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Chapter 11 Sanitation Equipment.............................................................................
In Chapters 9 and 10, we examined char-
acteristics of cleaning compounds and
sanitizers and suggestions for potential
applications. This chapter provides infor-
mation on cleaning and sanitizing equip-
ment and discusses a systems approach to
cleaning and sanitizing. A variety of clean-
ing equipment, cleaning compounds, and
sanitizers are available, making selection of
the optimal cleaning technique confusing.
There are no cleaning compounds, sanitiz-
ers, or cleaning units available that are truly
all purpose, because such products would
need to possess too many chemical and
physical requirements.
Cleaning is considered to be the use of
mechanical agitation and detergents to
remove visible soil, biofilms, and other resid-
ual soils from the surfaces of equipment,
floors, walls, and other locations in a pro-
duction facility. Sanitizing is the application
of chemicals or chemical treatments to
remove any remaining bacteria or debris that
cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Mechanical cleaning and sanitizing equip-
ment merit serious consideration because it
can reduce cleaning time and improve effi-
ciency. An efficient system can reduce labor
costs by up to 50% and should have a “pay-
out” period of fewer than 24 months. In
addition to labor savings and increased effi-
ciency, a mechanized cleaning unit can more
effectively remove soil from surfaces than
can the hand method.
Management frequently fails to recognize
that there is a technology of cleaning that
should be applied for effective performance.
The well-managed firm should not make
large expenditures for effective cleaning and
sanitizing equipment without hiring skilled
employees to operate the equipment and
qualified management to supervise the opera-
tion. Although many technical representatives
of chemical companies that manufacture
cleaning compounds and sanitizers are quali-
fied to recommend cleaning equipment for
various applications, people who manage
the sanitation program should not rely on
the recommendations of an enthusiastic sales
representative who may not have adequate
technical expertise. It is important to approach
cleaning and sanitizing problems on a techno-
logical basis. The observation of a plant dur-
ing cleanup to evaluate the operation of
cleaning equipment can be used to determine
whether the operation is satisfactory.Sanitation costs
A typical cleaning operation has the fol-
lowing breakdown of costs: