The Challenge is Real: Cleaning Irregular Surfaces in Cleanrooms

Cleanroom facilities must adhere to strict contamination control standards. When cleaning these facilities, every surface must be periodically and regularly cleaned and/or disinfected, depending on the cleanroom.

Irregular surfaces such as light switches, door handles, valves, and piping, with their hard-to-reach areas and complex shapes, pose unique challenges to effective cleaning. This guide explores effective strategies and cleanroom cleaning supplies to ensure these surfaces meet the same high standards as more accessible areas.

Pre-Cleaning Considerations

Before beginning the broader cleanroom cleaning procedure, having a plan that includes first manually cleaning all irregular features and surfaces is very important. Cleaning these difficult-to-clean areas, including any flat surfaces behind or immediately surrounding them, enables subsequent cleaning of surrounding flat surfaces using tools such as mops to be much faster and easier. As most of this pre-cleaning is done by hand, using presaturated cleanroom wipes or wipes saturated with your facility’s designated cleanroom solution or disinfectant can be very effective and efficient.

Identifying Irregular Surfaces

Common irregular surfaces in cleanrooms include:

• Safety and emergency signs and alerts
• Wall-mounted items such as clocks, manometer ports and dials, returns, outlets, data ports, and light switches, electrical outlets
• Valves, piping, and other fittings
• Door handles, frames, hinges and closers
• Any surface or feature that is not easily and sufficiently cleaned using a tool such as a mop

Cleaning Techniques for Irregular Surfaces

Use appropriate wipes:

• Utilize presaturated or saturated-on-site cleanroom wipes (appropriate for the Class or Grade of cleanroom) to ensure effective removal or particulate and residue contamination.

Follow effective cleaning procedures:

• As much as practically possible, clean from the highest to the lowest point (or “cleanest” to “dirtiest”) to avoid recontaminating cleaned areas. This is especially difficult with irregular surfaces and features. The key is keeping in the same general direction and making good contact with the surfaces to be cleaned.
• Replace wipes frequently to maintain the effectiveness of the cleaning or disinfecting solutions.
• Hand-wipe approximately 4”(100mm) of the surrounding flat surfaces that are to be cleaned later by mopping. 

Mop walls and ceilings:

• Once all irregular surfaces have been addressed, prepare to use a cleanroom mop on the ceilings and walls. 
• Ensure the mop head is adequately wet with a designated cleaning or disinfectant agent. Mop heads should be fully wetted, but not dripping, to maintain cleanroom standards and ensure operator safety.

Techniques for mopping:

• In cleanrooms and clean areas where space is limited, direct application of disinfectants to cleanroom mop heads is advised.
• In larger cleanrooms, utilize a bucket and wringer system, ensuring the mop is used in a systematic order—from ceilings to walls and from cleaner to less clean areas.

Ensuring effective coverage:

• Mop with overlapping strokes to ensure complete cleaning.
• In cleanrooms requiring microbial control, surfaces must be visibly wet to achieve required contact time of the disinfectant used, ensuring effective microbial control.

Conclusion

Cleaning irregular surfaces in cleanrooms is a critical but difficult task that demands attention to detail and strict adherence to cleanroom cleaning procedures. By employing good planning, a thoughtful and reasoned approach, and using the right techniques and  tools, facilities can achieve the highest standards of cleanliness, ensuring product safety and regulatory compliance.

For more information on cleanroom cleaning supplies and techniques, visit Contec Cleanroom’s website. We offer a comprehensive range of products tailored for effective cleanroom maintenance.

Our sales team is available to help you find the resources you need for comprehensive training in your facility!