The ISO standard defines a cleanroom as a "room within which the number concentration of airborne particles is controlled and classified, and which is designed, constructed and operated in a manner to control the introduction, generation and retention of particles inside the room" Here are 5 Top Tips to help you control the introduction, generation and retention of particles inside your cleanroom, and stay compliant with the standard.

1. It is estimated that 80% of contamination entering your cleanroom is foot or wheel borne; sticky mats at your entrance points are a great way to control that level.

2. People shed approximately 10⁹ skin cells per day, so a well-fitting Tyvek® garment can significantly minimise the risk personnel pose.

3. Materials, tools, product and other items transferred into the cleanroom can be covered in contamination, cleaning these items down with an IPA wipe before transferring can reduce contamination introduced into your cleanroom.

4. Gloves packaged in cardboard boxes can pose a risk to your cleanroom as the cardboard can easily shed particles, and drawing gloves from the box may only make that worse. Cleanroom gloves packed in non-shedding plastic packaging can reduce the generation of particles when donning gloves.

5. Ensuring all cleanroom personnel are fully trained on proper cleaning technique can reduce the retention of particles inside the cleanroom. A wet clean has been shown to break more of the bonds that hold particles to a surface, thus giving you a more effective clean.