Any commercial cleaning company will advocate using dry ice for cleaning sensitive machines parts in food processing industries. Dry ice blasting is a safe method for effectively cleaning machines delicately aside from normal cleaning. It was patented in 1995 as a cleaning and polishing method
It is also a great alternative to other forms of blast cleaning like soda and sandblasting because it is cheaper and more practical to use. It also doesn’t ruin equipment and mechanical parts like chemical cleaning or manual scrubbing.
For these reasons and more, most industries that deal with consumables opt for dry ice blasting for most of their heavy cleaning. This article will highlight some key benefits of using dry ice for cleaning in food processing plants.
Benefits of Dry Ice for Food Processing Facilities
1. Non-Toxic
In an industry centered on the health and safety of consumers, any toxic substance in products could spell doom for an entire enterprise. For this reason, most food companies clean machine parts with dry ice because it is non-toxic.
Dry ice is basically frozen carbon dioxide—odorless, colorless, tasteless and non-toxic substance. This substance has received the nod from EPA, FDA, and the Department of Agriculture for use in food processing plants. Dry ice is also non-toxic to the environment, so you can ditch cleaning agents with harmful chemicals for this environmentally friendlier alternative.
2. No Debris from Cleaning
Carbon dioxide blasting doesn’t leave any secondary wastage after the cleaning process since the carbon dioxide pellets sublimate the instant they hit the surface they are meant to clean, lifting off the dirt as the carbon dioxide evaporates. This means no residue which may clog up machine parts, no moisture that may affect electrical components and no waste which may contaminate the food.
Any commercial cleaning company will prefer CO2 dry blasting because it saves them time and saves the client a lot of money too in terms of overall cleaning. Dry ice blasting will eliminate the need for cleaning the residue, wrapping up electrical components to waterproof them and masking delicate sensors.
3. Great for Productivity
What makes dry ice blasting such a great cleaning solution is that machines can still operate during the cleaning process. CO2 is also non-conductive meaning it won’t affect any electrical machine parts.
So if you find your commercial cleaning company blasting away while your workers are busy at work, don’t fret, both the cleaning and food processing activities can be done simultaneously. This translates to more production cycles for the company, which will help boost profits.
4. Promotes Longevity of Machines and Equipment
Unlike water and soda blasting, dry ice blasting won’t corrode any machine parts or encourage wear and tear since CO2 is an inert substance and also doesn’t conduct electricity. In the long run, your machines will still work efficiently and won’t need frequent repairs.
5. Promotes Workers’ Safety
Since dry ice is non-toxic, workers can work safely during and after the cleaning process . So you’ll be doing your workers a huge favor and also building your company’s reputation when you adopt dry ice blasting as your preferred cleaning method.
This is a better option compared to harmful chemical-based cleaning agents that are corrosive to machines parts, toxic to the human body, and bad for the environment. Blasting also allows the cleaners to work at a safe distance away from any moving machine parts that may cause accidental injuries.
6. Non-Abrasive
Abrasion is a word every factory and business, even a commercial cleaning company, hates to hear since this is the leading cause of machine faults in most industries. Dry ice sublimates after hitting any surface and hence cannot aggravate any surfaces, the same, however, can’t be said about sandblasting.
All in all, any commercial cleaning company would tell you that dry ice blasting is hands down the best cleaning method for food processing plants for its overwhelming benefits. Commercial cleaning companies offer dry ice blasting at varying prices, depending on the plant and the commercial cleaning company. What’s clear, however, is that dry ice blasting is worth every penny.
