Controlled Environment & Cleanroom

Cleanroom wipes used for critical applications are almost always knitted synthetic fibers. Knitted polyester fabric, like used for Coventry Poly-Wipes (part #6209), is the most popular wipe material for cleanrooms. Knitted polyester is made clean, contaminants can easily be removed from knitted polyester in a cleanroom laundry, and polyester is relatively inexpensive. Non-woven wipes do not offer the advantage of ease in cleaning as their composition causes them to disintegrate in a cleanroom washing machine or cleanroom drier. 

Yes, Chemtronics offers a full line of ESD swabs. They include foam, knit polyester, or knit microfiber heads with static dissipative handles. The proprietary handle material has surface resistivity of 1.0 x 10_10 ohms/sq, and will dissipate 99% of (5 kV) charge in 0.5 seconds. This avoids static generation, and can dissipate a charge when the user is grounded.

No, cotton bud swabs (aka Q-tips) can’t be considered lint-free. Cotton tends to lead behind threads and particulates. Open cell polyurethane foam swabs are a common, very clean replacement for cotton. If harsh solvents are being used on the swabs, or even more cleanliness is needed, knit polyester or microfiber swabs are an excellent choice.

While cotton bud swabs (aka Q-tips) are commonly used for all kinds of precision cleaning, foam swabs are commonly used to reduce contamination from cotton threads and particulates. Foam swabs are usually made of open cell polyurethane for maximum cleanliness and absorbency.

Sterile swabs are free from bacteria or other living microorganisms. Common methods for sterilization include autoclaves, ETO (ethylene oxide gas), and Gamma irradiation. Sterile swabs are generally used for biological sample collection to avoid sample contamination, and for medical use to avoid infection.