Accessories are a no-no. When working in a cleanroom you cannot wear jewelry, makeup, perfume or cologne. This includes things you might not think about… like lip balm, nail polish, and even lash extensions. Sorry, ladies! All of these can fall off in the cleanroom. You’ll have to skip that extra treatment at the salon… but just think about all the money you’ll save.

Walk Slowly

Another tip is to always walk slowly and carefully through the cleanroom. As you move through the environment, your body will likely create eddies and air currents. This stirring of the air could increase the chances of particles moving to the top of your work surface. The faster your movements, the greater the eddies. Imagine clapping your hands when they're coated in flour. The faster you clap - the more flour flies. If you move your hands slower and more controlled, you are far less likely to have flour everywhere.

No 5 Second Rule

If you drop something on the floor, leave it. The space between the floor and up to 12 inches above it is considered the “dirty zone”. Once the product or tool that you’ve dropped reaches that 12 inch threshold, it’s dirty. Reaching down with gloves? Your gloves are dirty too. If you absolutely must pick it up, you’ll need to take your item outside of the cleanroom to wipe off and you'll need to put new, clean gloves on.

No Gum or Food

Although it seems obvious, you shouldn’t chew gum or eat food in the cleanroom. Avoiding food in the cleanroom reduces the chance of spreading particles and contaminating surfaces. It’s also noted that if you’re a smoker you should drink water before entering the cleanroom. This again reduces the chances of airborne particles being distributed within the cleanroom.

Use Good Hygiene

Lastly, the biggest contaminate in a cleanroom is your body. As a cleanroom employee, personal hygiene is extremely important. It’s advised that you shower regularly, wash your hair, and use cleanroom lotions to replace your skin's natural oils. While inside the cleanroom, all exposed hair should be covered with bouffant caps and beard covers. These, in addition to body suits, masks, gloves, booties and protective eyewear will decrease the chance that hair and particulates will contaminate surfaces. As a general rule, it’s not recommended to touch your gloves to your face as this can transfer unwanted body oils to the workspace.

These are just a few of the things you need to pay attention to when working in a cleanroom. If you need more information, you can watch training DVD’s and videos to ensure you and your staff are trained on the proper etiquette within a cleanroom. These videos will expand on the information you need to know about cleanrooms and how you should act.