Crate Washing Chemical for Dairies

Crate washing chemical and procedure for dairies

Returned crates carry dried milk, dust and odour back into the plant. Wash them in a crate washer or by hand with a crate detergent such as INNOVA CrateWash, rinse well, sanitise where your QA plan requires it, and dry before stacking. Use INNOVA NeutroKleen where crates or machine parts include soft metals.

By Ashutosh Bhardwaj · Reviewed by the InnovaChem technical team · Updated 6 October 2026

Product: INNOVA CrateWash
Soft metals: INNOVA NeutroKleen
Machine wash: INNOVA MaticWash
Packs: 5 kg and 30 kg

The crate washing cycle

Crate washing cycle
Step	What to do	INNOVA product
1. Pre-rinse	Knock off loose soil and rinse	Water
2. Wash	Wash in the crate washer or by hand	INNOVA CrateWash
3. Rinse	Rinse with clean water	Water
4. Sanitise	Where required by your QA plan	INNOVA Hypo or INNOVA PAA 15
5. Dry and stack	Dry fully before stacking in a clean area	None

Common problems

Foam in the washer: use a low-foam crate detergent, not a household one.
Odour that comes back: soil is left in corners and handles; check spray coverage.
Spotting: hard water; check the rinse and the detergent's sequestrant level.

Download: Crate and tray washing checklist (PDF) InnovaChem checklist IC-CL-05. Free, no email needed.

Products used

Quick answers

What chemical is used for crate washing?

A low-foam crate and tray detergent such as INNOVA CrateWash, followed by a rinse and, where needed, a sanitiser.

How hot should crate wash water be?

Hot-water tray and crate washers usually wash at 66 to 74 °C and need a final rinse of at least 82 °C to sanitise. Machines that sanitise with chemicals run at 49 °C or above with a sanitiser rinse.

How do I stop crates smelling sour?

Wash crates the same day they return, rinse well, sanitise, and stack them only when dry. Wet stacking keeps milk residue warm and damp, which breeds odour and microbes.

Sources

Codex Alimentarius CXC 1-1969 (rev. 2020): General principles of food hygiene

Sanitiser strengths at a glance

Typical no-rinse limits for food-contact surfaces. Your product TDS and your validated programme govern.
What	Typical range
Peracetic acid (INNOVA PAA 15)	100 to 200 ppm; no-rinse limit 200 ppm [source]
Chlorine (INNOVA Hypo)	50 to 200 ppm available chlorine; no-rinse limit 200 ppm [source]
Quat (INNOVA QuatShield)	150 to 400 ppm; most no-rinse limits 200 ppm [source]
Alkaline CIP (INNOVA CIP 50)	0.5 to 2% at 75 to 82 °C [source]
Acid CIP (INNOVA CIP Descale)	0.5 to 1.5% at 55 to 70 °C, 10 to 20 minutes [source]

How often should each clean happen?

A simple schedule for a documented cleaning programme, as FSSAI Schedule 4 expects. Adjust it to your plant, products and audit findings.

When	What to do
Every shift	Clean food-contact surfaces and equipment after production; sanitise before the next start; clean floors and drains at the end of the shift; log each clean.
Every day	Run CIP on lines, tanks and fillers after use; check sanitiser strength with test strips; empty and wash bins.
Every week	Run the acid wash your programme sets; deep clean walls, overheads and non-contact frames; review the cleaning records.
Every month	Trend ATP or swab results and fix repeat failures; refresh staff training; check that each chemical’s SDS and TDS on file are current.

What do hygiene auditors look for?

A written cleaning SOP for each area and piece of equipment, with the chemical, method and frequency.

Signed cleaning records for every shift, with any failed check and the corrective action.

A current SDS and TDS on file for every cleaning chemical in use.

Logged sanitiser strength checks, such as test-strip readings in ppm.

Colour-coded tools kept in their zones, and chemicals stored away from food.

Verification results, such as ATP or swab trends, and training records for the cleaning team.