Cleaning, Sanitation in Food Industries

The primary objective of cleaning in Food Industry is to remove the residue in the machinery on which bacteria grow and to rid all the surface areas including walls of any physical impurities. 

Efficient methods

 The most popular and often used method to remove surface deposits is to clean with a Pressure Washer of about 15 lpm flow & 150 bar pressure. The size and type of pressure washer will be determined by the area and type of machinery being cleaned and the level of cleanliness required. The type would normally be a hot water pressure washer with a steam nozzle option for deeper cleaning like ‘HOT WATER MODEL – 6970’ from Astol Cleantech (P) Ltd.

Alternatively, a standalone Dry Professional Steam Cleaner generating about 9– 2 bar steam pressure might be more appropriate for some applications. This cleaning equipment is available as static or portable unit but the selection of the correct unit is determined by the requirement of the equipment used in the process. A preferred one shall be a Mobile Unit for its convenience to be carried to the point of use – the applications surfaces. Model steam cleaner supplied by Astol Cleantech is ‘GV KATLA.’ 

Customized Cleaning

The processes followed in food industry are normally same every day and therefore, the cleaning requirements are also more or less likely to be similar. The procedure for cleaning food industry machinery is to clean surfaces with the appropriate chemicals followed by rinsing and applying a sanitizing agent to reduce microorganisms to a safe level. To achieve the correct level of hygiene, it is better to install a customised system which allows the process to be carried out to the correct standard. - See more at: Click here

Selecting the right Floor Scrubber

Cleaning floors in theindustrial or commercial environment has to be done regularly because of both hygiene and safety. We have many things to thank gravity for, but as far as any floor is concerned it makes every unwanted speck of dirt or spillage locates itself on top of it. Fortunately cleaning the floor is not as onerous as it used to be thanks to the wide range of industrial cleaning machines now available which saves time and effort (imagine cleaning a floor with a mop and bucket!) One of the most useful machines is the floor scrubber which not only cleans the floor but dries it as well.

How it works

The floor scrubber imitates the action of manual scrubbing by using mechanically driven brushes or pads which rotate to agitate a detergent solution into the floor. The resultant dirty residue is then collected by a system of squeegees at the back of the machine and vacuumed up into a storage tank in the machine for later disposal. This process not only cleans the floor but leaves it dry enough to be used normally after cleaning. Floor scrubbers come in a wide variety of sizes and configurations, from a small push along machine for small areas to a powered ride-on version for cleaning large areas, and there is quite a range of different floor scrubbers in between!

Some things to consider before choosing a floor scrubber to buy or hire

•  What types of surfaces will it be required to clean? Concrete, tiled surfaces, wood or even carpet will need machines with the right attachments.
•  Is the noise level of the machine important? If the cleaning is to be done in working hours or in a public area, the noise level will be a significant factor.
• How tough is the machine? A floor scrubber used in a commercial or industrial environment will typically take a few knocks. Can it stand up to it?
•  Is the machine well designed for operator use? A poorly designed machine can make using it unnecessarily difficult and can lead to operator fatigue which is not only bad for the operator but also interferes with the effective cleaning.
•  Are the controls straightforward to use? Using a floor scrubber should be able to be done by anyone with the minimum of training
• Can spares be readily supplied? All machines with moving parts will need maintenance at some time and things like brushes and pads wear out and need replacing. Check to make sure there won’t be a problem in the future.
• How manoeuvrable is the machine? You want the scrubber to clean all the floor area and that may include some more out of the way areas with limited access, make sure the machine will do what you want it to.

These are some of the criteria to consider before buying or hiring a floor scrubber. 

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Buying guide for floor cleaning equipment

Some things to consider before buying or hiring floor cleaning equipment:

•  Think about what types of surface (or surfaces) are to be cleaned. If there are different surfaces will a single machine be able to cope?
•  The physical size of the cleaning area determines the size of machine needed. The cleaning width of the floor sweeper or scrubber dyer will give an indication of how much cleaning can be done, and most machines give a floor area performance indication in their technical details to show the area that can be cleaned in an hour.
• The power source is important – mains, rechargeable battery or engine powered. The type of motive power is determined mainly by the physical area being cleaned, for a smaller area a mains powered machine is probably adequate, but the complication of a trailing lead becomes more significant, and potentially hazardous, in larger areas where battery power would be better.
• The type of dirt or debris being removed should also be considered. Light dust or deposits will require a machine of different duty than oily or hard to remove dirt.
• An industrial floor cleaning machine is often used in an environment where it can be subject to knocks and bangs so robustness is important to ensure good service and machine longevity.

There is much to think about before buying floor cleaning equipment and before buying it might be an idea to hire a similar machine to make sure it is the right type for you purposes. Because of the complexity and variety of these machines it is advisable and obvious really, to get advice from a reliable source in order to make an informed decision, as it is a significant financial commitment.