Presaturated Wipes

Key Features and Benefits:

• Easy one-at-a-time dispensing of wipes
• Four clean-cut edges = NO loose fibers
• Reduce the amount of isopropyl alcohol used
• Even distribution of alcohol on the wipe
• Fewer VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in the air in a closed area
• Safer option than flammable liquids
• No pouring, spraying, filtering, or diluting

Different Types of Presaturated Wipes

Isopropyl Alcohol – The most common of the three popular disinfectants, isopropyl alcohol is inexpensive and offers a rapid and broad bactericidal effect without bacteriostatic action and relevant toxicity issues

Hypochlorite – Offers a fast method of neutralizing activity. It’s not affected by water hardness and has a wide range of bactericidal spectrum with no toxic residues.

Hydrogen peroxide – Presents wide-ranging germicidal action including bacterial spores (with longer contact time). It is relatively environmentally friendly due to its fast degradation. It is very effective even when contact is made with organic matter, without producing residues.

Choosing the Correct Level of IPA

Isopropyl alcohol is often the cleaning solvent of choice in cleanrooms and controlled environments because of its ability to remove a wide range of contamination from interior and exterior surfaces.

Presaturated IPA Wipes come in a variety of saturation levels, ranging from 1% to 99% isopropyl alcohol. The amount used can vary for each unique application. For example, 70% IPA may be suitable for general-purpose wiping of stainless steel, plastic, glass, and other hard surfaces within the cleanroom. According to a pair of reports by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), IPA wipes with a concentration of at least 70% was successful at disinfecting surfaces in controlled environments.

Furthermore, in order to meet usp797 requirements, the USP (United States Pharmacopeial Convention) states that “floors, walls, ceilings, shelving, hard surfaces, contaminated gloves, and supplies removed from shipping cartons are to be wiped with 70% Sterile Isopropyl Alcohol.

Removal of tougher adhesives and residues might require a higher concentration level, such as 90% or more. Additionally, for applications that require fast drying times, higher concentration levels of IPA would be preferred.

Advantages of Using Presaturated Wipes

When maintaining the integrity of your cleanroom, it is essential to equip yourself with the best material available. One of the most effective ways of dealing with surface contaminants is to use wipes that are already saturated with your solvent of choice.

1. Ease of use: Wipes that are pre-wetted are more user-friendly than the standard option, which is to impregnate individual wipes with a diluted agent. This diluted agent may be too concentrated or not concentrated enough. Using wipes that are pre-wetted saves time and fuss and ensures the IPA percentage will be accurate.
2. Economic: pre-saturated cleanroom wipes come in packages that help prevent premature evaporation of the cleaning agent. They’re also standardized with the optimal amount of cleaning agent within, ensuring that there’s no wastage and that the wipes are used to the full.
3. Fewer volatile organic compounds (VOC): by removing the need for a sprayer with the requisite cleaning agent, pre-saturated wipes remove the element of VOCs from the equation. This ensures a more sterile and secure cleanroom environment. It also allows you to use the cleaning agent exactly where you want it, instead of spraying a surface.
4. Safety: by removing the flammable spray from the equation, presaturated wipes provide a safer working environment and cut down on possible fire hazards. They also remove the hazard attached to employees when mixing potentially hazardous chemicals. By negating the need for a sprayer filled with the cleaning agent, pre-wetted wipes cut down on staff exposure through skin or inhalation to such chemicals.
5. Convenience and efficiency: pre-saturated cleanroom wipes remove the need for employees to spend their time preparing and diluting cleaning agents. Therefore, they help concentrate the efforts of valuable staff members towards more worthwhile activities within the cleanroom.

Applications:

• Cleaning supplies in a cleanroom environment that contain metal parts such as phones and notebooks.
• Removing the remains of other chemical solutions, including but not limited to, residues, adhesives, and disinfectants.
• Cleaning plastic, glass, stainless steel, and other hard, tactile surfaces inside a lab or controlled environment.

For more information, don’t hesitate to contact us.