Open Plant Cleaning Chemicals and Foam Cleaning

Open plant cleaning (OPC) covers every surface in a food plant that your sanitation team can reach directly: floors, walls, drains, conveyors, machine frames and the outside of tanks and fillers. The usual method is foam cleaning. A high-foaming detergent is applied through a foam unit or lance, clings to vertical and overhead surfaces, and gives the chemistry time to loosen fat, protein and scale before it is rinsed away.

OPC is different from clean-in-place (CIP), where a low-foaming solution is pumped through closed pipelines and tanks. Foam cleaners must never go into a CIP circuit, and CIP detergents are not designed to cling to walls. Evochem manufactures foam cleaners for each soil type in Bengaluru, with dilution guidance and an MSDS for every product.

A typical foam cleaning sequence

1. Prepare the area: protect electrical equipment, remove product and packaging, and dry-clean gross soil from floors and belts.

2. Pre-rinse with low-pressure water, top to bottom, to remove loose soil.

3. Apply foam from the bottom up so the whole surface is covered evenly, at the dilution for your soil.

4. Leave the foam to work for the time set in your cleaning procedure, without letting it dry on the surface.

5. Rinse from the top down, including drains and the floor under equipment.

6. Inspect for remaining soil, then sanitise food-contact surfaces.

Choosing alkaline, acidic, chlorinated or neutral foam

Match the foam to the soil. Most daily cleaning is alkaline; an acidic foam is added where scale and mineral film build up.

• Alkaline foam for fat, oil, protein and general food soils in dairies, meat plants and preserved-food lines: Alkalox Foam or Clastox Foam, both at 2% to 5% depending on soil.

• Acidic foam for scale, mineral deposits, particulate matter and inorganic soils: Acidox Foam at 2% to 5%. Use it periodically, or in alternation with an alkaline foam, where hard water leaves deposits.

• Chlorinated alkaline foam for daily cleaning where a combined clean-and-sanitise step suits the area: Chlorox Foam at 1% to 5%.

• Neutral, alkali-free foam for general cleaning of floors, walls, utensils and equipment where strong alkali is not needed: Neutrox Foam at 2% to 5%.

• Never mix acidic and chlorinated products. Rinse thoroughly between an acid step and a chlorinated step.

• Alkalox FoamHigh Foaming Alkaline DetergentHigh-foaming alkaline detergent engineered with advanced surfactant blends to create a high foam that clings to surfaces. Ideal for use in the food industry, including dairies, meat processing plants, and preserved food facilities. Tackles tough, industry-specific soils.
• Clastox FoamHigh Foaming Alkaline DetergentHigh-foaming alkaline detergent with advanced surfactants for high foam production. Excels at removing food industry soils like dairy, meat, and preserved foods due to its excellent wetting, chelating, and degreasing properties.
• Acidox FoamHigh Foaming Acidic DetergentPowerful, high-foaming acidic detergent specifically formulated to meet the stringent cleaning requirements of the food and beverage industry. Effectively removes scales, particulate matter, and inorganic soils.
• Chlorox FoamChlorinated Alkaline CleanerChlorinated alkaline cleaner with high chlorine concentration, ideal for daily cleaning in the food industry. Its exceptional foaming ability effectively removes various soils in food processing, meat, dairy, and vegetable processing. Functions as a 2-in-1 cleaner and sanitizer.
• Neutrox FoamMultipurpose DetergentVersatile, colorless, odorless, and multi-purpose detergent that effectively cleans various surfaces in food processing industries, dairies, poultry, and more. Its alkali-free formulation provides a convenient solution for many general cleaning applications like floors, walls, utensils, and equipment.

Clean-out-of-place (COP): soaking dismantled parts

Parts removed from the line, such as valves, fittings, filler parts, knives, trays and utensils, are cleaned out of place in a soak tank or wash trough. Foam is not wanted here, so use a heavy-duty low-foaming alkaline detergent: Clastox Plus or Clastox 50 at 0.5% to 5% depending on soil.

1. Dismantle the parts and pre-rinse them.

2. Soak in the alkaline detergent solution, brushing crevices, threads and seals.

3. Rinse with clean water.

4. Sanitise at the label dilution and let the parts drain on a clean rack before reassembly.

• Clastox PlusLow Foaming Heavy Duty Alkaline DetergentPotent alkaline liquid detergent specially engineered to meet the rigorous demands of food processing plants. Its advanced detergent systems not only penetrate deeply into stubborn soils, animal fats, and milk residues, but also provide exceptional scale prevention and hard water resistance, ensuring that your cleaning operation runs smoothly and efficiently. Designed for heavy-duty applications.
• Clastox 50High Performance Alkaline DetergentPotent alkaline liquid detergent specially engineered for heavy-duty cleaning. Provides exceptional scale prevention and hard water resistance while effectively penetrating into stubborn soils, animal fats, and milk residues.

Sanitising after open plant cleaning

Foam cleaning removes soil. Unless a chlorinated cleaner is used as a combined step, it does not sanitise. After the final rinse, food-contact surfaces such as belts, tables and filler exteriors are sanitised to reduce microorganisms on the cleaned surface. Our sanitisation guide explains how to choose between quat, peracetic acid and alcohol-based products.

• Sanix QuatBroad Spectrum SanitizerClear, liquid quaternary ammonium salt-based sanitizer for the food industry. It effectively sanitizes pre-cleaned surfaces and contaminated clothes, rapidly eliminating harmful microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This solution is essential for maintaining a safe and hygienic food production environment
• Sanix PeraxyPeracetic Acid Based SanitizerClear liquid oxidizing sanitizer for the food industry, formulated with peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and acetic acid. Eliminates a broad spectrum of microorganisms, including bacteria, spores, and viruses, ensuring high-level sanitation for pre-cleaned surfaces.

Talk to our technical team

Tell us about your site, soils, equipment and volumes. We will recommend products and dilutions, and send pricing for bulk supply.