Cleaning is not only a daily chore but a combination of time, chemical energy, mechanical, and thermal energy. Chemical energy exerts more influence on the required results as compared to the other three. This means the chemicals involved should be able bring out the perfect final result. Therefore, it is seen that a small number of products (due to their similar chemical composition) should be able to cover most cleaning activities.
In fact, many industrial cleaners have a broad range of applications. However, the varying cleaning conditions and temperatures mean that the products need to be compatible with a large number of variables. Consequently, to meet the compatibility requirements, the cleaning product range becomes extensive.
Hence, you need in-depth knowledge and experience to choose the perfect cleaning product that matches all the requirements. The following blog post explains some of the various types of industrial cleaning products used in the food processing industry in detail.
Foams And Gels
Before learning more about foams and gels, remember that foams don’t take part in cleaning directly. In fact, you can think of them as just the delivery vehicles that deliver the chemicals to the action site. Similarly, a gel is also a delivery agent that delivers the chemicals to the site and increases the contact’s time.
Foams generally come in contact with solid surfaces and then release the detergent solution on the surface over a period of time. Normally, the longer the foam stays on the surface, the better the results. However, the real performance depends on the selection of the cleaning product that provides the efficient breakage of grime, grease and dirt.
Acid Products
Acid-based cleaners are primarily selected for their ability to remove mineral scale and protein deposits. Acids will not remove grease and fatty particles from surfaces. Keep in mind that during scale removal the emission of CO2 gas is natural. Therefore, it is advised to make sure that the system and surface is vented.
Acidic foams only dissolve minerals and are not effective on any other types of dirt or soil. However, they can be made effective for non-mineral dirt by combining them with binding inorganic components. This is the case with some lime-based soaps or protein scales where calcium plays the role of the binding agent and acidic components perform the scale removal job.
Acids have high consumption and depletion rates, this directly impacts the input time. This means that leaving an acidic detergent on the surface for an hour is nothing but a waste of time when all its chemical energy is used up in the first fifteen minutes. Therefore, monitoring acid strength during the descaling process is essential.
Alkaline Products
Alkaline products act by saponifying fatty materials and emulsifying the resulting surface soil. Alkaline products with potassium hydroxide are easy to rinse and have lesser chances of redepositing as compared to products with sodium hydroxide. This is because potassium hydroxide forms more soluble saponification products as compared to sodium hydroxide.
Remember that alkaline products will not effectively clean the protein films similar to the ones that form on abattoirs and meat slicers. For such surfaces, professional cleaners recommend using chlorinated products.
Alkaline detergents and cleaning products often result in water hardening and cause scale precipitation. To avoid this, products in the alkaline category often have an additional component for scale control, known as scale control agents.
Therefore, it is important to first figure out the hardness of the water being used to dilute the concentrated alkaline cleaning agent. Depending on the hardness of the water choose the final product concentration compatible with the hardness of the water.
Also Read: Top Industrial Cleaning Tips For Better Productivity
Failure to do so will cause scale formation on the surfaces. As the nature of the chemical reactions, the scale-controlling agents in the alkaline products will not dissolve the mineral scales. For this purpose, use acidic detergents.
About Sunrise Industrial Cleaners
Sunrise Industrial Cleaners is an Edmonton-based cleaning products company specializing in industrial-grade cleaning products. We proudly manufacture and supply a comprehensive range of liquid and powdered industrial cleaning and degreasing products accompanied by premium quality car wash soaps and vehicle detailing products.
Our team curates the best industrial cleaning chemicals, soaps, car wash products, and chemical applicators. Learn more about Sunrise Industrial Cleaners and our exquisite offerings. Contact us now for your industrial cleaning needs.
