Cleanroom Wipes Classes Explained: Cleanliness Grades and How to Match Your Wiper

Cleanroom wipes are graded to match the cleanliness class of the room they serve: the stricter the room’s particle limits, the lower-linting and better-edge-sealed the wiper must be. Rooms are classified under ISO 14644-1 (ISO Class 1–9), though the older Federal Standard names — Class 100, 1,000, 10,000 — are still what most people say out loud. This guide translates between the two systems, explains which wiper constructions fit which class, and shows how to match a grade to your environment without overpaying for cleanliness you don’t need.

A cleanroom class is a particle-count ceiling: the maximum number of particles (of a given size) allowed per volume of air. Two naming systems coexist:

The wiper rule of thumb: your wipe must not add more particles than your class allows. A wiper that’s perfectly fine in an ISO 8 gowning room can be a contamination source in an ISO 5 core.

Wiper cleanliness is determined by fiber type, construction, and edge treatment:

Beyond class fit, three properties decide day-to-day performance — absorbency (spill pickup speed), solvent compatibility (IPA and process chemicals), and wet strength (no shredding mid-wipe). Our cleanroom wipers guide covers those selection criteria in depth; this article stays focused on matching grades.

Graminton’s LICK LGK series is organized by application environment, so you can match by what your facility does:

Two practical notes. First, scratch behavior matters as much as lint in optics and semiconductor work — LGK5’s scratch-free construction targets exactly that. Second, for wet wiping with disinfectants or IPA, confirm chemical resistance (LGK7’s acid-base-solvent rating) so the wiper doesn’t break down mid-task.

GMP pharmaceutical plants typically run ISO 7 (Class 10,000) production zones with stricter cores. Wiper selection there adds two requirements beyond particle counts: documentation (lot traceability for audits) and procedure fit (wipes compatible with your approved disinfectants). Facilities of this type — see our GMP plant solutions — usually standardize one wiper per zone class rather than mixing, which simplifies both training and audit trails. The same zoning logic applies across cleanrooms and labs generally: buy per zone, not per building.

1. Confirm your room class (ISO or legacy name — translate with the table above).

2. Match the wiper grade to the strictest zone it will enter, not the average.

3. Zone your purchasing: premium sealed-edge wipers only where the class demands them; nonwoven grades for support areas — the cost difference per wipe is significant at volume.

4. Test in your actual process: run candidate wipers with your solvents and surfaces before standardizing.

5. Lock specifications with your supplier so reorders stay identical — consistency is a cleanliness property too. The full industrial wiping range is under the LICK brand.

Is there such a thing as a truly lint-free wipe?

No — “lint-free” is marketing shorthand. All wipers shed at some level; the engineering question is how little, which is why specifications say low-lint with tested particle-release data. Ask suppliers for shed data rather than accepting “lint-free” claims.

What wipes should I use in a Class 100 (ISO 5) cleanroom?

Knitted continuous-filament polyester with sealed edges is the standard answer for ISO 4–5. Nonwoven wipers are generally reserved for ISO 6 and above — using them in an ISO 5 core risks exceeding particle budgets.

Can one wiper cover my whole facility?

Only if your whole facility is one class, which is rare. Zoned purchasing — one grade per class — costs less than buying top-grade everywhere and performs better than buying mid-grade everywhere.

Dry wipes or pre-wetted wipes?

Dry wipes plus your own qualified solvent give flexibility and audit-friendly control of what chemical touches what surface; dry/wet-capable wipers like LGK7 support both modes. Pre-wetted formats trade flexibility for convenience.