Adhesive floor mats are an essential accessory for cleanrooms. Their walking surface is tacky, helping remove dirt and particles from shoes, cart wheels, and other items before that debris travels farther into the space. Sticky mats are simple to use and can add another layer of contamination control at important transition points. This article explains what they are, where they work best, and how to use them properly.
What Are Disposable Adhesive Floor Mats?
Our adhesive floor mats, also called sticky mats, are a crucial component of a cleanroom that is often overlooked. Regardless of how well you protect the air inside a controlled environment, foot-borne contamination can still enter the space and potentially affect research, testing, products, or equipment.
Facilities often use a combination of equipment and procedures to keep contaminants out and maintain the required level of cleanliness. They are a quick-to-apply solution that helps collect dirt from footwear and the underside of wheeled items brought into the room. They can be placed where they are needed most and refreshed by removing a used layer when it becomes soiled.
Our product is made from thin layers of polyethylene film coated with adhesive. The full-width adhesive backing secures the mat to the floor and is designed to resist adhesive transfer, sheet-to-sheet delamination, distortion, and slippage. Each mat contains 30 removable, numbered sheets for quick and easy maintenance. No frame is required.
Why Do Sticky Mats Matter in Contamination Control?
Air filtration addresses airborne particles, but not every contaminant enters through the air-handling system. People, carts, tools, and materials can carry dust and debris across floors and into sensitive work areas. In one ISO Class 5 cleanroom application documented by researchers, sticky mats were used at the entrance to help prevent particles carried on cleanroom boot covers from entering the space.
Adhesive floor mats help reduce that tracked-in contamination before it moves deeper into the controlled space. They are not a replacement for HEPA filtration, proper gowning, cleaning procedures, or other contamination-control practices. Instead, they work as one practical part of a broader approach to keeping the environment clean.
Where Should They Be Placed?
Placement can make a major difference in how effectively a mat is used. Common locations include:
- At entrances to controlled areas
- Near gowning or changing spaces
- At material transfer points
- Along paths used by carts or wheeled equipment
- Just outside critical work areas where tracked-in particles need to be reduced
The mat should be positioned so employees and equipment naturally pass over it rather than around it. It should also provide enough surface area for shoes and wheels to make good contact with the tacky layer.
How to Use Them
- Lay out at entrances or other transition points where they are most useful for removing dirt.
- Prepare the floor before installation so the surface is clean and the backing can adhere properly.
- Allow enough mat area for footwear and wheels to make full contact with the sticky surface.
- If possible, choose a color that makes collected dirt easy to see.
- Inspect the exposed sheet regularly and replace it when it becomes dirty or loses effectiveness. Modular Cleanrooms notes that replacement is typically needed around every 50 passes.
Each mat has 30 layers, allowing for multiple uses. When removing the top sheet, avoid ripping it off quickly, which can disturb collected particles. Instead, locate the numbered tab and slowly pull the used sheet upward, rolling it inward as you go.
Add Adhesive Mats to Your Cleanroom Strategy
Adhesive floor mats are a simple way to help address contamination carried by foot and equipment traffic. When used with filtration, cleaning, gowning, and proper facility procedures, they can support a cleaner workspace.
Modular Cleanrooms offers disposable adhesive mats for cleanroom, microelectronics, and medical applications, along with other consumable supplies. Our team can also assist with cleanroom design, components, testing, and certification. Contact Modular Cleanrooms to learn more about products that can support your controlled environment.