ITW Texwipe is a manufacturer of cleanroom consumable products, which are used in the environment which one addresses the levels of potential contamination's and respective contaminants when working in bio medical, pharmaceutical or microelectronics.

Since there has been much recent news about viruses and bacteria contamination, especially Ebola, we thought it would be timely and of interest to relate the types of cleanroom products and how they address "disinfecting". Disinfection reduces the number of viable microorganisms. When instruments are used inside the body, the disinfectant is not enough, the instruments should be sterilized. Sterilization kills viable microorganisms.

For the sterilization of the instruments (like surgical instruments) sterilants are used. The sterilants are the high concentration of Hydrogen peroxide solutions (35%) and Aldehides (like formaldehyde). These solutions are not used for the surface disinfection because they are very corrosive and toxic for people. The instruments are soaked in the sterilant for the time marked on the sterilant label (may be several hours).