Do you happen to be recently connected to the scientific/ medical research field? If yes, then this article will enlighten you in many ways and enhance your existing knowledge of lab necessities. As the name suggests, a cleanroom is a strict environment in laboratory space, where you are supposed to abide by a set of rules in order to maintain sterility and cleanliness. In the research field, the concept and significance of sterility are widely known. 

Hence, it is important that you know about the cleanroom furniture that should be allowed in that space. This will help you learn the basics of lab principles and perform better in a lab environment without breaking any rules. 

What Type Of Materials Are Allowed? 

This is one of the most critical facts that should be known to every working member when performing experiments or carrying out any tasks in a laboratory environment. In any kind of biochemical process which is executed in labs, maintaining a sterile or microbe-free space is of utmost significance. 

Therefore, right from building the cleanroom, one should be aware of the furniture and materials that are accommodated to reduce interference of the sterile space. A single interference of dust, particles, hair, skin cells, and microorganisms can extensively damage the outcome of any research requiring a perfectly sterile environment.

Equipment with materials such as stainless steel, PVC, aluminum, glass, plastic is usually used as cleanroom furniture. Please note that these materials are not the normally used ones—they need to meet a set of cleanroom safety standards for being used inside a cleanroom. 

You should also be aware of the cleaning products that are used for cleaning and maintenance purposes of the furniture or overall setup. Products such as paper towels, vacuum cleaners, mops, wipes, etc., specially designed for use in a cleanroom, are used for cleaning and maintaining furniture therein. 

In fact, every product or item that is in use inside the cleanroom will have to be of a cleanroom-safety variety, such as pens, papers, bottles, etc. Members are also required to cover their clothes with washable or disposable lab coats and shoes with disposable shoe covers.

Another important pointer in this regard is that these rules are subjected to changes based on the class of the cleanroom. In other words, if your lab is operating with non-harmful chemicals or non-lethal chemicals, the cleanroom assigned for your lab will be different from the one assigned if you use toxic chemicals. Therefore, the set of rules for your cleanroom, including the types of materials and furniture used, will differ accordingly. 

What is the commonly used furniture in cleanrooms?

A cleanroom table: 

A cleanroom is always incomplete without a durable and high-quality cleanroom table suitable for clean environments. Preferably it should be electropolished so that particle/dust retention power is comparatively lower than un-electropolished tables. Most cleanroom tables are made up of stainless steel. However, other kinds are also available. 

The table should also be preferably strong enough to hold loads because, in order to save space in the cleanroom, you should try to make a single piece of furniture as functional as possible. So, be a work that demands a light/heavyweight table; you will have it all in one. The height of the table should be carefully considered while making a purchase. Consider factors like the height of the members working on it, the precision of the work, light setups, etc. 

High-quality chair: 

Similar to a cleanroom table, a high-quality chair with a backrest is the next important piece of furniture to be accommodated in a cleanroom. You should always be careful about the material and quality of the chair used inside this space. This is because, unlike other chairs in your lab space, this particular piece of furniture will require to be dustless. 

A normal chair can retain hundreds of dust particles, but the one that goes in a cleanroom should be made so that it retains lesser dust particles (has gliding materials or fabric). You do not need to worry about the retained dust, hair, or other particles because these can be easily eliminated with one swipe of a cleanroom vacuum cleaner. 

Stainless steel stool: 

If you have ever visited a cleanroom or even any lab space, you must have seen a stainless or a PVC stool without a backrest. While this may seem to be uncomfortable for sitting and maintaining a good sitting posture, in reality, this is what you will be needing when working closely with samples. If your work needs utmost precision, there is no way you can use a chair with a backrest.