Do I Need Gloves When Working With MicroCare Cleaners?

While casual and intermittent skin contact with most of the MicroCare cleaners does not represent a significant health risk, wearing gloves is certainly is a good practice, especially if skin contact is likely and prolonged. This is particularly true when cleaning stencils by hand, using the presaturated wipes . Gloves, splash goggles, aprons (when handling open drums) and safety shoes with steel toes are highly recommended. Common sense strongly recommends that prolonged or repetitive skin contact with any solvent or chemical should be avoided. After all, the MicroCare solvents are defluxers and degreasers. They are designed to remove oils and grease. This can result in the temporary drying, itching, swelling and roughening of the skin. This temporary irritation of sensitive skin is called temporary local dermatitis . Healing is rapid after the exposure ceases. But why work so hard? Wear gloves or finger cots and stop worrying about it. When using solvents for cleaning SMT stencils and other production equipment, most experts recommend the use of gloves Protective Clothing Enhances Worker Safety Whichever solvent you select, you should use gloves and other protective clothing if there is any risk of skin or eye contact. There is a very good web site which has excellent technical data about the huge array of glove choices available on the market. It’s organized by the Office of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS, formerly The Office of Radiation, Chemical & Biological Safety (ORCBS), at the Michigan State University) so it’s not tied to any one manufacturer or brand. When you identify a chemical it suggests the best type of glove to use. In the color chart, you’re looking for gloves rated in white or green. When selecting gloves, check the SDS sheet to get the EXACT chemical name or CAS number for the solvent you are using; different solvents require different types of gloves. As a general rule for MicroCare products, latex gloves work adequately. In some applications a more durable two-part glove might be necessary. Chose the powderless option if it is important to control nonvolatile residues in your production process. These are widely available from quality distributors everywhere. If you don’t have time to go to the ORCBS site, then select the best impervious gloves and protective clothing you can find if there is any risk of skin contact. Gloves, splash goggles, aprons (when handling open drums) and safety shoes with steel toes are highly recommended.

What Flat Wipes (Lint-Free Dry Wipes) Does MicroCare Offer?

MicroCare offers a full line of lint-free wipes. These range in size from 1×2 inches (2×5 cm) to 12×16 inches (30x40cm). Other options include different types of paper or fabric, different packaging, clean room packaging, sealed edges for reduced linting, and even prewashed options. Custom sizes also are available. All this means you get faster, safer, cheaper cleaning — and better quality — all at the same time. The full list of choices for these strong, flat, sheet wipes can be a little complex, but in general they are engineered for the toughest cleaning applications. Flat Wipe Specifications There are many factors to consider when selecting a flat wipe . Here’s a brief description of the specifications and their implications: Material. This describes the type of fiber and method of manufacturing used in the material. The wipes come in three basic classes. First, there are the nonwoven, hydroentangled fabrics which are very clean and very strong. Since they are made without glues or binders they don’t leave residues on the surface being cleaned. The second category includes the knitted materials, usually polyester, which can be very clean and strong. The last category includes foam wipes, cotton wipes and other miscellaneous wipes for more specialized applications. Weight. The heavier the weight the stronger and more absorptive the wipe will be. Pre- Washed. Some fabrics can be pre-washed in a giant washing machine. This eliminates loose fiber and dust and, while adding cost, makes the wipes cleaner. Edges. Shredded fibers on the edges of a wipe can deposit contamination. The best (cleanest) process is to seal the edges with heat. Particulate. This is a standardized lab test of cleanliness. Lower scores are cleaner. The result is stated as the number of particles or fibers greater than one-half micron in size, per square meter. Absorbency. This is another standardized lab test. Higher scores are better. The result is stated as the amount of liquid, usually water, absorbed by one square meter of the fabric. ESD-Packaging. Some customers require their wipes to be packaged in ESD-safe wrappings. This is a good idea in static- sensitive areas, but it adds to the cost. Not normally used for stencil wiping, for example. Packed in a Clean Room. For maximum cleanliness, some of the MicroCare wipes are cut and packaged in a clean room environment. Normally these wipes are used in sensitive aerospace applications. Clean Room Packaged. Many customers require their wipes to be packaged in the double-bag clean room style packaging. In this instance, the outer bag is used for shipping and is removed prior to moving the products into the clean room. On a side note, please remember that solder paste is made with lead, and skin contact with lead is not recommended. Users should be using gloves which protect them from contact with the lead. These are made by a number of different firms, and engineers should check that the gloves are comfortable, powder-free, ESD-safe and inexpensive. MicroCare does not provide solvent-safe gloves. MicroCare also offers stencil rolls for automated understencil cleaning and presaturated wipes .

What Can I Use to Clean Manual Stencil Printers?

MicroCare offers three great options for manual stencil printers. First, our lint-free flat wipes are made of the same paper as the roll wipes. They deliver great cleaning at very competitive prices. Even more popularly, we offer five presaturated wipes soaked with our most popular solvents. These wipes are the only products in the industry with an unlimited shelf life. These wipes are available as refills, too. The refills are important because they allow you to re-use the plastic tub and reduce your costs by 25%-35%. MicroCare presaturated wipes are lint-free, clean great, and guarantee that your operators are using the proper amount of solvent. You also can be certain the operator is using the proper solvent — no “home grown, roll-your own” chemistries with unknown effects on the stencils or your staff. The third and last great choice is one of our water-based cleaning solvents, the Aqueous Stencil Cleaner (#MCC-BGA). This is a powerful, general-purpose cleaner which works great on pastes, epoxies, inks and any other contamination found on stencils. By joining the best solvent with the best paper, you get faster, safer, cheaper cleaning and better quality to boot. On a side note, please remember that solder paste is made with lead, and skin contact with lead is not recommended. Users should be using gloves which protect them from contact with the lead. These are made by a number of different firms, and engineers should check that the gloves are comfortable, powder-free, ESD-safe and inexpensive. MicroCare does not provide solvent-safe gloves. When using solvents for cleaning SMT stencils and other production equipment, most experts recommend the use of gloves

Wipes, General Purpose, Premium Grade, 6 x 6

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Product Information

This lint-free wipe is sized right for the rework bench

Applications:

PCB manufacturing
PCB rework and repair

Features:

Smooth, white wipes
Pure synthetic fiber — no cellulose or glues
No binders ensure superior purity
Medium weight
Strong and lint-free
Medium absorbency
Standard plastic packaging
6" x 6" (15 x 15 cm)

Learn more about the differences of cleaning wipes here.

Product Details

Product Image	Part Number	Package	Weight	Size	Technical Data Sheet	Safety Data Sheet
	W66DF MCC-W66DF	50 Sheets/bag		15 cm x 15 cm 6 in x 6 in	TDS USA (ENGLISH) (opens in a new tab) Spanish (opens in a new tab)

Part Number	MCC-W66DF
Package	50 Sheets/bag
Weight
Size	15 cm x 15 cm 6 in x 6 in
Technical Data Sheet	TDS

Safety Rating	NA
Absorbancy	445 mL/m2
Basis Weight	1.8 oz.
Color	White
Edges	Cut, but not sealed
Material	Special synthetic fibers, very hard, very strong and excellent cleaning
Packaging Note	50 Sheets/Bag, 25 Bags/Case
Particulate	3.8
Surface/Texture	Smooth

How-to: Using the TriggerGrip PCB Cleaning Tool

Product Information

Applications:

Features:

Product Details

Technical Data Sheet

Electronics