When it comes to high-states research or precision manufacturing, “clean” takes on a whole new meaning. What the average person would consider clean—little clutter, no obvious dirt or dust—isn’t going to cut it. In the controlled environment of a cleanroom, clean is measured not in vague concepts but in terms of microns. A pharmaceutical lab, semiconductor fabrication plant, or a biotech research facility must meet very specific clean requirements. Otherwise, data could be compromised or products fail to meet strict safety and use standards.
This means you need more than just a basic janitorial service to clean these spaces. You need a partner who understands the fundamental production of research data integrity. In a cleanroom, cleaning protocols are as much a part of every experiment and production batch as anything else. If these protocols fail, everything else fails as well, and that can be quite costly.
That’s why SourceONE is here to help. With our years of knowledge, as demonstrated by our ISO certification, we’re here to ensure that your data remains unsullied and intact. Let’s take a look at how cleanroom cleaning and equipment care impacts data integrity and how we handle both.
The Invisible Enemy: How Residues Corrupt Results
When it comes to data, integrity is defined as how complete, consistent, and accurate the data is across its lifecycle. In a laboratory cleanroom setting, the main threat to data integrity is the environment itself, or more specifically, changes to the environment. This includes everything from surface residue and microscopic films to airborne particles.
When you consider how sensitive many modern analytical instruments are, it’s easy to see how even a small number of particles can cause issues. Many labs use equipment that can detect parts per billion. With this level of precision, even a microscopic bit of residue from using the wrong cleaning agent can cause issues. Here are a few ways improper cleaning can result in issues:
- Errors in readings – A workbench that has been contaminated can result in “ghost” readings or false positives/negatives due to a substance being present that is not actually a part of the sample being tested.
- Costs – According to various studies, failing to maintain a cleanroom to the standards required can lead to many negative outcomes, including product recalls. In the pharmaceutical industry, these recalls can, on average, cost $10 million dollars each time one occurs.
- Time – Time is money, as the saying goes, and lost time is certainly lost money. When a study or production batch is lost due to environmental contamination instead of experimental failure, it has an impact on your team and your budget. Overall, it’s estimated that as much as 20% of research time is lost to failures due to these types of issues.
Precision Care: Lenses, Instruments, and Airflow
Cleanrooms must be thoroughly cleaned, but the equipment in them often also must be handled gently. This creates something of a paradox. Cleaners have to be aggressive enough that they remove all microscopic contaminates, but they also have to be gentle enough not to damage the equipment or affect its calibrations. Even one small change in how an instrument is calibrated can ruin results.
1. Optical Equipment and Lenses
Optical surfaces are especially easy to affect. All it takes is one small smudge on a lens or a little scratch caused by an abrasive cloth to result in a blurred image or incorrect alignment. Traditional cleaning methods using a spray-on product and a cloth can often leave behind a thin layer of residue on surfaces, creating a haze. This is why it’s important to ensure that your cleanroom cleaning partner is using tested and effective solutions such as using reagent-grade isopropyl alcohol and wipes that are non-shedding.
2. Delicate Instrumentation
Many lab instruments have delicate mechanical arms or open sensors. It’s not enough to clean around these parts, but it also isn’t correct to use the same cleaning methods on them that you would use on a counter or more durable item. An untrained hand can easily bump the sensor out of alignment or cause other issues. Protecting your data’s integrity means very carefully cleaning these machines without ever causing any calibration or alignment errors.
3. Airflow Systems and Grates
It doesn’t matter how clean your workbenches are if your airflow system is circulating debris. When dust accumulates on any type of filter, even a HEPA filter, or on the return air grates, it can cause turbulence that can cause contaminants to fall back down onto your samples and equipment. These systems need to be cleaned using specialized equipment and methods that capture particles instead of simply redistributing them.
Cleanliness and the Scientific Method
The foundation of the scientific method is that results are replicable. If your environment is not stable, it’s not possible to replicate your experiments perfectly every time. This is where the connection between data integrity and physical environment becomes so important.
If your cleanroom’s particle count or microbial load suddenly spikes due to a skipped cleaning cycle or a cleaning that was done incorrectly, all the data from that time period is potentially compromised and needs to be discarded. That can cost a lot of time and money. In any industry that’s highly regulated, if you don’t have documentation that something was done correctly, it’s assumed it wasn’t done. Similarly, if the environment isn’t controlled, the data is assumed to be invalid. This means you not only need a rigorous, regular cleaning schedule, but you also need to have that cleaning schedule backed up with documentation.
The SourceONE Advantage: Experience Where It Counts
General cleaning companies often fall short when it comes to cleanrooms and other facilities that require meeting specific ISO guidelines or FDA regulations. The same processes used to clean office buildings simply do not apply to certified cleanrooms. SourceONE understands this, and we know we’re not just cleaning surfaces. You’re calling us to maintain data integrity and environmental continuity, not just mop and empty the trash.
Specialized Agents and Appropriate Cleaners
Using the wrong cleaning chemical can be worse than not cleaning at all. Some of the household disinfectants that many people would instinctively reach for can expel volatile organic compounds or VOCs that can leave film deposits or interfere with sensitive equipment. Our technicians are trained in cleanroom-approved agents and will make certain that any chemicals used in your cleanrooms don’t interfere with your equipment or experiments.
Protecting Your Investment
We understand that you’ve invested a large amount of capital into your lab and the equipment within. Our cleaning protocols revolve around avoiding damage to this equipment by focusing on the following:
- Proper wiping techniques that employ the “fold and swipe” method to ensure contaminates are lifted off and removes, not just pushed around on the equipment.
- Zonal cleaning habits that start from the cleanest area of a space and move outward, avoiding cross-contamination.
- Specific training on the equipment used in your space so our technicians know how to navigate the space without disturbing equipment or its settings.
Our goal is to ensure that your data is 100% accurate and intact. What you see should be a full reflection of the experiments you’ve done, not a result of a poorly maintained space.
SourceONE and You: A Strategic Partnership
In today’s lab, data integrity is vital. Without the correct cleaning protocols, your experiments can be ruined, and even your equipment can be damaged. Choosing the right lab cleaning solutions isn’t just about passing an audit or meeting ISO standards, it’s also about ensuring that your time and money are well spent. One single cleaning error could result in microscopic residue that invalidates weeks or even months of work.
SourceONE has the experience, precision, and specialized knowledge needed to ensure that your equipment and your data are protected. Let us handle the environment while you focus on your research. If you’d like to know more about what we bring to the table, reach out today.