- When
- Same day, after unloading
- Product
- INNOVA CanClean
- Packs
- 5 kg and 30 kg
- Dry
- Upside down on a rack
Manual washing and can scrubbers
At small collection centres cans are washed by hand. NDDB's SOP is to rinse with water, scrub the inside and outside with a soft brush and detergent, then rinse and drain with enough hot water to remove all detergent [1]. Lids are soaked in lukewarm water and cleaned the same way.
At BMC and MCC centres with a can scrubber, the can lies in a bath of cleaning solution on rotating nylon brushes and is pushed onto a rotating inner brush. Our 4-step milk can cleaning SOP covers the scrubber routine in detail.
| Step | Daily wash | INNOVA product |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pre-rinse | Rinse the empty can with clean water to remove loose milk. | Water |
| 2. Wash | Scrub inside, outside and the bottom, by hand or in the can scrubber. | INNOVA CanClean |
| 3. Rinse | Rinse well so no detergent is left. | Water |
| 4. Sanitise | Sanitise before the next use where required by your QA plan. | INNOVA PAA 15 |
| 5. Drain and dry | Place cans upside down on a clean rack. Never stack wet cans mouth to mouth. | None |
| Regular | Acid wash to remove milkstone, more often with hard water. | INNOVA CIP Descale |
Signs of a badly cleaned can
- A sour smell when the lid is opened.
- A greasy film you can feel on the inside wall.
- A white or chalky ring at the old milk line. That is milkstone.
- Dark spots or pitting on aluminium cans, a sign the cleaner is too aggressive for soft metal.
Why the cleaner matters for aluminium cans
Many collection centres still use aluminium cans. Strong caustic attacks aluminium and blackens it. INNOVA CanClean is built for repeat container cleaning in hard water and is low-foam in can washers, so it can be used in scrubbers and by hand.
Download: Milk can cleaning SOP and record (PDF) InnovaChem checklist IC-CL-02. Free, no email needed.
Products used
Quick answers
What chemical is used to wash milk cans?
A dedicated, low-foam dairy can cleaner such as INNOVA CanClean, followed by a rinse and, where your QA plan requires it, a sanitiser such as INNOVA PAA 15.
How should milk cans be dried?
Upside down on a clean rack, so water drains and air reaches the inside. Do not stack wet cans mouth to mouth.
Why do cleaned milk cans still smell?
A smell after washing usually means milk fat or protein is left on the wall, or milkstone has built up. Check the dose, scrub the shoulder and neck, and add a regular acid wash.