How to Choose the Right Cleanroom Wipe?

Team, as the procurement department, especially for the new members, today I'd like to discuss how to choose the appropriate cleanroom wipe. Although this may seem like a simple decision, it is actually critical, particularly for industries that operate in high-cleanroom environments, such as semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and food production.

Cleanroom wipes are essential cleaning tools in cleanroom environments, used for cleaning surfaces, equipment, and even the final product itself. The choice of wipes is crucial to the maintenance of the cleanroom. Choosing the wrong type can increase the costs of tracking contamination sources, lead to significant rework, and ultimately affect product quality.

First, when selecting a wipe, we must balance cost and effectiveness. Depending on the specific industry and production environment, choosing the right cleaning solution and technology can significantly enhance production efficiency. To ensure the cleanliness of the production process, it's essential to choose cleaning materials that meet the highest standards. For example, using unwashed knitted polyester wipes might save costs initially, but it could cause severe contamination, resulting in production line shutdowns and costly cleaning procedures.

We can evaluate wipe performance based on the following criteria:

• Release of particles and fibers

• Abrasion resistance

• Residue levels (including non-volatile residue in water and isopropanol)

• Release of ions (such as sodium chloride and potassium chloride)

• Absorbency and absorption rate

These standards can guide us to make more informed decisions when choosing the right wipe.

Below is a helpful tool that outlines the best wipe choices based on different cleanroom classifications:

1. ISO 3-4: The best option is a wide-bordered or laser-sealed knitted polyester wipe, which has the lowest particle, fiber, and residue levels, suitable for high-cleanroom production lines.

2. ISO 4-5: Non-bordered knitted polyester wipes are also a good choice, though they release more particles and fibers compared to bordered wipes.

3. ISO 5-7: Hydroentangled polyester/cellulose wipes are ideal for environments with moderate contamination control requirements.

4. ISO 7 and above: You can use polyester/cellulose composite wipes, which have excellent absorbency, or cotton wipes, which offer good heat resistance and abrasion durability.

It's important to note that choosing the wrong wipe can result in just a 0.1% loss in output, but for a production line with a yearly output of $1 billion, this equates to a $1 million loss.

Therefore, as the procurement team, we must not only consider cost but also factors such as cleaning effectiveness, contamination control, and product characteristics. This ensures that the wipes we choose minimize contamination and avoid unnecessary losses.

I hope that moving forward, we can apply the insights from today's discussion to make more informed decisions, safeguarding the company's production efficiency and product quality.

Looking for cleanroom wipers and solutions?

Wipestar polyester and microfiber cleanroom wipers are designed for cleaning surface contamination and spills, providing an effective tool for removing contaminants, liquids, and residues from surfaces. Our cleanroom wipes undergo rigorous testing for dust particles, ions, residues, and silicone oil to ensure superior cleanliness, consistent quality, and high performance.

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