applications include SCBAs, breathing masks (also referred to as facepieces), helmets and various smaller PPE components. By using dedicated connections, baskets and frames, equipment is securely positioned during the cleaning cycle, allowing consistent exposure to water and cleaning agents.
Different cleaning needs require different machines
Not every cleaning task places the same demands on equipment. Cleaning SCBAs, for example, may require pressurised connections, while breathing masks / facepieces are often cleaned in higher volumes using baskets.
Many Harstra machines overlap in functionality. A compact machine such as the Wash9HP can be used in situations where limited capacity is sufficient, as it supports cleaning of one pressurised SCBA as well as breathing masks using baskets. Machines with higher throughput, such as the Wash6HP, can also handle both SCBA cleaning and mask cleaning, but are designed for higher volumes. For breathing masks specifically, dedicated high-capacity machines such as the Wash36 are available.
From cleaning to drying: completing the PPE care process
After cleaning, proper drying is the next logical step. Residual moisture can affect hygiene, comfort and the service life of equipment.
SCBAs and breathing masks are commonly dried in dedicated drying cabinets such as the M45B or the F12. Protective clothing is handled separately in protective clothing drying cabinets, such as the K6.
F.A.Q.
Pressurized SCBA cleaning ensures the integrity of the equipment. When washing without pressure, moist can go inside the SCBA valves, which poses great danger to the fireman using the equipment afterwards.