Guide to efficient tank cleaning
What makes a clean effective?
Any cleaning application has four components that contribute towards its
effectiveness.
1- Time. The longer the cleaning if performed the greater the cleaning.
2- Chemicals. This is the dissolving effect of chemical cleaning fluids including
water.
3- Mechanical action. This is physical action of the cleaning spray to dislodge
residue.
4- Heat. Generally the hotter the cleaning fluid the better the cleaning action.
Increasing any of these 4 components will improve overall cleaning but there will be a cost associated with each. The cost of each of these elements will differ depending on application and there may well be other constraints in place. For example, in food processing applications there will be limits on the types of chemical that can be applied.
Understanding the differential cost of each element is the key to efficient cleaning. Optimising the mix of elements is the process of increasing one element of the mix that has a lower cost (e.g. mechanical action) so that another element that has a higher cost (e.g. heat) can be reduced. The net cleaning power will remain the same but the cost associated with the cleaning process will be reduced. The relative contribution of each of the 4 elements of the cleaning mix can be represented on a Sinner Circle diagram as shown below.