How to Maintain the Cleanliness of Antistatic Clothing
Antistatic clothing is frequently used in companies with high cleanliness requirements, such as those in bioengineering, pharmaceuticals, R&D, and semiconductors. These companies require very low dust levels in their production environments.
The fabric of antistatic clothing is generally a synthetic fiber fabric woven with conductive threads. Although the fibers themselves are inherently clean and difficult to soil, maintaining cleanliness is crucial, and this is achieved through proper washing. Ordinary washing methods will, conversely, cause soiling. Therefore, special methods are necessary. From a management perspective, cleanroom work clothes must be washed, cleaned, and packaged in a cleanroom.
Generally, cleanroom work clothes should be washed at least weekly, and some high-requirement jobs may require daily washing.
Washing in ordinary rooms allows dust and bacteria to accumulate, as well as contamination from cleaning agents. Furthermore, there is a risk of dust and microorganisms adhering during packaging and handling.
Cleaning of antistatic clothing is generally carried out by professional cleaning companies. The following points should be noted during the cleaning process in a cleanroom:
(1) Newly sewn cleanroom garments can be washed directly. However, if oil stains are found on recycled cleanroom garments, they should be carefully removed before washing.
(2) Before washing, any tears, damage, or fasteners should be inspected. Defective garments should be repaired, replaced, or discarded.
(3) Cleaning, drying, and packaging must be carried out in a cleanroom with a higher cleanliness level than the cleanroom where the garments were used.
(4) Water used for wet and dry cleaning must be filtered, and solvents should be distilled and filtered at the point of use using a filter membrane with a pore size of less than 0.2 μm, at least once as needed.
(5) To remove water-soluble contaminants, after washing with clean water, a final wash with solvent should be performed to remove oily contaminants. (6) Wet washing water temperatures are as follows: Polyester fabric 60-70°C (maximum 70°C), Nylon fabric 50-55°C (maximum 60°C).
(7) Work clothes with snaps should be washed with the snaps fastened.
(8) Dry in a dedicated clean air circulation system for washing.
After drying, fold the clothes in a dedicated cleanroom and place them in clean polyester bags or bone bags. Double packaging or vacuum sealing is acceptable depending on requirements. Packaging materials should ideally be antistatic. Since the folding process is most prone to dust generation, it must be carried out in a high-level cleanroom.