A cleanroom's greatest threat is contamination by airborne particles. In addition to skin particles, fibers, dust, grease bacteria, viruses, metals, fungi, and ions, some contaminants are in the form of films.

8 Ways to Keep Your Cleanroom Free Of Contaminants

Cleaning rooms properly by using airflow systems, taking precautions, and applying precautions are of utmost importance. Chemical safety, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, research, and electronics are just a few industries that employ them. 

In order to prevent the spread of diseases, these cleanrooms must be free of contaminants since the staff is constantly exposed to sensitive equipment and potentially harmful chemicals.

A cleanroom's greatest threat is contamination by airborne particles. Additionally to skin particles, fibers, dust, grease bacteria, viruses, metals, fungi, and ions, some contaminants are in the form of films. Although cleanroom procedures and processes are usually designed to maintain a controlled environment, secondary factors can cause contamination, which may not be considered or overlooked. 

Let's start with some of the everyday ways to keep your cleanroom clean before we get into ways to keep your cleanroom clean.

What Is A Cleanroom Environment

Every industry relies on cleanrooms to protect its manufacturing processes from small particles. High-tech industries like semiconductors, biotech, medical devices, and life sciences, as well as things used in aerospace, optics, the military, and DOE, use them extensively.

The purpose of a cleanroom is to reduce particulate contamination and control factors like temperature, humidity, and pressure. You need a HEPA filter to catch particles larger than 0.3 microns since they do not let airborne particles pass through. A strict level of cleanliness is required in a cleaning room, so ULPA or HEPA filters are installed.

Tips To Keep Your Cleanrooms Truly Clean

• Temperature and humidity at the right level

An ideal temperature for a cleanroom is 21°C (or 69.8°F) + 2°C, with a relative humidity of 30 - 40%. It can be prevented that bacteria will grow, corrosion will occur, and static electricity will not occur using this environment. Also, since such an environment surrounds them, the employees will feel more comfortable. Sweating and shivering cause more particles to enter the air, as well as causing particles to enter.

• Office supplies that are suitable for cleanrooms

The workplace supplies, such as mousepads, notebooks, sticky notes, paper, pens, and ID badge holders, are some of the most overlooked sources of contamination. Cleanroom supplies are usually available for these types of supplies. Cleanroom materials should have a designated storage area at all times in your cleanroom. Contamination may occur if you move a pen from an office environment to a cleanroom. Additionally, sticky notes, which can shed particles, should not be posted on walls in cleanrooms.

• Using outside personal products is not recommended

It's important to make sure that cleanroom workers refrain from wearing make-up, perfume, or jewelry, which may leak contaminants. Cleanrooms should not be used for items common to workplaces, like food, beverages, candy, and gum.

• What to Do If You Smoke

In cleanrooms, smoking areas should be located at least 100 feet away from the entrance. As a result of the possibility of smoke contamination, some cleanroom documentation requires all employees to take a complete shower after smoking and before entering the cleanroom.

• Protect yourself from top to bottom by wearing protective gear

Particulates are drawn downward by gravity, so protective clothing should cover the entire body. Clean areas of a garment will not be contaminated by particles that fall from the top. 

It is usually people who enter cleanrooms who bring contaminants or particles into them. In addition to proper precautions, you should also consider everyday objects and behavior when protecting your cleanroom environment.

• It's not necessary to talk constantly

Salivary particles are released with every word spoken. Cleanroom workers often wear masks, but they are not always 100% effective. It is possible to reduce the number of particles emitted by about 250 by talking 100 fewer words in a brief conversation. In certain situations, it is necessary to speak to accomplish a task, but avoiding unnecessary speech can prevent spills.

• Services related to packaging

Often, packaging used in cleanrooms is not compliant, even though the materials are. Cleaning gloves that comply with cleanroom standards cannot be delivered in cleanroom-compliant cardboard boxes, as the packaging could release particles into the air. Additionally, other cleanroom materials you stock should not be packaged in cleanroom-compliant boxes.

• Take the Right Cleaning Material With You

Wipes, swabs, and other cleaning supplies must be classified according to your ISO class to make sure they are suitable for use in a cleanroom. You can compromise a cleanroom in seconds by using the wrong type of paper towel or cloth. Furthermore, make sure cleaning equipment such as brooms and mops meet the specifications. The supplies that you need to keep in your cleanroom should not be taken anywhere else.

• Using cleanroom-compatible supplies will help keep the environment clean

Most supplies are available in cleanroom-compatible versions. This includes sticky notes, papers, pens, and ID badge holders, which can harbor contaminants. Avoid contamination. 

Cleanroom Classifications

The cleanliness of a cleanroom is determined by the air quality. As per the Federal Standard 209 (A to D) of the USA, cleanrooms are classified by the number of particles greater than 0.5m in one cubic foot of air. From version 209E onwards, this metric nomenclature is also accepted. Domestic customers can use FS 209E. 

Cleanrooms are classified using two standards: TC 209 from the International Standards Organization and FS 209E from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Particle count calculations and measurements are required by the cleanroom classification standards FS 209E and ISO 14644-1 in order to determine the cleanliness level of a cleanroom. UK cleanrooms are classified according to British Standard 5295. BS EN ISO 14644-1, for example, is about to supersede standards such as this.

Classification of cleanrooms depends on the particle size and number. Numerals such as "class 100" or "class 1000" refer to FED_STD-209E and denote particle sizes, in m, of the allowed particles per cubic foot of air. Similarly, the standard allows for interpolation, so, for example, a "class 2000" would be possible.

Small numbers describe the decimal logarithm of the number of particles 0.1 m or larger allowed per cubic meter according to ISO 14644-1. A cleanroom of ISO class 5 can contain no more than 105 = 100,000 particles per square meter.

Log-log relationships are used in FS209E and ISO 14644-1 to determine particle size and particle concentration. It is not possible to measure the particle size within FS 209E because there is no zero particle concentration. Standard room air has an ISO 9 (class 1,000,000) and is the same size as dust particles.