Sterile wipes for the cleanroom
Sterile wipes for the cleanroom, also known as sterile cleanroom wipes, are available pre-soaked or unsoaked and made from different types of fabric and materials. In this article, you can find out how sterilization works, what types of sterile wipes are available and where they are used.
What does sterile mean?
Sterile refers to a state in which materials, substances, surfaces, objects or environments are free of microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi and viruses) at all stages of development. The latter clarification is particularly important, as sterile is often equated with “germ-free”, but a germ is a microorganism in a certain stage of development
How does the sterilization process work?
Sterile wipes are usually gamma-sterilized or gamma-irradiated in order to sterilize them. But how does this gamma sterilization process work?
In gamma sterilization, the items to be sterilized are irradiated with gamma rays. Gamma rays are very high-energy electromagnetic rays that are characterized by their high penetration. The gamma ray sterilization process is not only used to sterilize cleanroom wipes, but also to sterilize cleanroom clothing (such as arm protectors), cleaning swabs (cleanroom swabs) and gloves (such as sterile nitrile gloves). The advantages of gamma irradiation are that it does not require a significant increase in temperature or the use of chemicals. Gamma sterilization often takes place even with sealed packaging. Since gamma irradiation can change the material to be sterilized, it is not suitable for every product.
In addition to gamma irradiation, there are other sterilization processes, such as autoclaving and ethylene oxide gassing.
In autoclaving (also known as the steam sterilization process), sterilization takes place using steam at a heat of between 110 °C and 140 °C and pressure for a certain period of time. The gas-tight pressure vessel in which this takes place is called an autoclave. However, only certain cleanroom items can be autoclaved.
When gassing with ethylene oxide (ETO or EO for short, molecular formula: C2H4O), sterilization is achieved by the destructive effect of the colourless and highly flammable gas ethylene oxide, which is also harmful to humans and highly carcinogenic. Due to this hazard alone, this sterilization process is not suitable for every product.
Types of sterile wipes
With sterile wipes, a distinction is made between pre-soaked and unsoaked wipes. Cleanroom wipes pre-saturated with disinfectant have the advantage that no disinfectant spray needs to be used when disinfecting in the cleanroom, which prevents unnecessary contamination of the cleanroom air by the spray mist. In addition, the use of pre-soaked wipes has the advantage that no employee applies too much or too little disinfectant, as there is no need for employees to soak unsoaked wipes.
Further distinctions in sterile wipes are possible based on the material and the type of fabric. There are sterile wipes made of non-woven fabric, polyester or polypropylene, for example. The material and type of fabric determine, among other things, how many particles are released from the wipe. Non-woven fabrics, for example, release the most particles. It can also be said that cotton emits more particles than polyester.
Areas of application for sterile wipes
Sterile wipes are generally used for cleaning or as underlays, often in GMP A or B class cleanrooms.
Sterile wipes are suitable for use in the following sectors, among others:
- Pharmaceutical industry and suppliers
- Biotechnology industry and suppliers
- Medical technology industry and suppliers
Further information on the topic “Sterile wipes”
If you need assistance in selecting the right sterile wipes for your application, our experts at abovo will be happy to help you.
- Telephone number of abovo: +41 32 552 44 44
- E-mail address of abovo: info@abovo.ch
We are also happy to provide you with information about certificates of analysis (AZ, or Certificate of Analysis, CoA for short) and sterilization certificates or certificates of irradiation (CoI for short) in relation to sterile wipes.
You can also find more information about the sterile wipes offered by abovo in the abovo online store. Simply click on the product that interests you in the overview of sterile wipes from the abovo range .
