How to Perform an Operations Washdown in a Food & Beverage Manufacturing Facility

A Practical Guide to GMP Cleaning, 5S, and Equipment Protection

Whether you produce beer, spirits, wine, kombucha, dairy products, soft drinks, or prepared foods, cleaning does not stop when the tanks are empty.

An effective operations washdown removes product residue, reduces contamination risks, protects equipment, and prepares the production area for the next run. It supports Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) while improving employee safety, equipment reliability, and production efficiency.

Many facilities have detailed Clean-In-Place procedures for tanks and piping but give less attention to floors, conveyors, drains, workstations, equipment exteriors, and storage areas. Even a successful CIP cycle cannot compensate for a poorly maintained production environment.

If you are cleaning the inside of tanks, piping, and process equipment, read our Clean-In-Place (CIP) Guide. This article focuses on cleaning the production area surrounding that equipment.

Understanding CIP, COP, and Operations Cleaning

Cleaning in a food or beverage facility generally falls into three categories. Each method serves a different purpose.

No single cleaning method replaces another. An effective sanitation program combines CIP, COP, and routine operations cleaning.

Clean-In-Place (CIP)

Clean-In-Place is the process of cleaning the inside of process equipment without taking it apart. Water, detergents, acids, and sanitizers are circulated through tanks, piping, pumps, fillers, and heat exchangers to clean product-contact surfaces.

Clean-Out-of-Place (COP)

Some components cannot be cleaned effectively while assembled. Valves, spray balls, gaskets, clamps, and other removable parts may need to be taken apart, cleaned separately, inspected, and reassembled before production resumes.

Operations Cleaning

Operations cleaning focuses on the production environment surrounding the process equipment. It may include dry cleaning, wiping, foaming, rinsing, floor cleaning, drain cleaning, sanitizing, and final inspection.

A tank may complete a successful CIP cycle while syrup remains on the floor around it, creating a slip hazard and attracting pests. Likewise, a spotless production floor does not guarantee that the inside of a tank is clean. All three approaches must work together.

Using 5S to Improve Cleaning and Food Safety

Many food and beverage manufacturers use a workplace organization system known as 5S. Although it is often associated with productivity, 5S also supports sanitation by making work areas easier to clean, inspect, and maintain.

Sort

Remove unnecessary tools, damaged packaging, empty ingredient containers, scrap materials, and equipment that is not required for production. Clutter creates places for dirt and pests to accumulate and makes cleaning more difficult.

Set in Order

Give hoses, brushes, squeegees, chemicals, PPE, and production tools a designated storage location. Employees should be able to find what they need and return it after use.

Shine

Clean and inspect at the same time. A washdown is an opportunity to identify leaks, loose fasteners, cracked hoses, worn gaskets, corrosion, or damaged guards before they cause downtime.

Standardize

Use written procedures, schedules, labels, photographs, checklists, floor markings, and shadow boards so cleaning is performed consistently.

Sustain

Make cleaning and organization part of daily operations rather than relying on occasional deep cleaning. A few minutes of consistent attention is often more effective than a major cleanup after conditions have deteriorated.

The objective of 5S is not simply to make a facility look tidy. It should leave the production area clean, organized, easy to inspect, and ready for the next run.

Steps to Perform an Operations Washdown

A successful washdown follows a clear sequence. Remove loose material first, clean from high areas to low areas, protect sensitive equipment, and complete a final inspection before returning the area to production.

1. Prepare the Area and Work Safely

Stop production and make sure the area is safe to clean. Employees should wear the personal protective equipment required for the chemicals and equipment being used. This may include gloves, goggles, protective clothing, slip-resistant footwear, or face protection.

Review chemical labels and Safety Data Sheets before use. Equipment should be shut down, isolated, and locked out where cleaning could expose employees to moving parts, stored energy, electricity, hot surfaces, or other hazards.

Remove exposed ingredients, packaging, finished products, and portable equipment from the washdown area. Gather the required hoses, brushes, detergents, squeegees, and waste containers before starting.

2. Remove Waste and Clutter

Remove cardboard, plastic wrap, empty containers, broken pallets, damaged packaging, unused tools, and general waste. Cleaning around clutter is not effective cleaning.

This step supports the Sort principle of 5S and prevents packaging debris from being washed into drains.

3. Dry Clean Before Using Water

Whenever possible, sweep, vacuum, scrape, or collect dry material before turning on a hose.

Flour, sugar, malt dust, coffee, fruit pulp, labels, and powdered ingredients can become sticky pastes when water is added. Removing them dry reduces wastewater, makes cleaning easier, and helps prevent blocked drains.

Use dedicated tools where required. Brushes used for drains should not also be used on work tables, equipment, or higher-risk surfaces.

4. Apply the Correct Cleaning Chemical

Select a detergent that is suitable for the residue and compatible with the equipment, flooring, seals, metals, plastics, and coatings in the area.

Follow the chemical manufacturer's instructions for concentration, temperature, contact time, and rinsing. More chemical does not automatically produce better cleaning and may increase the risk of corrosion, residues, employee exposure, or unnecessary wastewater treatment costs.

5. Use Mechanical Action

Cleaning chemicals loosen residue, but they do not always remove it by themselves. Mechanical action may include brushing, wiping, scraping, floor scrubbing, or controlled water flow.

Pay attention to corners, joints, equipment feet, brackets, guards, and other areas where residue collects. Use tools that are suitable for the surface. Overly aggressive brushes or pads can scratch stainless steel or damage protective coatings.

6. Clean Equipment Exteriors

Clean equipment from the top down so residue does not fall onto surfaces that have already been washed.

This may include tank exteriors, legs, pumps, piping supports, conveyors, fillers, cappers, machine frames, guards, work tables, handles, and operator touchpoints.

Do not assume every machine should be cleaned with a hose or pressure washer. Motors, bearings, sensors, electrical panels, and control screens may require wiping, controlled rinsing, covering, or another approved method.

7. Clean Floors and Drains

Once equipment and elevated surfaces are clean, wash the floors and direct water toward the appropriate drains using squeegees or approved floor-cleaning equipment.

Remove solids before they reach the drain. Pay attention to areas under equipment, floor-wall joints, tank feet, conveyor supports, low spots, and damaged flooring.

Standing water should not be considered normal. It creates slip hazards, supports microbial growth, and may indicate blocked drains, poor floor slope, or damaged flooring.

Drains should have their own cleaning tools and procedures. Simply pushing product residue into a drain moves the problem rather than solving it.

8. Rinse and Sanitize Where Required

Rinse away loosened soil and detergent as required. Some surfaces may also need sanitizing, particularly where there is a risk of product contact or cross-contamination.

Cleaning removes soil. Sanitizing reduces microorganisms on a surface that has already been cleaned. Sanitizer should not be used as a substitute for detergent cleaning.

Follow the sanitizer manufacturer's instructions for concentration, contact time, temperature, compatibility, and final rinsing.

9. Restore the Work Area

Return hoses, brushes, squeegees, buckets, tools, chemicals, and PPE to their designated locations.

Drain hoses and store them off the floor. Clean brushes and squeegees, allow them to dry, and store them in a way that prevents cross-contamination.

10. Perform a Final Inspection

Walk through the area as if you were the next operator arriving to begin production.

Look for remaining residue, standing water, leaks, open chemical containers, forgotten tools, blocked drains, damaged hoses, loose guards, or equipment that is not ready for use.

Document the cleaning according to your facility's procedures and report any maintenance, safety, or sanitation concerns before the equipment returns to service.

Protecting Equipment During Cleaning

Cleaning should extend equipment life, not shorten it. Before using a hose or pressure washer, understand how the equipment was designed to be cleaned.

Not Every Machine Should Be Pressure Washed

A common misconception is that higher pressure always means better cleaning. Pressure washers may be useful for floors and certain heavily soiled surfaces, but they are not appropriate for every machine.

High-pressure water can force moisture past seals, remove lubricant from bearings, damage electrical connectors, lift coatings, and spread contamination through aerosols.

Begin with the least aggressive method that will effectively remove the soil. Foaming detergents, brushes, low-pressure rinse hoses, and sufficient contact time are often more effective than water pressure alone.

Washdown Tip: Water-resistant does not mean pressure-washer safe. Before cleaning electrical equipment, bearings, motors, sensors, or control panels, verify the manufacturer's cleaning instructions and the equipment's NEMA or IP rating.

Understanding NEMA and IP Ratings

Electrical enclosures are often rated using either NEMA or IP standards. These ratings describe protection against dust and water, but they do not mean all cleaning methods are acceptable.

Rating	Typical Protection
NEMA 4	Rain, splashing water, and hose-directed water
NEMA 4X	NEMA 4 protection with additional corrosion resistance
IP65	Dust-tight and protected against low-pressure water jets
IP66	Dust-tight and protected against stronger water jets
IP69K	Designed for high-pressure, high-temperature washdown

A NEMA 4 or IP65 enclosure is not automatically suitable for close-range pressure washing. Directing high-pressure water at seals, cable entries, push buttons, or displays can still force moisture into the enclosure.

Inspect While You Clean

During cleaning, look for damaged hoses, worn gaskets, loose fasteners, oil or product leaks, corrosion, damaged conduit, missing guards, unusual vibration, or other signs of wear.

Finding a small problem during cleaning is much easier than discovering it after production has started.

Choosing and Using Cleaning Chemicals Safely

Different residues require different cleaners, and not every chemical is compatible with every material.

• Alkaline cleaners are commonly used for proteins, fats, sugars, and other organic residues.
• Acid cleaners help remove mineral scale, beerstone, milkstone, and other inorganic deposits.
• Neutral detergents may be appropriate for lighter cleaning or sensitive surfaces.
• Sanitizers reduce microorganisms after cleaning but do not replace detergent cleaning.

Always follow both the chemical supplier's instructions and the equipment manufacturer's cleaning recommendations. Pay attention to concentration, water temperature, contact time, rinsing, and material compatibility.

Bleach and Chlorine-Based Cleaners

Bleach and other chlorine-based products can be effective, but they may damage stainless steel and other materials when used incorrectly.

Excessive concentration, long contact times, repeated exposure, or inadequate rinsing can contribute to staining and pitting corrosion. Pay close attention to maximum contact times and required rinse procedures.

Chemical Compatibility Warning: Bleach and chlorine-based cleaners can damage stainless steel if used incorrectly. More chemical or longer exposure does not necessarily improve cleaning. Follow the chemical supplier's instructions and the equipment manufacturer's recommendations.

Never Mix Cleaning Chemicals

Only mix chemicals when specifically instructed by the manufacturer. Mixing bleach with an acidic cleaner, for example, can release hazardous chlorine gas.

Keep chemical containers labelled and sealed, store incompatible products separately, and make Safety Data Sheets available to employees.

Common Operations Cleaning Mistakes

Even experienced facilities can fall into habits that make cleaning less effective or damage equipment. Watch for these common mistakes:

• Using water before removing dry debris: Water can turn flour, sugar, grain dust, coffee, and powders into difficult-to-remove pastes. Dry clean first whenever practical.
• Using sanitizer instead of cleaning: Sanitizer does not remove dirt, grease, proteins, or product residue. Clean first, then sanitize where required.
• Using too much chemical: Excessive concentrations may increase corrosion, costs, residues, and rinsing requirements without improving cleaning.
• Pressure washing everything: Bearings, motors, sensors, touchscreens, and electrical enclosures may require lower-pressure cleaning or manual wiping.
• Ignoring hidden areas: Residue often collects under conveyors, behind guards, around equipment feet, beneath piping, and inside drains.
• Using the same tools everywhere: Drain brushes and floor-cleaning tools should not be used on equipment or food-contact surfaces. Colour coding can help separate tools by area.
• Leaving standing water: A successful washdown removes water as well as soil. Persistent puddles may indicate drainage or flooring problems that need correction.
• Skipping the final inspection: A short walkthrough can identify residue, forgotten tools, leaks, blocked drains, or equipment damage before production resumes.

Daily Operations Washdown Checklist

Before Cleaning

• ☐ Production has stopped safely.
• ☐ Required PPE is being worn.
• ☐ Chemicals have been prepared correctly.
• ☐ Ingredients and finished products have been removed or protected.

Production Area

• ☐ Waste, cardboard, and packaging have been removed.
• ☐ Loose powders and debris have been dry cleaned.
• ☐ Equipment exteriors have been cleaned.
• ☐ Floors and drains have been cleaned.
• ☐ Standing water has been removed.

Equipment and Organization

• ☐ Electrical equipment was cleaned using an appropriate method.
• ☐ Motors, bearings, and sensors were protected from unnecessary high-pressure water.
• ☐ Hoses have been drained and stored off the floor.
• ☐ Cleaning tools have been cleaned and returned.
• ☐ Chemicals have been sealed and stored safely.

Final Inspection

• ☐ No visible residue remains.
• ☐ No standing water remains.
• ☐ Drains are clear.
• ☐ Maintenance concerns have been reported.
• ☐ Equipment is ready for production.
• ☐ Cleaning has been documented.

Conclusion

Effective operations cleaning is about more than making a facility look clean. A consistent program reduces contamination risks, improves employee safety, protects equipment, and helps the next production run begin smoothly.

Combined with effective Clean-In-Place procedures, appropriate Clean-Out-of-Place cleaning, and 5S organization, routine operations cleaning becomes an essential part of Good Manufacturing Practices.

Every facility is different. Cleaning procedures should reflect the products being manufactured, the equipment being used, and the recommendations of equipment and chemical suppliers.

Gorman & Smith supplies sanitary process equipment, fittings, valves, hoses, and technical support for breweries, distilleries, wineries, beverage producers, and food manufacturers across North America.