Cleanroom Cleaning Services

Call Us Today For Cleanroom Cleaning Services

Specialty Equipment Requires Specialists

Almost anyone can clean, at least to some degree. After all, all you need is some simple disinfectants and some sort of paper towel or wiping agent. Most of us know that to thoroughly clean, it’s a bit more complicated than that. SourceONE Building Maintenance offers cleanroom cleaning, a type of specialized cleaning that involves cleaning rooms that contain highly sensitive and specialized equipment that is used in scientific research or advanced technological fields. These areas have more rigorous standards for cleanliness, including having extremely low levels of particulates, such as dust, viruses and bacteria in the air, and other contaminants. These rigorous standards require specially-trained commercial cleaning staff, such as SourceONE. Call us today to schedule!

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Our Cleanroom Cleaning Approach

SourceONE takes a comprehensive approach to our cleanroom cleaning services.

Mops

We only use mops with non-contaminating materials.

Vacuums

Vacuum cleaners must have a HEPA filter.

Cleaners

We use only green cleaners and chemicals.

Water

We use deionized or reverse osmosis filtered water

Wipes

We carefully select wipes that are ideal for cleanrooms.

Facilities Our Commercial Laboratory Cleaning Company Services

ENVIRONMENTS WE SPECIALIZE IN

Bio-pharmaceutical
Semiconductor/Microelectronics
Medical Devices
Nanotechnology
Biotechnology
Other Life Sciences
Other Sensitive Equipment Rooms

Industries Served by SourceONE Building Maintenance

Some of the most important scientific work is being done in cleanrooms

A cleanroom is a room that has been designed to keep highly-specialized equipment extremely clean and exposed to as little as possible from the environment. Airborne particulates, most of which are too small to be seen by the human eye, can upset research that is years in the making. These particulates, such as dust (which is mostly dead human skin cells), airborne organisms (mostly viruses and bacteria), and other vaporized particles (such as pollen in the air), should be minimized as much as possible. This is where cleanroom cleaning comes into play.

SourceONE Building Maintenance is a commercial cleaning company based out of San Jose. We service commercial clients, including cleanroom clients, in the area. Being that this is the hub of Silicon Valley, we understand the innate importance of taking clean to this ultimate level. With a highly specialized cleaning staff who are extremely knowledgeable and experience in cleanroom protocols, we can help you with regular cleanroom services. Below, we’ll take an in-depth look at cleanrooms and the training required to clean them. Contact us today for your cleanroom cleaning needs!

HISTORY OF CLEANROOMS

As you can well imagine, cleanrooms haven’t been around all that long. If you are familiar with history, germs themselves weren’t even discovered or explained until 1850 with the work of Louis Pasteur. Prior to this period, people believed that foul odors created disease, or evil spirits. The basic idea of germs existed in the Middle Ages, but no one accepted it. With the improvements of the microscope in the late 1800s, germs, viruses, and bacteria were finally recognized and formally discovered as microorganisms that caused diseases in humans. Hygiene and sanitation were recognized for their importance in keeping humans safe from these harmful microorganisms, and gradually, practices were accepted in the early 20th century of sterile environments and cleanliness.

In 1960, the concept for a cleanroom was invented by physicist Willis Whitfield. By this time, computers had come along, as well as research into many types of diseases as well as cures for diseases, and contamination of the workspaces was becoming a big problem. Airflow and particles were upsetting research, so the idea of the modern cleanroom with constantly filtered airflow and extreme care of introducing contaminants arose.

Today, cleanrooms can be very large, and they are subject to very strict standards, depending on what is in the cleanroom. Usually, the outside air is filtered and cooled by several air handlers that are designed to remove dust and other contaminants. This air is then recirculated and filtered again. Special lighting is often installed to minimize the generation of airborne particles, and every item in the room is screened for efficiency. The air temperature and humidity inside the cleanroom is rigorously controlled. This not only protects the equipment, which can become extremely hot, but it cuts down on the growth of pathogens as well. Ionized bars may be present to control static electricity.

As you can see, cleanroom protocol is rigorous, intense, and specialized, meaning the staff who enter and leave must all be properly trained in order to maintain the cleanroom. SourceONE Building Maintenance invests heavily in training all of our staff for all of our customers’ different cleanrooms. When you partner with us in the San Jose area, you can rest assured that your cleanroom cleaning will be held to the highest standards. Contact us today to begin!

HOW TO KEEP A CLEANROOM CLEAN

As you can see, cleanrooms must be kept as clean as possible in order to continue to run efficiently and allow the researchers in the room the sterile environment they need to do their jobs. In 1999, the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) issued ratings for cleanrooms in order to better standardize the requirements across industries and sectors. Included in these ISO Ratings are the methods and materials that can be used in sanitizing and cleaning the cleanroom. The rating will establish which materials can be used. All cleanrooms require the cleaning materials of the commercial cleaning company to be reviewed before beginning.

CLEANROOM TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL

Maintaining a cleanroom all boils down to training for everyone who enters and leaves that room, including the cleaning staff. The vast majority of contaminants in a cleanroom come from those who enter and exit, making it extremely important to control these processes. The most common cleanroom contaminants include:

Dust
Liquids
Bacteria
Fungus
Viruses
Human skin cells and hair
Moisture
Spills
Leaks
Cosmetics
Perfumes
Lint
Fibers

Fundamental is understanding each of our customers’ cleanrooms, what it is, how it functions, and what purpose it serves. In addition, it is essential to understand what type of contamination could cause problems in the cleanroom. This makes it easier to understand what contaminants are essential to eliminate while cleaning. This knowledge base of microorganisms and their living environment, particles to eliminate, how these contaminants more in a room and adhere to surfaces, and what can cause contamination of an environment is required of all of our cleanroom cleaning staff. We believe this will better serve our customers if our cleanroom cleaners know exactly what to be on the lookout for.

Protective Clothing

Almost all cleanrooms require the use of protective clothing in order to minimize the introduction of particulates by people entering and leaving a cleanroom. Many cleanrooms have airlocks (some with a shower) to further achieve the goal of minimizing the introduction of these bad guys into the sterile environment. Our cleanroom cleaning staff is trained on each of our customers’ needs and what protective clothing should be worn, such as masks, hoods, gloves, coveralls, boots, and the like.

In addition, it’s almost as important as what you don’t wear as to what you do wear in a cleanroom. Most cleanrooms have their own stipulations as to what is allowed and what is not. Some common items not to wear into a cleanroom include:

Watches
Jewelry
Rings
Hoodies
Cosmetics
Perfumes
Nail polish
Scented lotions
Personal items such as keys, cigarettes, lighters, etc

CLEANROOM CLEANING PRODUCTS

Our cleanroom cleaning staff is trained on what exactly can and cannot be taken into a cleanroom. Our cleaning products for cleanrooms all meet the highest standards. We believe in the highest-quality green cleaning solutions for your cleanroom, which further reduces the contaminants that are introduced to your cleanroom. We adhere rigorously to your ISO rating for your cleanroom, and every cleaning product that we use has been tested and approved. All of our cleaning products contain chemicals that are non-ionic and neutral in chemical composition, satisfy GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) regulations, and they are non-foaming. For those cleanrooms that need sterilized products, we ensure that we use only those as well. Some specifics are below.

environmentally-preferred green cleaning products

Vacuums

Vacuums must be chosen with care for cleanroom cleaning purposes. A vacuum purchased from your local wholesale store probably won’t cut it. Cleanroom vacuums must have HEPA filters that filter out the exhaust. Central vacuum cleaners are present in some cleanrooms, which is what we will use based on the customer’s particular needs. However, we prefer smaller vacuums that are portable so that we can reach the hard-to-reach places, such as behind the equipment and machinery, as well as reaching the ceilings, high walls, and for any stairs that may be present. Vacuuming a cleanroom takes care and diligence on the part of the cleanroom cleaners. All hoses, nozzles, and other attachments must be clean and in proper working order. Filters must be cleaned regularly. The material of the vacuum cleaner is taken into account as well; you don’t want your vacuum cleaner causing damage to a cleanroom through scrapes and dings. In the event of a chemical spill, normally our cleanroom cleaning staff will notify the on-duty chemical safety officer who will handle the cleanup. We do keep a hazardous materials vacuum on hand in case it is needed, and our cleanroom cleaning staff is thoroughly trained on the dangers of chemical spills, such as noxious fumes, fire danger, and a possible explosion. We have materials available for a chemical cleanup that does not involve a vacuum cleaner.

Cleaners Themselves

It’s ironic that to clean up chemicals and bad guys, we need chemicals to do so. Our cleaning products for cleanrooms are carefully selected by their chemical composition. We are a green cleaning commercial cleaning business, meaning all of our cleaning products are environmentally-friendly. We carefully scrutinize the ingredients of all of our cleaning products to meet ISO standards and are selected for the particular cleanroom environment. Some factors we consider when choosing disinfectants and cleaning agents include:

• Compatibility of cleaning product to equipment and machines in the cleanroom
• Compatibility of cleaning product to chemicals in the cleanroom
• Ensuring surfaces are cleaned but that there is no unwanted after effects of using the cleaning product that wouldn’t matter in a normal room, but would matter in a cleanroom. For example, IPA (isopropyl alcohol) is a highly-effective and popular cleaning agent in many household cleaners. However, it can leave behind a white, powdery film on unsealed vinyl floors that can quickly wreak havoc in a cleanroom.
• Compatibility of all ingredients. Some cleaning agents do contain minerals and microorganisms that are unacceptable in a cleanroom environment.

SourceONE Building Maintenance in San Jose takes pride in our cleanroom cleaning staff. All are extremely diligent about their work and take cleaning your cleanroom extremely seriously. They carefully follow all cleanroom protocols with the goal of delivering a superior job so that you can continue the work you are doing. Contact us today to get started!

Wipes

Wipes are used a lot in cleanroom cleaning merely because they are easy to use for a one-time clean and then throw away. That being said, not all wipes are created equal, and thus our wipes are selected for each cleanroom cleaning carefully, based on the type of cleanroom and its needs. We take into consideration the wipes’ particle-shedding capabilities, any residue on the wipes that could be left behind, and any static properties, among others.

Mops

SourceONE Building Maintenance in San Jose only uses mops with non-contaminating materials, such as handles made from fiberglass, plastic, or stainless steel components, and the mop head itself chosen for extreme sterile conditions. Mop heads vary by the cleanroom job, but in general are made either from sponges or strings that are polyester or PVA for electronic environments. All of our mop heads are subjected to autoclaving (a fancy word for heating) in order to ensure any bacteria or viruses from the mops are killed. In sterile environments, our mop heads are only used once, and then they are recycled into our other commercial cleaning jobs. While this may sound extreme to be wasting mop heads, the risk of bringing in live bacteria, viruses, or other contaminants on a mop to the research involved is huge and can be expensive. Preventing cross-contamination is top priority with our cleanroom cleaning jobs.

Water

Water is basic to any type of cleaning, but it’s important to not just turn on the tap when cleaning. Tap water is full of chemicals that the city or town has added in to kill bacteria and viruses, as well as mineral content that could be devastating to a cleanroom environment. SourceOne Building Maintenance in San Jose only uses water that is deionized or water that has gone through reverse osmosis water filtration process.

CLEANROOM CLEANING METHODS

It should go without saying, but cleaning a cleanroom requires extra special care and diligence. Once our cleanroom staff has been trained on the whys of your particular cleanroom and on the acceptable cleanroom cleaning products, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of the actual cleaning job itself.

Similar to the ISO 14644 standards, The Institute of Environmental Sciences (IEST) WG 18 Cleanroom Housekeeping defines the cleanroom standards for cleaning and disinfecting cleanrooms. This document is intended as a guide for cleanroom cleaning procedures for overall contamination control. In addition, there are test procedures for the frequency of cleanings, as well as how to measure the effectiveness of your cleanings. SourceONE Building Maintenance uses this guide for all of our cleanroom cleanings in the San Jose area. Below is a snapshot of some of the IEST’s recommendations.

Walls

Walls are one of the most frequently overlooked areas to clean, and are thus, one of the dirtiest. Yet, bacteria and viruses love to cling to any surface, including walls. The IEST recommends that you vacuum the walls with a soft brush attachment to remove allergens, and then use an approved mop and wipe to clean and disinfect. It is recommended that the cleanroom cleaner go top to bottom on all surfaces, being extremely careful not to splash liquids anywhere or drip on machinery or other instruments.

Glass

An approved glass cleanroom glass cleaner with the appropriate wipe is recommended for cleanroom cleaning of all glass surfaces, excepting any glass on instruments. Polyester wipes work well here.

Floors

Floors must be vacuumed to remove any dirt. IEST recommends that you vacuum the dirtiest areas first and then you vacuum from the back of the room towards the front. Once the surface dirt has been removed, you will use the approved water and cleanroom disinfectant and cleaner on the floors. If a mop is used, make sure it is lint-free and clean. The water in your mop bucket should be changed every 400 square feet in order to prevent cross-contamination.

The floor in your cleanroom is the one area you want to spend more time on than others because in all reality it is the dirtiest and most prone to contamination. If you think about it, whatever contaminants people bring in either are on their shoes or clothing and will fall to the floor, which is then stirred up repeatedly as people walk by. The flooring in your cleanroom should be as clean as possible.

Equipment in the Cleanroom

These cleaning procedures will vary with every cleanroom. In some cleanrooms, special technicians are hired to clean the equipment. In others, we will handle the cleanroom equipment cleaning with guidance from the owners. All of our cleaning room equipment cleaning supplies are checked for compatibility with an emphasis on removing contaminants. Most often, wipes of some type are used. We clean from top to bottom and from back to front.

Ceiling and Lights

Both ceiling and lights are popular places for dust and other contaminants to hang out because they are in out-of-the-way places. However, they are also very likely to fall and contaminate other areas, especially from the ventilation system. Thus, ceiling panels should be vacuumed with a soft brush and wiped down with appropriate materials. Approved commercial cleaners with a recommended polyester wipe work great for ceilings. The same protocols should be used for lighting and light fixtures as well.

Drains

Surprisingly, cleaning drains is an intricate and involved process that should be done carefully as they are areas ripe for cross-contamination. SourceOne Building Maintenance recommends removing the grates and the screens and soaking them in a disinfectant solution for a spell. While those are soaking, you can clean the area around the drain. It’s best to use wipes because they are easy to dispose of. We recommend you pour the cleaning solution down the drain and then wipe the upper rim, being careful not to touch any of the surfaces while doing so. Then remove the grate and the screens, and replace them back in place.

SourceONE Building Maintenance in San Jose takes great pride in training our cleanroom cleaning staff in all aspects of cleanroom management, including the proper methods of cleaning in order to remove as many contaminants as possible and in order to avoid cross-contamination. Our goal is your goal: to ensure your cleanroom stays clean. Call us today for a free cleanroom cleaning quote!

CLEANROOM CLEANING PRODUCTS

Our cleanroom cleaning staff is trained on what exactly can and cannot be taken into a cleanroom. Our cleaning products for cleanrooms all meet the highest standards. We believe in the highest-quality green cleaning solutions for your cleanroom, which further reduces the contaminants that are introduced to your cleanroom. We adhere rigorously to your ISO rating for your cleanroom, and every cleaning product that we use has been tested and approved. All of our cleaning products contain chemicals that are non-ionic and neutral in chemical composition, satisfy GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) regulations, and they are non-foaming. For those cleanrooms that need sterilized products, we ensure that we use only those as well. Some specifics are below.

SourceONE-CE is run by cleanroom specialists who:

Understand cleanrooms and clean manufacturing
Have vast experience, expertise and proven track record of outstanding service to our customers’ critical environments
Focus on customer product and process protection
Play a vital role on customer quality team’s
Provide unmatched contamination control employee training
Have an outstanding safety program
Practice the strictest screening and hiring standards

SourceONE-CE maintains various types of cleanroom and production environments, including:

Bio-pharmaceutical
Semiconductor/Microelectronics
Medical Devices
Nanotechnology

SourceONE-CE provides the following services:

Sterile environments (Bio-Pharmaceutical & Bio-containment Labs)
- Engineered cleanroom cleaning programs
- SOP writing – Compliant with cGMP’s,
- Gown Room management
- Protocol design, training, and enforcement
Non-sterile environments
- Engineered cleanroom cleaning programs
- SOP writing – Compliant with federal & international standards
- Engineered cleanroom cleaning programs
- SOP writing – Compliant with federal & international standards
- Clean build & post-construction cleaning
- Gown Room management
- Data center/ESD cleaning

Quality Assurance

SourceONE-CE’s approach to Quality Assurance incorporates personnel, equipment, extensive training and industry expertise to guarantee that our client’s facilities meet or exceed the regulations set forth by ISO or by the FDA.

Personnel

All SourceONE-CE cleanroom technicians are thoroughly screened. We recruit highly motivated, responsible individuals who take pride in the work they do.

Equipment

SourceONE-CE has formed alliances with the nation’s leading suppliers of cleanroom equipment. Highly specialized tools and equipment are selected based on the SOPs of the given environments.

Training

All SourceONE-CE employees are required to complete specific training regimens before entering a critical environment.
All technicians are trained on cleanroom protocol, safety, security, cleaning techniques and client specific procedures.

For over 20 years, SourceONE Building Maintenance has been your source for all types of commercial cleaning, including cleanroom cleaning, in the San Jose area. We work with customers in all professions, from doctors and dentists to lawyers and accountants. Our industrial clients include corporate office buildings, warehouses, manufacturing clients, biotech and pharmaceutical, educational spaces, such as college campuses, and government and defense contractors.

We have a stellar reputation for quality and for professionalism, meaning we don’t gossip about our clients. All of our employees must pass a rigorous background check process, and then undergo lots of training for our specialty and cleanroom jobs. Our mission is to be the commercial cleaning service you can rely on, no matter the complexity of your cleaning needs. We aim to go above and beyond your expectations every time. We value our customers, execution, integrity, innovation, teamwork, and results. We allow our reliable commercial cleaning services to speak for themselves. Call SourceONE Building Maintenance in San Jose today!