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CLEANROOM WIPES - DO YOU KNOW DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WIPES?

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Cleanroom Wipes – Selecting The Correct Product

Cleanroom wipes are a low lint cloth used in a clean room or controlled environment to wipe away surface contamination and spills.
Common cleanroom contaminates would be solid particles, liquids and bio contaminants.

Different types of clean room wipe material have been developed to offer absorbency, cleanliness, resistance to chemicals and abrasion resistance.

What Types of Cleanroom Wipe Are Available?

Basically, there are three types to consider:

  • Woven

  • Non-Woven

  • Pre-Saturated

There is also the consideration as to whether a wipe should be sterile or non-sterile.

Woven Cleanroom Dry Wipes

Polyester Cleanroom Wipes

Dry knitted or woven polyester cleanroom wipes are the cleanest level of wipes. Most widely used

in a Class 10 (ISO 4) and Class 100 (ISO 5) cleanrooms. The wipes are most often manufactured from 100% polyester. They are available in a variety of edge finishes.

Advantages:

  • Strong, will not tear, non-shedding

  • Clean, low in particles, used in the most critical applications and critical clean rooms

  • Soft, Non-Abrasive

  • Can be Gamma Irradiated for sterility. Low microbiological endotoxin levels

  • Highly Absorbent

Types of Edges finish:

  • Knife Cut Edge

  • Laser Sealed Edge

  • Ultrasonically Sealed Edge

The highest specification wipes include either laser or ultrasonic edge sealing to reduce contamination.

Non-Woven Cleanroom Wipes

Cellulose Cleanroom Wipes

Dry non-woven cellulose cleanroom wipes are generally manufactured by two methods:

Melt blown material is extruded and formed into a batting which is than thermally bonded.

Another method has Hydroentangled fibers which has thousands of high pressure pin size jets that shoot water at the batting of blended fibers to form the material. This method uses no binders. Each fiber material has unique qualities making it suitable for different applications as a clean room wipe.

Advantages:

  • Economical

  • High sorbency

  • Strong

  • Low linting

  • Polypropylene/Cellulose – High absorbency, durable, resistant to acids and other chemicals, autoclavable

  • Blue Polypropylene/Cellulose – Visual inspection background, general purpose cleaning

  • Polyester/Lyocell – Cleanest nonwoven, high absorbency, exceptionally soft, works well with IPA and other solvents

  • Bonded Polypropylene/Cellulose – Economical, high absorbency, cellulose core for excellent wicking of solvents

  • Melt blown Bonded Polypropylene – Multi layer, high durability and sorbent, engineered for use with acids, certified for contact with food,

  • Hydroentangled Rayon/Polyester – Highly absorbent with all liquids, durable, soft, nonscratching

  • Spunlaced Polyester – Very clean, absorbent with solvents, soft non-scratching, strong wet or dry

Sterile or Non-Sterile Cleanroom Wipes

Sterile cleanroom wipes have been gamma irradiated to eliminate all living organisms.

What is Gamma Irradiation?

The treatment of medical devices by Gamma processing has been one of the principal methods of sterilisation in the healthcare industry since the introduction of the concept of single use, sterile, disposable medical devices in the 1960s. This simple, proven process is safe, reliable, and highly effective at treating single-use medical devices. With the ability to penetrate products while sealed in their final packaging, Gamma sterilisation economises the manufacturing and distribution process, while still ensuring full sterility of the product.

For more information on gamma irradiation download our Gamma Irradiation Guide in PDF format

Pre-Saturated Cleanroom Wipes

The pre-saturated cleanroom wipes are available in many materials, solutions and packaging styles. The products are available in sterile and non-sterile formats.

Solutions include:

  • Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA)

  • Denatured Ethanol (DE)

  • Sodium Hypochlorite – commonly known as bleach

  • Hydrogen Peroxide

Laboratory Dry and Pre-Saturated Wipes

There are dry wipes and pre-saturated wipes that are more suited to the laboratory than cleanroom. Durable and low linting for use outside of the cleanroom, a controlled environment or lab area.

  • Industrial Rayon/Polyester – Hydroentangled blend, silicone free, no binders or other chemicals, soft, strong and durable

  • Industrial Rayon/Polyester

  • Rayon/Cellulose – 100% Biodegradable, tissue for cleaning lenses, extremely soft

  • Rayon – heat resistant, highly absorbent, soft, light weight, chemically compatible with common cleaning and disinfecting solutions

In Summary:

All wiping and cleaning requirement vary from clean room to clean room. It is important to find the clean room wipe which will meet the needs for each process in the clean room.

Call our customer service department or visit our web site Cleanroom Wipes for additional information.