Cleaning verification aligned to evolving NFPA PPE standards
UL Solutions helps independent service providers (ISPs), departments and manufacturers verify the cleaning efficacy of firefighter turnout gear in accordance with NFPA 1850. With services designed to support today’s consolidated NFPA personal protective equipment (PPE) landscape and adjacent respiratory protection needs, our safety science teams bring independent, objective testing, program guidance and field support so you can protect responders and document compliance across your PPE program.
In 2025, the introduction of NFPA 1850 combined NFPA 1851 and NFPA 1852 into a single standard, reflecting evolving approaches to testing, documentation and maintenance related to PPE.
For additional information on updates to NFPA 1850, we encourage you to visit our spotlight series of videos.
How we meet your needs
Independent verification of cleaning efficacy
- In 2020, significant updates to NFPA 1851 added cleaning efficacy testing and repair updates. UL Solutions experts can verify through testing that your process effectively removes volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals and specified bacteria from turnout gear materials.
Pretreatment screening to save time and cost
- An optional sanitization/pretreatment prescreen helps you identify issues early, before you schedule site visits and full testing, reducing unnecessary rework and spend.
Flexible on-site or remote support
- Local field engineers are available for inspections, and remote witnessing is available when travel is prohibitive, helping you maintain timelines and documentation.
Deep standards expertise, active committee participation
- UL Solutions technical experts are actively involved on the NFPA 1850 Technical Committee, and our PPE specialists lead and participate across NFPA, ISO and EN committees. Our involvement helps you stay aligned with the latest requirements.
Health and safety backed by safety science
- UL Solutions’ PPE work helps departments address contamination concerns linked to higher cancer risks among firefighters, including higher cancer diagnoses and more frequent cancer‑related deaths when compared to the general U.S. population.
NFPA 1850 advanced cleaning verification
What we verify
Our chemical and biological protection laboratories support NFPA 1850 evaluations that include bacterial decontamination (e.g., Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus), VOC removal and heavy metal decontamination analysis.
Who we serve
- ISPs seeking verified cleaning, inspection and/or repair services to build market trust.
- Fire departments performing in‑house cleaning who want data on cleaning effectiveness using a process similar to the NFPA 1850 program.
- Manufacturers and PPE stakeholders who need third‑party testing and certification to relevant NFPA, ANSI/ISEA, ASTM, ISO and EN standards
How we work with you
We provide independent, objective, expert feedback and guide you through the verification process, from prescreening to on‑site/remote witnessing and final reporting. Our global network also allows us to leverage our PPE laboratories and multi-standard certification capabilities when needed.
NFPA PPE standards context
Terminology update for selection, care and maintenance
NFPA PPE standards continue to evolve and consolidate. UL Solutions experts help you translate your existing NFPA 1850 cleaning verification into today’s PPE program expectations and terminology. We also understand the importance of keeping pace with broader consolidation activity across firefighting ensembles, such as NFPA 1970, bringing multiple product standards together.
UL Solutions can help you align your turnout gear cleaning verification and documentation with the current NFPA framework and your department’s PPE policies. For official standard text, consult NFPA.
Respiratory protection alongside turnout gear programs
UL Solutions also tests and certifies SCBA and personal alert safety systems (PASS) to NFPA 1970, enabling a more complete view of your firefighting ensemble program as you update procedures and training.
Why UL Solutions for NFPA 1850 verification
- Independent third‑party conformity assessment and certification trusted globally (UL Mark, CE, UKCA and more)
- Active leadership in standards development so your program guidance reflects current requirements.
- Integrated support across firefighter PPE, from turnout gear cleaning verification to SCBA/PASS testing, streamlining vendor management and timelines.
Move forward with UL Solutions
Talk to our PPE team to scope your NFPA 1850 cleaning verification and align with today’s NFPA PPE terminology, including NFPA 1850 references in your policies. Explore adjacent services for first responder and emergency PPE testing and certification and SCBA/PASS.
Frequently asked questions
- How is cleaning efficacy testing performed?
Cleaning efficacy testing consists of testing in a standardized way so that service providers, manufacturers or fire departments know how well they are able to remove certain contaminants. The testing is performed on swatches with known amounts of contaminants on each swatch. After contamination occurs, the swatches are sent to the cleaning facility so that they can launder them according to their internal processes. After washing, samples are returned to the test laboratory to evaluate how much of each contaminant remains on those samples. The cleaning efficiency result is calculated by comparing the amount dosed on the sample to the amount left after cleaning.
- Is cleaning efficacy testing done on finished garments?
No, using finished garments is costly and would be difficult to standardize. Lack of standardized testing results in variability in results and therefore would not be considered reliable for determining the minimum performance of the laundering procedure.
- I only offer repair services, can I still become verified?
No, the standard requires that the facility perform minimum services in order to be verified. There are only two options for verification:
- Verified cleaner only, Manufacturer verified in cleaning-the facility may perform cleaning services only
- Verified ISP, Verified Manufacturer, or Verified Organization-the facility must perform cleaning, inspection and repair services
- What information must I provide to confirm the water hardness at my facility meets the new requirement of ≤ 60ppm.
You can show compliance with the new requirement by one of the following methods:
- Providing a water report from the municipality or water company that supplies the water to your facility.
- Providing a water report from a company that specializes in water testing.
- Show compliance using the verified testing strips that UL will provide as part of your testing kit. These strips will also be used to verify the ppm on the day of testing.
- I’ve heard that the values from my Cleaning Efficacy testing will be available for anyone to view. Is this true?
Yes. All testing results for each ISP, Cleaner Only, Manufacturer Verified in Cleaning and Organization will be published on UL Product iQ. This information is provided via a clickable link at the bottom of the listing.
Get in touch
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