How Many Passes With a Cleanroom Wipe Will Get a Surface Clean and Sterile?

Answer:

Berkshire cannot provide specific recommendations regarding how many swipes/passes of a wiper on a surface will make the surface clean or free of microorganisms.The main reason for this is each situation where wipers are used is different and has many variables, each of which will have an impact on the outcome of any cleaning.

Variables include, but are not limited to:

• Bio-load: number and strain of microorganisms
• Other contamination
• Surface type
• Class of cleanroom
• Gowning level
• Temperature
• Humidity

It is the customer’s responsibility to perform studies to validate that their wiping techniques are appropriate for their own situation. FDA regulated end-users should have documented cleaning/disinfection procedures and a cleaning validation process.

With all wipers, dry or prewetted, it is recommended to quarter fold the wiper with a new wiper surface being exposed for each swipe. Please refer to Berkshire’s Wiping Poster for further detail.