Data Clean is pleased to provide our customers and site visitors with useful information. Here are some of the usual questions we hear on a day to day basis and a handy glossary.

Click on one of the questions below or just scroll down.

» How often should I have my facility cleaned?
» Why should I use a professional specialty company like Data Clean?
» Do I have to shut down my operation to have my facility cleaned?
» Do you work on weekends and at night?
» How much does it cost?
» Why should I clean my controlled environment?
» What is a controlled environment?
» Why can't my regular maintenance people take care of my clean room?
» How long have you been doing clean room maintenance?
» Can you give me a good definition of the different clean room classes?

How often should I have my facility cleaned?

The short answer is, it depends.
It depends on how clean you need it to be and how much contamination is introduced to the facility by the activities conducted within the facility. Some facilities are cleaned daily, or more often (i.e. before each shift), while others are cleaned on a yearly or even less frequent basis. Some general guidelines are below.

Why should I use a professional specialty company like Data Clean?

A clean computer room will help prevent costly downtime and the loss of valuable data.
Like so many disciplines, even cleaning has its specialties. You wouldn't take a fine painting to the car wash to be cleaned and you shouldn't let the custodian who cleans offices and bathrooms clean your controlled environment. The equipment, materials, and training for each discipline are different. By using it everyday, the specialty contractor can afford purchase and maintain the necessary equipment. The collective experience the contractor brings to bear on the project will provide the best long term value. Do you really want the car wash to learn how to clean paintings by experimenting with yours?

Do I have to shut down my operations to have my facility cleaned?

No. Shutdowns and downtime are a concept of the past.
Our technicians work around your operations and your staff. Of course certain activities will require unrestricted access to your work area, applying a finish to a VCT floor for instance. Special consideration must be given to dangerous equipment or other hazardous situations.

Do you work on weekends or at night?

Yes, we work 7 days a week..24 hours a day.
We try to accommodate every customer's schedule request.

How much does it cost?

Again the short answer is, it depends.
There are several factors which influence the price of our services. These include desired service, facility size, existing contamination level, desired contamination level, equipment density, and cleaning frequency

Why should I clean my controlled environment?

Your equipment demands it.
Typically, the equipment within a controlled environment is special and requires its own environment. An environment will not stay clean by itself. Also, personnel may be subjected to reduced fresh air because of the controlled environment.

What's a controlled environment?

Any area that is restricted to general use because of:

1. special contamination requirements
2. special power requirements
3. special security concerns
4. special temperature or humidity control

All of these areas are typically overlooked by the regular custodial staff. All of these areas need to be cleaned just like any other area of the building. And in the case of special contamination requirements, the area will need to be cleaned more often.

Examples of controlled environments include:

Cleanrooms, computer rooms, telecom/datacom closets or termination rooms, telecom/datacom switching centres; cable head ends; cellular communication shacks and hubs; specialized production environments; laboratories; biomedical facilities, clean rooms, CLASS 10 and under.

Why can't my regular maintenance people take care of my clean room?

Regular janitorial service is not enough.

In most cases your regular janitorial service cannot provide the level of service your facility requires. Your data processing centre needs a preventative maintenance program carried out by trained and experienced professionals.

The second someone enters your data centre, they start evaluating your facility. An impeccably clean computer room sends a clear message that you run a first-class operation. this obvious level of professionalism will be noticed - and respected - by both your customers and management.

How long have you been doing cleanroom maintenance?

For over 20 years!
Since 1979 Data Clean corporation has provided it's clients with the highest level of computer room cleaning possible. as the industry leader in computer room preventative maintenance, Data Clean has helped thousands of clients - including IBM, Unisys, Rockwell International, State farm Insurance and AT&T - increase productivity. And at the same time, saved their clients money by reducing downtime and the loss of data.

Can you give me a good definition of the different Clean Room Classes?

Clean Rooms are specified by their class of cleanliness. While there are many factors, the class system allows people to use a generally similar frame of reference. In the UUS most people use Federal Standard 209E which defines the classes, how to measure them and how to report them. Until you get to a real clean facility, the reference particle size is 0.5 microns. By measuring how manysuch dirt particles are in a cubic foot of atmosphere, you define the class. The bigger the number, the dirtier the room.

For instance:
CLASS 100,000 (100,000 0.5 micron particles per cubic foot of atmosphere)
Typical for a computer room. Besides restricted access and positive pressurization, no special garments or procedures are required.

CLASS 10,000 (10,000 0.5 micron particles per cubic foot of atmosphere)
Typical for a hospital operating room. Some types of factories use this class of room. Clean Room coats or bunny suits, head covers and booties are required. Air enters the room through HEPA filters. (High Efficiency Particle Accumulation) Access is restricted. Room is positively pressurized relative to surrounding space.

CLASS 1,000 (1,000 0.5 micron particles....you get the idea)
Typical for making computer disk drives or other sensitive materials. Same rules as Class 10,000 but workers are required to wear gloves and full hoods as part of the clean room wardrobe. More frequent air changes in the room. Again, all air is constantly filtered through HEPA filters and the number of air changes per hour is very large.

CLASS 100
Typical for special semiconductors like computer memory. Also used for some pharmaceuticals. Same idea as above, just more stringent. Full face masks are required here.

CLASS 10 to CLASS 1 and cleaner
Good for large semiconductor fabrication where even the slightest amount of contamination will cost a lot. Workers wear complete suits, with face masks. Breathing is done through a respirator to filter workers' breath and prevent breathing from contaminating the space.

In general, all of these facilities have the air directed from HEPA filters straight at the work. The term is "product gets first air". This means that the air is the cleanest as it leaves the filter and that cleanest air should come in contact with the product being manufactured before coming in contact with anything else especially people. The closer the product is to the source of filtered air, the more likely it is that the product will be defect free.