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Optimising factory cleaning 
Factory cleaning is essential but also incurs costs. With the prospect of these rising, the relationship between the forces, chemicals and temperatures applied to surfaces and their inherent costs has been explored. This will help industry appreciate where the greatest costs are incurred and optimise these - for example, through better use of water, cleaning chemicals and energy. Stainless steel surfaces were coated with a biofilm of Pseudomonas aeruginosa on a purpose built rig to measure water spray pressures and the degree of removal of the micro-organism. The surfaces were cleaned using hot or cold water with various application pressures, with and without cleaning chemical. Greatest removal was achieved using a detergent followed by a water spray, though this was also the most costly option. Without detergent, hot water was also much more effective than cold water, and less costly than the use of detergent. Interestingly, over the range tested, impact pressure did not significantly affect microbial removal. Increased wash time did significantly increase removal when using cold water, though the longer washes necessary for the greatest effect are unlikely to be practicable. Contact: Dr Dean Burfoot |