Medical Instrument Washing & Disinfection Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Chemistries, Equipment), By Process Stage, By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2025 - 2033

Medical Instrument Washing & Disinfection Market Summary

The global medical instrument washing & disinfection market size was estimated at USD 7.01 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 11.82 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2025 to 2033. The growth of the market is attributed to the rising surgical and endoscopy procedure volumes, growing focus on reducing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), and stricter global standards such as ISO 15883 and AAMI guidelines that mandate validated, automated reprocessing.

Increasing complexity of surgical instruments, including robotic and lumened devices, further accelerates demand for advanced washer-disinfectors, ultrasonic cleaners, and automated endoscope reprocessors (AERs). Hospitals are also investing in digital connectivity, traceability, and energy-efficient systems to meet compliance, improve workflow efficiency, and lower operating costs. At the same time, recurring demand for specialized chemistries and service contracts supports sustained market growth.

The global rise in surgical procedures, from everyday elective procedures to major organ transplants, the need for effective cleaning and disinfection of medical instruments has never been higher. Hospitals and surgical centers are seeing rising volumes of procedures, which means a constant flow of reusable instruments that need to be washed, disinfected, and ready for use day after day. This puts added pressure on facilities to keep up with demand and strictly follow safety protocols. To tackle these challenges, healthcare providers are turning to automated cleaning and disinfection systems that make the process faster, more consistent, and safer for patients and staff. Recent procedural data backs up this trend: in 2024, about 1,585,878 cosmetic surgeries took place, a 1% jump versus the previous year, and reconstructive surgeries saw a 2% increase, showing steady growth in surgical activity and further driving the need for advanced instrument reprocessing solutions.

The rising incidence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is a key driver of market growth, as healthcare facilities are increasingly prioritizing strong infection control measures, thereby fueling demand for advanced medical instrument washing and disinfection systems. According to WHO’s 2024 Global Report on Infection Prevention and Control, a large-scale systematic review of nearly 400 studies conducted worldwide in 2023 estimated the global prevalence of HAIs at approximately 14%. Furthermore, the European point prevalence survey conducted in 2022/2023 across 28 EU/EEA nations and three Western Balkan countries reported an adjusted HAI prevalence of 8.0% among patients. This growing burden of HAIs strengthens the focus on infection prevention, drives healthcare providers to adopt automated and validated reprocessing solutions, and is expected to significantly support the market expansion in the coming years.

The rising need for high-level disinfection (HLD) is emerging as a critical growth driver for the medical instrument washing and disinfection market, as healthcare facilities face mounting scrutiny over infection control standards. There is an increasing push toward adopting consistent, evidence-based disinfection practices across all care settings. Supporting this shift, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and eight partner organizations released new multisociety guidance in April 2025 to strengthen HLD and sterilize reusable medical devices to reduce healthcare-associated infections. The guidance underscores persistent challenges in device processing, particularly when complex or ambiguous manufacturer instructions and resource limitations within healthcare systems compromise protocols.
"Sterilization and HLD are some of the most challenging practices for health care facilities to get right due to their highly technical aspects and the dedicated resources required. This guidance provides health care facilities with concrete infection prevention recommendations to ensure best practices are in place to support safe patient care and reduce risk to patients." Said Dr. Erica Shenoy, co-chair of the guidelines panel and Chief of Infection Control at Mass General Brigham.

The increasing regulatory approvals of high-level disinfection (HLD) consumables and systems are creating attractive opportunities for product portfolio expansion among industry players. Regulatory bodies such as the U.S. FDA, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and various regional health authorities actively support the development of new HLD formulations designed to combat a wider range of pathogens, including bacterial spores. As these advanced formulations enter the market, hospitals and outpatient surgical centers are more likely to adopt upgraded disinfection protocols to meet accreditation standards and comply with evolving infection control guidelines.

Global Medical Instrument Washing & Disinfection Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2021 to 2033. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global medical instrument washing & disinfection market report based on product, process stage, end use, and region:

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)
• Chemistries
• Enzymatic Cleaners
• Detergents
• HLD Chemicals
• Equipment
• Washer-disinfectors
• Ultrasonic Cleaners
• UV-C Disinfection Systems
• Other Non-chemical Disinfection Systems
• Process Stage Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)
• Manual Cleaning
• Pre-cleaning
• Automated Disinfection
• UV-C Disinfection
• Thermal Disinfection
• Chemical Disinfection
• Rinse/Drying
• End Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)
• Hospitals
• Ambulatory Surgical Centers
• Others
• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)
• North America
• U.S.
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• UK
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Denmark
• Sweden
• Norway
• Asia Pacific
• Japan
• China
• India
• Australia
• Thailand
• South Korea
• Latin America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Kuwait

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