Home > Wet Cleaning, Dry Cleaning and Sanitizing Methods

Common cleaning methods used in food processing:

• Manual Cleaning

When we clean our premises and equipment by hand using water, detergents, brushes, scourers, cloths, etc. in other words we use our ‘elbow grease’.

If we have to pull equipment apart in order to clean and sanitize to, the pieces, once cleaned, should be placed on a rubber mat or metal cart designed for that purpose.

• Soaking

Here we pull apart equipment and soak it in detergent.

• CIP (Cleaning in Place)

This method is largely automatic. The equipment is not dismantled; it remains “in place”. Cleaning and sanitizing solutions are pumped through the equipment with enough speed and turbulence to replace our ‘elbow grease’.

• Foaming

Foaming is often used to sanitize the internal factory walls and the external surfaces of equipment. A foaming solution of sanitizer and water is sprayed onto the surface using special equipment. The foam is left there for a period of time and then rinsed off the water.

• High pressure

A solution of water and detergent is sprayed onto the surface be cleaned under high pressure.

This method can be used to clean floors, walls, and non-mechanical equipment. It is not used to clean mechanical equipment since under such high-pressure water can easily penetrate electrical panels, gear boxes and other sensitive places.

• Fogging

Using specialized equipment, a fine mist of sanitizer is distributed throughout the factory (or an area of the factory). The area being fogged must be sealed off by closing all windows, doors, etc. people are not permitted in the area being fogged as it may affect their health.

Fogging is used to get into all the tiny nooks and crannies that cannot be reached by normal cleaning methods.

By varying the methods, we use (and the chemicals) we can remove the different types of soil which occur in food premises. The following table investigates this further.

Steps in Wet Cleaning and Sanitizing:

The steps in the cleaning and sanitizing remain the same no matter what method we use.

• Dry Preparation

This involves removing loose material from equipment and surrounds by, for example, sweeping floors, removing food from equipment, and dismantling equipment. It simply makes cleaning easier.

• Pre-Rinse

We use water (usually hot water) to flush away as much dirt as we can.

This allows the detergent to do a better job.

• Cleanse

We use detergents to remove the dirt that rinsing could not.

• Rinse

We flush the surfaces with water in order to remove food residues and detergent. If detergent is left on the equipment, it will get mixed up with the sanitizer, reducing its effectiveness.

• Sanitize

If the surface is free of dirt, the sanitizer will kill microorganisms.

• Final Rinse

The final rinse removes sanitizers from surfaces so that we do not end up with chemicals in our products.

Dry Cleaning:

Better control of microorganisms can be achieved in food premises that process dry ingredients and foods by using dry cleaning techniques.

Examples of such processors are flour millers, cereal manufacturers, biscuit processors, and processors of dry milk products.

There are several other reasons why these premises should be dry cleaned.

• If water contacts these low moisture foods they may become organoleptically unacceptable.
• Bringing water into contact with some hygroscopic ingredients (e.g. gelatin, gums) can result in the formation of hard deposits which are very difficult to remove.
• The equipment used for handling dry foods is usually not designed for wet cleaning.

Above all, it is not necessary to wet clean in dry food premises since as long as the equipment and environment remain dry, microbial growth will not occur.

Sweeping, dusting, scrapping, vacuuming and wiping with an food grade solvent are all valid means of dry cleaning. The use of high air pressure to blow the dirt away is to be avoided as it just ends up settling somewhere else.

Cleaning Guidelines:

• During clean-up all cleaned equipment parts, pipes and cleaning aids are placed on rubber mats or metal carts specially designed for such purposes.
• Chemicals are clearly labelled & stored away from food to prevent contamination and \ or their being mistaken for food ingredients.
• Cleaning equipment is kept in a designated location.
• Wet Cleaning brushes are hung up to dry.
• Cleaning equipment is in good repair and is effectively cleaned.
• Steel wool, metal brushes, scouring pads and other abrasive cleaning materials are not used (PROHIBITED).
• When not is use, clean-up hoses are neatly coiled and stored off the floor.
• Water hoses are not left running.
• Cleaning hoses are not used to supply water to products.
• Foot baths are located at the entrances to processing (e.g., from the lab into processing, maintenance into processing etc).
• The mats in foot baths are saturated with the appropriate strength of sanitizing solution and are cleaned regularly.

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