Earlier today, an incident reminded me of how even clear written communication can sometimes lead to misunderstandings. We were in the middle of a cleaning validation study. The equipment had completed the dirty hold time and had undergone the worst-case cleaning process. At that point, I headed to the lab to get the solvent and other materials ready for collecting surface samples. We left a "dirty" tag on the room with the equipment to ensure no one used the cleaned equipment for production.

However, the supervisor and I didn't realize that the "dirty" sign might also suggest that the room itself needed cleaning. So, when I returned with the vials and swabs for surface sampling, I found the room being cleaned again. This mix-up meant we had to redo the entire process: staining, dirty hold, and the worst-case cleaning. Since that day, I've always used validation-specific signs to avoid any confusion and ensure no activity disrupts our studies.

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