Q
How is this tape used?
A
It can provide much cleaner air exchange. It’s often used as a cheap alternative to SFD’s.
Home / Mushroom Cultivation / Sterile & Lab Equipment / 3M Breathable Micropore Tape
Genuine 3M
Sterile & Lab Equipment
3M Breathable Micropore Tape
Genuine 3M Micropore paper tape, 1.25cm by 9.1m. A breathable, latex-free seal for inoculation points, plate edges and lid holes that lets air and water vapour through while keeping out larger airborne dust and debris.
★★★★★ 5.0 · 29 reviews£2.50
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One roll covers many jars, plates and bags.
Genuine 3M
White Micropore paper tape, made by 3M (now Solventum), latex-free
White Micropore paper tape, made by 3M (now Solventum), latex-free
Survives the pressure cooker
Holds up through a pressure-cook run when applied before sterilising
Holds up through a pressure-cook run when applied before sterilising
Breathable cover
Microporous paper passes air and water vapour while keeping out larger dust and debris
Microporous paper passes air and water vapour while keeping out larger dust and debris
BrandGenuine 3M Micropore
Width1.25cm
Length9.1m per roll
ColourWhite
MaterialMicroporous non-woven paper, viscose rayon backing, acrylate adhesive, latex-free
SterilisingSurvives a pressure-cook run if applied first; single-use after
The short version
3M Micropore is a thin, white, non-woven paper tape with a gentle acrylate adhesive. In the lab it works as a cheap, gas-permeable cover: over the puncture in a self-healing port, across an air hole in a jar lid, or around the rim of an agar plate.
It lets fresh air and water vapour through while keeping out larger airborne dust and debris. It is not a microbial or sterile barrier, and 3M does not claim it filters or blocks microorganisms. It survives a pressure-cook run if you apply it before sterilising, though it becomes single-use after that. On grain jars it is best paired with a second filter layer, not used on its own.
What it is
What this tape actually is
This is genuine 3M Micropore surgical paper tape, 1.25cm wide and 9.1m long per roll. It is a conformable non-woven paper tape (viscose rayon backing) with a gentle acrylate adhesive, and it is not made with natural rubber latex.
The paper is microporous. It passes air and water vapour while keeping out larger airborne dust and debris. It is not a microbial or sterile barrier, and 3M does not claim it filters or blocks microorganisms. That breathability is why it is used so widely in mushroom and tissue-culture work: it gives you gas exchange and a light cover in one cheap strip.
How to use it
Using it in the lab and on the grow
1
Seal agar plates
Run a strip around the seam of a Petri dish to hold the lid on while still letting the culture breathe. It is more breathable than wrapping a plate fully in film, and it peels off cleanly when you transfer.
2
Cover inoculation points
After you inject or inoculate through a hole in a lid or bag, press a patch of tape over the puncture. It keeps the entry point covered while the culture colonises and lets gas exchange continue. A self-healing injection port does the same job for repeated jabs; tape suits a one-off hole.
3
Make a lid air filter
Cover a gas exchange hole in a jar lid or tub with tape so fresh air can pass while larger dust and debris are kept out. On grain jars, layer it over a Tyvek patch (Tyvek under, tape over) rather than using tape alone, because grain has no dry barrier of its own to fall back on.
4
Sterilise in place
Apply the tape before a pressure-cook run and it will come through intact. Cover the lid and tape with foil first so condensation does not soak the tape and wick into the jar. After a run the adhesive sets hard and the tape is single-use, so plan to leave it on rather than peel and reuse it.
Limits
Where it is not the right tool
On grain jars, micropore tape on its own is not a reliable contaminant barrier. It wets easily, and growers report it can develop tiny tears where air keeps moving through it, which gives mould a way in over time. Pair it with a Tyvek patch, or use a proper synthetic filter disc, for grain.
It is also not a steam-sterile dressing tape. 3M does not list autoclaving as a sterilisation method for the product itself. It survives the heat as a breathable cover, which is the only thing that matters here, but do not treat a pressure-cooked roll as medically sterile.
Store the roll somewhere cool and dry, out of direct sun, so the adhesive stays usable. Keep it clean and only handle the working face when you need to.
This is paper tape, not a sealed gasket. It is meant to breathe, so it will not make anything airtight or waterproof.
Common questions
Frequently asked
Yes, if you apply it before the run. Cover the lid and tape with foil first so condensation does not soak it. The adhesive sets hard afterwards, so treat it as single-use.
No. 3M does not list autoclaving as a sterilising method for the tape itself. It works as a breathable cover through the heat, but do not call it a sterile dressing.
It is best paired with a Tyvek patch on grain (Tyvek under, tape over). Grain has no dry barrier, it wets easily, and tape alone is not a reliable contaminant filter there.
Yes. The paper is microporous, so it passes air and water vapour while keeping out larger airborne dust and debris. It is not a microbial or sterile barrier, and 3M does not claim it filters or blocks microorganisms.
It holds on damp surfaces, which is why it suits moist jars and bags, but it is not waterproof and will wet through if soaked.
Yes, this is genuine 3M Micropore paper tape, latex-free, in the 1.25cm by 9.1m roll.
What customers say
Reviews
★★★★★ 5.0 from 29 reviews ✓ All from verified purchases
★★★★★✓ VerifiedOrdered 2 Mar 2022 · Reviewed 19 Apr 2022
Currently using on my agar plates, no issues
0
★★★★★✓ VerifiedReviewed 2 Jun 2025
It's tape
0
★★★★★✓ VerifiedReviewed 5 Feb 2024
Lovely
0
★★★★★✓ VerifiedOrdered 22 Jul 2021 · Reviewed 6 Aug 2021
Lovely tape
0
★★★★★✓ VerifiedOrdered 22 Aug 2023 · Reviewed 6 Sep 2023
It’s micropore, how do you review that ? 😂😂😂
0
★★★★★✓ VerifiedOrdered 30 Jun 2022 · Reviewed 21 Jul 2022
Very high quality and very useful for effective clean air exchange.
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