Cleanroom Wipes

What is IPA?

IPA or isopropanol is also known as isopropyl alcohol or 2-propanol. It's a common disinfectant and cleaner used in many industries including laboratories, clean rooms, hospitals, and manufacturing of precision devices.

IPA can be applied using a dry wipe with an isopropanol spray, but presaturated wipes offer convenience and control which can really improve your workflow.

Benefits of Presaturated Wipes

Presaturated wipes are a quick and convenient solution which can help promote good hygiene and cleaning procedures in the workplace.

Although presaturated wipes are a bit more expensive than using dry wipes with an isopropyl spray, they offer better control, helping to ensure you are applying the same amount with each wipe. This minimizes the risk of applying too much solution (as can be the case with a spray bottle) which can require additional drying time and slow down your workflow.

Presaturated wipes offer many benefits:

• Convenience and speed
• Ease of use promotes good hygiene and cleaning procedures
• Increased process control
• Can help reduce solvent use
• Reduced airborne VOCs compared to sprays

Presaturated IPA wipes are a good choice for many applications, but there are many different types with various factors to consider:

• Strength of wipe – ensure the wipe material will be strong enough to meet your needs
• Linting – high-quality wipes are designed and cut to minimize lint production
• Pack size – once opened, wipes can dry out so avoid buying a bigger pack than you need
• Pack type – folded or pull through boxes are available
• IPA concentration – various concentrations of IPA solution are available. This article discusses the main difference between two common options (70% and 91% IPA)

Types of Presaturated IPA Wipes

These wipes come presaturated with varying concentrations of IPA and are labelled with a percentage accordingly. A 70% wipe contains 70 parts IPA to 30 parts water, whereas the 91% wipe only contains 9% water.

You might assume that a 91% wipe is better due to the higher IPA concentration, but this is not necessarily the case. It's important to choose the right wipe for your application.

70% IPA Presaturated Wipes

70% IPA makes an excellent general disinfectant and is commonly used for cleaning and sanitizing in various situations.

When IPA is acting as an antibacterial agent, the presence of water is critical to the process. The water is required to allow passage of the IPA through the bacteria cell membranes, where it can act to coagulate the proteins and kill the bacteria. 

A concentration of 60 – 70% IPA in water has been shown to be the most effective solution for disinfecting. If the IPA concentration is increased, the solution evaporates more readily which reduces contact time and disinfection rates drop. The addition of water slows the evaporation process, thus increasing surface contact time, but too much water reduces the effectiveness of the disinfectant. 70% IPA solutions are generally considered to be an optimum concentration for general sanitization purposes.

70% IPA also performs well against some viruses including flu, common cold and coronavirus. However, it is not effective against all viruses (norovirus, for example), nor does it kill fungal or bacterial spores.

Advantages of 70% IPA Presaturated Wipes:

• Excellent disinfectant properties
• More economical than higher percentage solutions
• Lower release of vapor and odor

In summary, 70% presaturated IPA wipes are ideal where sanitization and disinfection is required, although you should be aware that IPA is not effective against all types of microbial activity.

91% IPA Presaturated Wipes

91% IPA solutions are less effective as a disinfectant. Although the higher IPA concentration can quickly denature bacterial proteins, the lower water content restricts full penetration of the microbial cell walls. The result is that the outer proteins are quickly destroyed, but these form a protective layer preventing the solution from fully penetrating and destroying all the bacteria.

However, 91% IPA does have advantages in other applications, particularly as a cleaning solvent. IPA is very effective at dissolving a wide range of non-polar substances, meaning it is good for removing oils, grease, ink, and glue.   

91% presaturated IPA wipes offer a quick and easy way to remove contaminants in environments where cleanliness is critical. The high IPA concentration means the solution is quick drying which helps with workflow.

91% IPA is more volatile than the 70% alternative, which means an increased vapor and odor release. Using presaturated wipes rather than a spray helps to control vapor release and minimize associated risks.

Advantages of 91% IPA Presaturated Wipes:

• Excellent cleaning performance on a range of contaminants
• Quick drying
• Leaves nearly zero oil trace
• Low toxicity (compared to alternative solvents)

In conclusion, 91% presaturated IPA wipes are a good choice for cleaning especially where contaminant elimination is crucial.

Summary

If you are looking for a disinfectant wipe, choose a 70% IPA presaturated wipe.  If you do not require antibacterial properties but are looking for effective cleaning, consider a 91% IPA presaturated wipe.

For over 40 years, Lab Pro Inc. has been committed to delivering the highest quality chemicals, ESD protection, laboratory and cleanroom supplies to medical device and electronic manufacturing laboratories worldwide. To learn more, visit the biggest Lab Supply showroom in California, or contact us online or at 888-452-2776.