Proper PPE Donning and Doffing Order: A Step-by-Step Guide

The correct PPE donning and doffing order helps reduce contact with contaminated equipment. Before wearing PPE, clean your hands, then put on the gown, mask or respirator, eye protection, and gloves. When removing PPE, take off gloves, eye protection, gown, and mask or respirator, then clean your hands. CDC publishes example sequences, but your facility's protocol takes priority.

Why the Order Matters

Used PPE can carry contaminants on its outer surfaces, especially gloves and gowns. Removing it in a set order limits contact with those surfaces and keeps face protection on until last.

Putting On PPE (Donning), Step by Step

1. Clean your hands. Use alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
2. Put on the gown. Cover your torso from neck to knees and your arms to the wrists. Wrap it around your back and fasten the ties securely.
3. Put on the mask or respirator. Position it over your nose and mouth, secure the ties or elastic, and adjust the nosepiece. Keep it snug beneath your chin.

For a tight-fitting respirator, do a user seal check every time. Workplace users must also follow fit testing and a respiratory protection program under OSHA's respiratory protection standard.

4. Put on goggles or a face shield. Position eye protection over your face and adjust it until it fits securely. Make sure it does not interfere with your mask or respirator.
5. Put on gloves. Choose gloves suited to the task and your facility's requirements, and pull each cuff over the gown's wrists. For material help, see our nitrile vs latex vs vinyl exam gloves comparison.

Arpovo lists the MICROFLEX MidKnight Black Nitrile Exam Glove. Its features include non-sterile nitrile material, standard cuff length, and textured fingertips.

Check for gaps and keep your hands away from your face. These steps follow CDC's PPE sequence.

Taking Off PPE (Doffing), Step by Step

1. Remove your gloves. The outside of your gloves is contaminated. Grasp the outside of one glove near the palm with your other gloved hand and peel it off. Slide bare fingers under the other glove at the wrist and peel it off over the first. Dispose of both.
2. Remove goggles or the face shield. Hold it by the headband or ear pieces and lift it away without touching the front. Place reusable protection in the designated container.
3. Remove the gown. Unfasten it and peel it away from your shoulders, touching only the inside. Turn it inside out, roll it into a bundle, and discard it.
4. Remove the mask or respirator. Take it off last, handling only the ties or straps and never touching the front. If you wear a respirator in a patient room, leave the room and close the door first.
5. Clean your hands immediately. Perform hand hygiene right after removing all PPE, and between steps whenever your hands become contaminated.

Alternative: CDC also illustrates removing the gown and gloves together, if that matches your facility's protocol.

Quick Reference Table

Step	Putting On (Donning)	Taking Off (Doffing)
Before	Clean your hands	—
1	Gown	Gloves
2	Mask or respirator	Goggles or face shield
3	Goggles or face shield	Gown
4	Gloves over gown cuffs	Mask or respirator
After	—	Clean your hands immediately

Based on CDC's example sequences. Your facility's protocol takes priority.

Hand Hygiene: When and How

Wearing gloves does not replace hand cleaning. Clean your hands:

• Before putting on PPE.
• Between removal steps whenever your hands become contaminated.
• Immediately after removing all PPE.

Use an alcohol-based hand rub or wash with soap and water, and choose soap and water whenever your hands are visibly soiled. See CDC's hand hygiene guidance for healthcare settings.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Touching the front of your mask or eye protection.
• Touching contaminated gown surfaces with bare hands.
• Removing a respirator before leaving the designated area.
• Skipping hand hygiene after removing PPE.
• Rushing through removal without following the sequence.

Home Care vs. Facility Settings

The basic steps apply across care settings, but facilities may require specific equipment and removal procedures. Home caregivers should follow their healthcare professional's instructions, not treat this guide as formal training.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the correct order to put on PPE? 

Clean your hands, then put on the gown, mask or respirator, goggles or face shield, and gloves. Pull the gloves over the gown's cuffs.

What is the correct order to take off PPE? 

Remove gloves, then goggles or face shield, then the gown, then the mask or respirator, and clean your hands. Gown and gloves may also come off together.

Why are gloves removed first? 

The outside of your gloves is contaminated. Removing them first keeps that away from your face and clothing.

When should I take off the respirator?
Last, after leaving the room and closing the door, handle only the straps or ties.

Do I clean my hands between steps? 

Clean them right after removing all PPE, and between steps if they become contaminated. Use alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.

Browse Arpovo Health's personal protective equipment for nitrile gloves, KN95 masks, and disposable three-layer earloop masks. To choose a mask, read our Surgical Mask vs N95 vs KN95 comparison.

This article is for general educational purposes and isn't a substitute for training or guidance from your employer, infection-prevention team, or healthcare provider. Follow your facility's PPE protocol.