5 Cleanroom Supplies to Add to Your Essential Clean Room Equipment List

Adequate cleanroom supplies are quintessential for maintaining a highly controlled environment. Although each room has specific guidelines regarding the necessary tools and equipment, some common supplies must be found within each clean area.

We know that a cleanroom is a controlled space designed to keep out airborne particles and contaminants. By entering a cleanroom wearing street clothes or bringing dirty equipment, you are at risk of contaminating the room, which could lead to severe consequences in terms of cross-contamination and product failure.

To avoid these inconveniences, you need approved cleanroom supplies. Apart from keeping a controlled area safe from contaminants, microorganisms, and bacteria, clean room supplies must be there during FDA inspections. Otherwise, your facility is at risk of contamination.

1.      Clean Room Packaging Supplies

Cleanroom packaging is an integral part of any controlled environment designed to produce and manufacture computer and electronic parts, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, optics, and similar items whose quality depends on the room’s contamination levels.

Cleanroom bags are designed to safely transport items, such as computer chips, medical equipment, lenses, and pharmaceuticals, in and out of the cleanroom without the risk of contamination.

Besides being available in various designs and types, proper cleanroom bags are made of specific antistatic materials, non-animal sources, and surfactant-free materials. That way, they meet the requirements of different cleanroom classes and comply with the guidelines set by FDA and EU.

The most common types of cleanroom packaging are:

Cleanroom Supplies: LDPE Poly Bags

LDPE Poly Bags, also known as low-density polyethylene bags, are the most versatile cleanroom package solution that works with most cleanroom environments. They have incredible strength, clarity, and moisture barrier.

LDPE cleanroom poly bags are the item of choice for most industries, mainly due to their clarity and flexibility. That said, they are excellent for storing electronics, biotech applications, gamma-irradiated products, pharmaceuticals, and more.

Despite their ubiquitous use, LDPE poly bags are not suitable for freezers or microwaves since they are not resistant to extreme temperatures.

Cleanroom Supplies: LDPE Easy Tear

A next-level easy-tear formulation allows technicians to easily open the bag with gloved hands. This is convenient for avoiding potential damages caused by blades, knives, scissors, or any sharp tools.

Pristine Clean Bags® LDPE Easy Tear are available in various thicknesses, and like regular LDPE bags, you can use them for storing electronics gamma-irradiated products and a broad range of applications. Most clean rooms choose them for their practical design and excellent properties that allow safe product production and transport.

Still, don’t forget about their poor temperature resistance and avoid using them in freezers or microwaves.

Cleanroom Supplies: HDPE Bags

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) bags are the best choice when you need puncture resistance, tensile strength, moisture retention properties, and temperature resistance. These features make HDPE incredibly popular in industrial usage.

You will notice that HDPE is translucent and milky in appearance, and that’s because of its high strength and density ratio. Generally, HDPE consists of durable materials and can withstand different temperatures. Besides, its higher density allows it to limit moisture transmission in and out of the bag.

Cleanroom Supplies: Nylon Cleanroom Bags

Cleanroom bags made of nylon or antistatic nylon are transparent, extremely puncture- and scuff-resistant, and quite strong. One of their greatest advantages is temperature resistance, as well as an excellent barrier to moisture and oxygen transmission. Manufacturers tend to choose nylon cleanroom bags to reduce tears and scuffing due to friction rubbing.

The nylon material performs very well in vacuum applications and manages to stay stable even before and after gamma irradiation. You can opt for nylon cleanroom bags with zip locks or tear notches to prevent potential damages from knives, blades, and scissors and ensure a more practical open/close process.

Cleanroom Supplies: Moisture-Barrier Cleanroom Films

Moisture-barrier cleanroom films are a go-to choice for industries whose product manufacturing requires full protection from oxygen transmission and moisture vapor. These bags are characterized by their strength and opacity, as well as their distinctive foil appearance.

Moisture-barrier films are ideal for packaging sensitive electronics and medical devices. They ensure the utmost protection from contaminants, airborne particles, and microorganisms, which makes them practical for an array of industries.

Cleanroom Supplies: Cleanroom Poly Tubing

Cleanroom poly tubing is commonly used by the medical and automotive industries, but it is also convenient for other applications. It is made from 100% virgin low-density polyethylene, and it is usually sold in large rolls that may remind you of the oversized Scotch tape.

Its practical design allows you to put objects lengthwise into the tube and have them stapled, heat-sealed, or taped in place. You will find poly tubing to be exceptionally strong, durable, and great for keeping your items protected from compromising particles and contaminants.

2. Clean Room Products: Wipers

Cleanroom wipers are essential for keeping your cleanroom safe from contaminants. Although you cannot always prevent spills and impurities, it is important to have wipers on hand to perform the most efficient cleaning possible at the moment.

However, keep in mind that you cannot use regular wipers in a cleanroom. Special cleanroom wipers have better cleaning capabilities, including lower lint levels, better absorbency, chemical- and abrasion-resistance, and more. Additionally, they are incredibly soft, which makes them ideal for cleaning and disinfecting sensitive tools and equipment. Cleanroom wipes are widely used in different industries, from aerospace to research facilities.

Like cleanrooms, cleanroom wipers also have various classifications that should be used in adequate cleanrooms. They are also available in different materials, and each of them has distinctive features that determine their overall cleanliness and effectiveness.

• Polyester wipers: If you are looking for cleanroom wipes that offer exceptional durability and cleanliness, look no further than polyester wipers. Polyester wipes are commonly used in ISO 3-4+ cleanrooms.
• Polyester and cellulose blends: These cleanroom wipes are also known as nonwoven wipes, and they are quite an economical choice. They have great absorbent capabilities and are common in ISO Class 5-7+ cleanrooms.
• Knit polyester: Knit polyester wipes are made of 100% continuous filament knit polyester. They may come in lightweight material, double knit heavyweight fabric, or a single knit. Overall, they provide low particle release and absorb solvents very well.
• Cotton: Cotton wipes are another popular choice due to their durability and absorbent characteristics.
• Foam/Sponge: Foam or sponge clean room wipes are lint-free, and they can absorb and release solvents, liquids, and contaminants. They are an excellent choice for cleaning spills and addressing contamination in Class 100+ cleanrooms.
• Nylon: Cleanroom wipes made of nylon are knitted with a specific stitch that delivers excellent abrasion resistance.

3. Cleanroom Mops and Mop Covers

You need cleanroom mops to ensure your cleanroom floors are pristine and contaminant-free. There is a wide variety of mopping products available, including wall and ceiling mops, to keep all the cleanroom surfaces safe from the increased amount of particles. It is essential to find cleanroom mopping tools that meet your industry’s requirements, allowing you to disinfect your facilities thoroughly.

What you should know is that cleanroom mops are usually made for single use. That said, you’ll need to change a disposable head regularly. Another option is to protect your mop heads with disposable cleanroom covers. That way, you can save more money as the heads need to be changed less frequently than if they weren’t protected with covers.

Cleanroom mopping systems often contain buckets and cleanroom trolley carts for complete cleanroom washing. Mop handles are commonly made of stainless steel, aluminum, or fiberglass and are available in several styles and lengths.

4. Cleanroom Tacky Mats

Any cleanroom has sticky mats, also known as tacky cleanroom mats. Cleanroom mats are usually found at the cleanroom entrance, ensuring all particles or contaminants attached to the shoe or boot are safely removed before staff enters the cleanroom. Cleanroom mats are available in an array of sizes, but it is recommended to go for the size that covers a larger area. That way, less unwanted material will be brought into your cleanroom.

Cleanroom tacky mats are an integral part of any cleanroom protocol, and changing them regularly is of the utmost importance. That way, no contaminants and bacteria will build upon them.

Cleanroom sticky mats come in different materials and features.

• Carpeted tacky mats: Carpeted mats have two layers that prevent contaminants from entering controlled environments.
• Reusable sticky mats: These are high-performance mats with industrial-strength, excellent for any ISO-certified clean room and laboratory.
• Sanitizing footbath: A sanitizing footbath floor mat traps contamination and germs, preventing them from entering the cleanroom environment. It contains loads of pliable rubber scrapers that remove contaminants from footwear.

There are other floor mat types suitable for sterile rooms, medical applications, hospital and laboratory use, etc.

5. Cleanroom Apparel

Cleanroom apparel encompasses a broad range of garments the staff must wear while working in the cleanroom environment. It includes but is not limited to face masks, sterile gloves, gowns, boot covers, and more. The exact apparel selection depends mostly on the cleanroom classification and its requirements – while some cleanrooms may require a couple of these items, some may entail wearing all of them.

Either way, it is essential to keep all this apparel inside the cleanroom to ensure your staff has it on hand at any time. Aside from having full packages of these essential cleanroom products, it is essential to provide adequate training for your team to ensure they understand fundamental pre-gowning techniques.

The most common cleanroom garments include:

• Cleanroom aprons: Disposable cleanroom aprons provide the utmost protection from hazardous liquids and pathogens. Most models are made from lint-free materials and are suitable for clean environments.
• Shoe covers/booties: Cleanroom booties or shoe covers are an essential cleanroom garment that slips easily over any shoe type, reducing the number of contaminants brought from the street into a highly controlled area.
• Beard covers: Cleanroom beard covers help keep a controlled area safe from particles and contaminants coming from human hair. They are usually made of latex-free materials and can fit any size of beard, providing full coverage.
• Gloves: Gloves for cleanrooms are designed to meet all the industry standards and requirements. They come in various materials suitable for pharmaceutical, medical devices, biotech applications, and more.
• Hoods: Cleanroom hoods provide superior particle barriers and have the ability to resist microorganisms. Their role consists of minimizing skin exposure and reducing contaminants and particles inside a clean area.
• Bouffant caps: Disposable cleanroom bouffant caps feature latex-free and non-woven polypropylene materials. They are lightweight and breathable, and a comfortable floss-covered band will keep them in place.
• Face masks: ISO-certified face masks cover the nose and mouth while delivering a soft and flexible touch. Cleanroom face masks should be lint-free and in line with the cleanroom standards.