Steam kills 99% of common household germs and bacteria like E.Coli, salmonella, and staph, as well as dust mites and bed bugs. With this in mind, it’s no secret to why industrial conveyor belt cleaning is most efficiently performed with steam cleaning systems and dry ice blasting. If you’re working in an environment that involves the need for conveyor belts, it’s important to sanitize them properly. Here are just a few dos and don’ts to keep in mind during the industrial conveyor belt cleaning process.
DO: Clean often enough.
Depending on the conveyor belt’s purpose and amount of use, it’s important to develop and abide by a specific cleaning schedule for maximum efficiency. Food manufacturing environments tend to need cleaning more than others, but dry ice blasting or steam cleaning can get the job done quickly, allowing it to be performed more often than other methods.
DON’T: Use a method with chemicals.
There are three main types of hazards or contaminants that can cause unsafe food: Biological, chemical, and physical. Biological includes microorganisms; chemical includes cleaning solvents and pest control; and physical means hair, dirt, or other matter. If you’re working in a food manufacturing environment, it’s particularly important to avoid using a cleaning method that involves toxic chemicals that can cause contamination. That’s why steam cleaning and dry ice blasting tend to be safest and most efficient — they use none.
DO: Look for ‘carryback.’
Carryback is a term for conveyor belts when they ‘carry’ debris back into the inner workings of the system, slowing it down and making for inefficiency. If not addressed, this issue can build up and become more and more difficult to eliminate. Cleaning the system often enough is usually sufficient to avoid this issue.
DON’T: Neglect the benefits of industrial conveyor belt cleaners that use steam.
As mentioned, steam-based cleaning methods are usually best for conveyor belts, particularly if they’re located in a food manufacturing environment. But all conveyor belts can be cleaned efficiently with steam cleaning or dry ice blasting.
Ultimately, understanding these dos and don’ts can help you keep your conveyor belts as efficient and sanitized as possible. For more information about industrial conveyor belt cleaners, contact Falcon Prosolutions Inc.