Cleanrooms are essential for industries that manufacture or handle highly sensitive materials, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology products, and medical devices. Creating these environments involves the use of specialized cleanroom technology, while maintaining these spaces requires carefully laundered garments and strict contamination control solutions. That’s where Prudential stands out—offering industry-leading cleanroom facility services that help businesses meet the highest standards of cleanliness and compliance.
With decades of expertise in cleanroom apparel, laundering, and contamination control, Prudential is a trusted partner for companies that depend on precision and purity in their operations.
The Importance of Cleanroom Services
What is a cleanroom? A cleanroom is a controlled environment that maintains low levels of airborne particles. This is essential for industries where contamination can affect product quality, safety, and research outcomes. Cleanrooms are carefully designed to filter air and control humidity, pressure, and temperature to ensure a safe environment. They are used in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, electronics, and aerospace, where even the smallest particles can compromise the integrity of processes and products.
Maintaining a cleanroom requires stringent standards and procedures, including specialized cleaning protocols and strict access controls. Cleanroom service providers like Prudential play a critical role in ensuring that these spaces meet regulatory standards and operate efficiently. This service includes supplying cleanroom apparel and equipment that are expertly designed to prevent contamination.
For cleanroom-owning businesses requiring reliable and consistent operations, high-quality apparel and support are essential. Prudential provides exceptional cleanroom service options, including top-quality apparel and accessories, to meet the demands of these types of work environments across multiple industries.
ISO Standardization
ISO classifications for cleanrooms provide essential standards for controlling air cleanliness in environments that require strict contamination control. These classifications, developed under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), are vastly important to any industry where maintaining specific particle limits is vital to creating a sterile environment, or one where microorganisms have been minimized to an acceptable level. Each classification is based on the maximum allowable number of particles per cubic meter.
The cleanroom classifications, ranked from ISO 1 to ISO 9, specify different levels of particle control needed for various processes. Lower classifications, such as ISO 1, allow fewer particles and are used in ultra-sensitive applications, while higher classifications permit more particles, so they’re suitable for less strict environments. Here’s an overview of the ISO classifications:
- ISO Class 1 – Ultra-clean (10 particles/m³; example: advanced microchip production)
- ISO Class 2 – Extremely clean (100 particles/m³; example: aerospace & high-tech uses)
- ISO Class 3 – Very clean (1,000 particles/m³; example: semiconductor & optics)
- ISO Class 4 – Highly clean (10,000 particles/m³; example: biotech & pharmaceuticals)
- ISO Class 5 – Clean (100,000 particles/m³; example: pharmaceuticals)
- ISO Class 6 – Moderately clean (1 million particles/m³; example: certain pharma uses)
- ISO Class 7 – Less strict (10 million particles/m³; example: hospital suites)
- ISO Class 8 – Controlled (100 million particles/m³; example: clean storage)
- ISO Class 9 – Lightly controlled (1 billion particles/m³; suitable for general production)
These classifications guide cleanroom design by setting particle limits, ensuring that each environment meets the necessary standards for contamination control and process quality. High-quality cleanroom garments and services are vitally important for preventing contamination in these spaces.
Cleanroom Solutions
Cleanrooms vary in size, but to meet industry standards for contamination control, organizations must follow strict operating procedures. Cleanrooms adhere to meticulous protocols to maintain a properly controlled environment that ensures product integrity and workplace safety. Proper cleanroom procedures help minimize airborne contaminants, control particulates, and prevent cross-contamination.
Key cleanroom operating procedures include:
- Proper Gowning & Protective Clothing – Employees must wear approved cleanroom apparel such as coveralls, gloves, hoods, masks, and boot covers. Gowning must be performed in a designated clean area, following a step-by-step sequence to prevent contamination.
- Controlled Entry & Exit Protocols – Personnel must enter and exit cleanrooms through airlocks or gowning rooms to reduce contamination risks. Unauthorized entry is strictly prohibited, and movements should be slow and deliberate to minimize particle disturbance.
- Air Filtration & Environmental Controls – Cleanrooms rely on HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) or ULPA (Ultra-Low Penetration Air) filtration systems to maintain strict air quality standards. Airflow patterns, humidity, and temperature must be carefully regulated.
- Routine Cleaning & Disinfection – All cleanroom surfaces, floors, and equipment must be cleaned regularly using approved cleaning agents and sterilization techniques. Microfiber mops, disinfectant wipes, and HEPA-filter vacuums help remove particulates and microbial contaminants.
- Minimizing Particle Generation – Employees should avoid wearing cosmetics, perfumes, or loose fibers that can introduce contaminants. Only pre-approved materials and tools should be brought into the cleanroom.
- Monitoring & Compliance – Cleanroom conditions must be routinely monitored for airborne particles, microbial contamination, and temperature fluctuations. Organizations should conduct regular audits and employee training to ensure compliance with industry regulations.
The manufacturing, scientific, and medical industries often utilize third-party cleanroom services due to the complex nature of these processes, which can easily become exposed to potential health and safety risks. Cleanroom cleaning services, such as specialized laundering procedures, help organizations maintain a controlled environment to reduce possible contamination, which, in turn, would compromise the delicate manufacturing process.
Here at Prudential, we provide clients with cleanroom services and products to enhance the safety measures needed to process and perform more proficiently within a sensitive work area.
Prudential Cleanroom Garment Systems
Prudential’s cleanroom garments not only offer a high degree of contamination control but also provide enhanced durability and ease of maintenance. The garments are designed to withstand repeated use and laundering. We require the over-locking of cut or raw edges to eliminate any protrusion of the seams. In fact, our cleanroom polyester fabric is protected from any fraying or fiber separation through the encapsulation of our cleanroom fabric thread.
Also, our garments are designed with breathability and flexibility in mind, allowing employees to stay comfortable even during long shifts in controlled environments. We offer a wide range of size options for our cleanroom garments.
With features such as easy closures, adjustable fits, and specialized materials that reduce electrostatic charges, our cleanroom garments ensure both the safety and comfort of employees, which makes this apparel a dependable choice for various industries requiring precise contamination control.
Prudential’s Cleanroom Garment Process
We are committed to maximizing inventory life for our clients. In fact, we implement a rigorous and detailed inspection and processing for all of our provided cleanroom garments and products. To optimize effectiveness for a specific cleanroom environment, we adapt our cleanroom garment process to the individual needs of each client. Prudential garment professionals also examine and repair any damages or any minor distress of clothing that can impair the performance and safety of the cleanroom employee.
All Prudential facilities utilize ISO-controlled environments for rigorous cleanroom garment cleaning and processing. These processes include:
- Soil Inspection
- Incoming Garment Scanning within our Garment Tracking System (GTS)
- Priority Repair
- ISO Class 4 Washing
- ISO Class 3 Drying
- ISO Class 3 Packaging
- ISO Class 3 Quality Assessment
- ISO Class 7 Sorting and Distribution
- Outgoing Garment Scan within the GTS
Prudential Cleanroom Services vs. Competitors
When you run a cleanroom, the most important aspect is the ability to keep everything inside appropriately sanitized. All employees must wear specialized cleanroom garments, and these garments must be laundered properly after use so that they can safely enter the cleanroom once again.
Prudential Cleanroom Services (PCS) is a specialized division of Prudential Overall Supply that focuses solely on providing high-quality cleanroom apparel and laundry processing services. With our strong dedication to customer support and hard work, PCS has become a global industry leader in cleanroom laundry services.
Prudential Cleanroom Services: A Step Above the Rest
At Prudential Cleanroom Services, we work hard to provide the products and services you need, all while outpacing the competition. The following are just a few of the ways in which Prudential Cleanroom Services offers more than our competitors:
- No penicillin – Our competitors process penicillin in their facilities. PCS does not.
- Backup processing facilities –We have multiple backup processing facilities—more than our competitors.
- Service Manager/Supervisor availability – PCS always has three or more service managers or supervisors available to cover customer needs in a given service area. Our competitors don’t offer that kind of coverage.
- Service Manager evaluation and goals –Our competitors often evaluate service managers’ performance based on how much they bill and collect in Loss and Ruin (L&R) garment charges, and they even set L&R billing goals. We know this is a slippery slope to overcharging customers, which is why our service managers are never evaluated on the basis of unsubstantiated fees (and will never be asked to meet such a goal).
- Certifications/tests –All our garments undergo special tests and must meet certain certification requirements. Our competitors’ garments may not.
- ISO 9001:20015 Certified/Registered facilities –PCS boasts ISO 9001:20015 certified processing facilities for cleanroom and industrial services for all laundry processing Plants. Our competitors can’t currently say the same.
- Continuously expanding services –In May 2024, Prudential announced the opening of a new center in Raleigh, North Carolina, to provide industrial and cleanroom facility services to customers in the area. PCS continues to expand and provide top-notch cleanroom laundry services.
Keep Your Cleanroom Truly Clean with PCS Garments and Laundry Services
If your company uses a cleanroom as part of its daily operations, opt for high-quality garments and laundry services at competitive prices from Prudential Cleanroom Services. Since 1960, PCS has been known as a world leader in cleanroom laundry processing services. With service locations all over the U.S., we are well positioned to support your business needs.
Prudential is dedicated to providing first-rate cleanroom supplies and services. To learn more, contact us today at (800) 767-5536.