The effect of gaseous ozone on the cleanability of 316 L stainless steel was studied using its nonporous particles pretreated with heat-drying at 150°C, heating at 400°C, and immersion in 10% nitric acid. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as the model fouling material. Dried, heated, and HNO₃-treated particles showed largely different surface chemical composition and the surface charge density (σ_app). Treatment of the above pretreated particles with 0.2% gaseous ozone resulted in decreases in the positive σ_app values of the particles, with only slight variations in their surface chemical composition. The saturation amounts of BSA adsorbed (Γ_sat) on dried particles decreased significantly (P<0.05) after ozone treatment, whereas those on heated and HNO₃-treated particles were not changed. These phenomena were correlated with the degree of a decrease in the positive σ_app of the particles after ozone treatment. In continuous cleaning in a plug-flow column fed by a 0.1 M NaOH solution, it was indicated that the rate and efficiency of BSA desorption from all the particles increased as a result of ozone treatment. Kinetic analysis showed that significantly smaller proportions of a slower-desorbing BSA molecule and significantly higher values of first-order desorption rate constants were obtained for the ozone-modified particles than for their non-ozone-modified particles (P<0.05). It was indicated that the cleanability of stainless steel particles could be improved by gaseous ozone treatment irrespective of the surface chemical composition of the original particles.<br>