The optimization of the cleaning process is critical for decreasing operational costs, downtime and for achieving the sustainability goals set by the company (such as the reduction of water, chemistry, and energy consumption).
The challenges commonly faced by the industry were described in the first article of this two-part series. The aim of this second article is to provide an initial guidance on how to optimise cleaning procedures, from the choice of chemistry, to the correct setup of the equipment available on site, and all while compliant with the requirements set by the industry.
1. Initial guidance for an optimised cleaning procedure
Any hygiene procedure on a personal care site requires cleaning process understanding to ensure reliable and consistent cleaning performance. The objective of section 2.1 is to provide an initial guidance on the parameters that have an impact on the cleaning results, that should be tracked during the cleaning operation.
In section 2.2, a more in-depth overview of the different cleaning methods is provided, as well as some indications on how to best optimise the cleaning procedures, taking into consideration the possible limits of the equipment available onsite.
2.1 Basics on cleaning parameters — Sinner Circle
Parameters influencing cleaning are simply described within the Sinner Circle1.
To achieve a right first time cleaning, the effects of the four parameters must form the complete circle, compensating for each other; when one segment is less effective, the others compensate. Below some considerations on each of these parameters:
2.2 The main cleaning methods: indications for an optimised procedure
Parameter |
Manual cleaning |
COP / Soaking application |
CIP process |
Temperature |
Ambient – 45°C Hot water from tap might be too high in temperature |
Ambient – 95°C Consider time needed to fill the object and heat up to required temperature |
Ambient – 95°C No time loss as solution is stored at use temperature |
Chemicals used |
Manual detergents Consider operator safety |
Manual and CIP detergents Detergents dosed into system manually (consider operator safety) |
CIP detergents Automatic dosing therefore safe process |
Concentration |
Manually dosed (some operators consider more detergent = better cleaning) |
Manually dosed (some operators consider more detergent = better cleaning) |
Automatic dosing Concentration can be tracked by e.g. conductivity (to facilitate validation) |
Time |
Often quick cleaning process but complete dismantling required |
Long cleaning time due to fill up the equipment completely and get to cleaning temperature |
Quick cleaning as only the time needed for cleaning is used (no heat up etc) |
Mechanical action |
High By using sponges, brushes, mops etc but operator dependent |
Low Often only agitator can be used and additional manual cleaning needed |
Medium – High If correct CIP tools used (can even be controlled by pressure check at spray device) |
Validation |
Hard to achieve Manual cleaning processes should be verified at frequent intervals |
Hard to achieve A lot of manual documentation required to capture cleaning times, concentrations and temperatures |
Achievable Main cleaning parameters are documented by the CIP system automatically |
Table 1: Overview of different cleaning applications and process parameters
Summary
The combination of chemistry, temperature, cleaning time and mechanical action directly impacts the results of the cleaning. Some of these parameters are limited by the equipment available onsite and they should all be tracked during the cleaning operation, to identify possible inefficiencies that can lead to high operational costs, long downtime, high water and energy consumption. These inefficiencies can be addressed to hygiene partners like detergent suppliers that can support the manufacturer with the optimization of the cleaning procedures, from the choice of the chemistry to the implementation onsite, according to the cleaning applications available.
Peer Review
The authors wish to thank our peer reviewer Paola Piantanida for reviewing this article and for providing insightful comments and helpful suggestions.
References
1. Zeitschrift Getränkeindustrie 11/2004: Der Sinner'sche Kreis: Basis einer erfolgreichen Reinigung und Desinfektion.
2. American Society for Testing and Materials E3106 "Standard Guide for Science-Based and Risk-Based Cleaning Process Development and Validation" www.astm.org.
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