I haven't used sterile gloves for about 12 of my 13 years with a trach and vent. We use non-sterile medical exam gloves. My suction catheters are sterile individually packaged without gloves or any kind of a kit. The catheter is put back in its package between uses and a new one used each day. The catheters are straight packaged in a long sleeve, not coiled in a pack. They slide back into the sleeve easily unlike the coiled ones that go "boing" when you try to repackage them. We don't suction sterile water through the catheter after suctioning. John disconnects the suction hose from the suction tubing and takes it into the bathroom, holds one end under the faucet and the other over the toilet to run water through it. The suction catheter never holds much mucus in it after the suction is turned off so we don't rinse that. We save a lot of money not buying suction kits, sterile gloves, and sterile water. Yes, Medicare would pay for 80 % but the prices they pay the suppliers are ridiculous. My copay ends up being about the same as I pay buying supplies online -- and sometimes much less.
Anyway, I have not been in the hospital with pneumonia or infection in all those years. As retired ICU nurse, I have seen horribly bad pneumonia, so I definitely don't recommend clean versus sterile suctioning for anyone who is prone to respiratory infection, a recent ex-smoker, or anyone whose health is at all fragile. I wouldn't suggest it for anyone with multiple caregivers -- germ carriers -- or young children -- germ reservoirs -- either. Either way, the main rule is that once a glove is on, that hand can't touch anything but the suction catheter. And the five second rule doesn't apply to a catheter that hits the floor!!!
