PDIR: Four essential cleaning functions

A regular and efficient cleaning routine is hugely important within the Industrial and Transport sector in particular. In fact, it is essential. And that applies to outside and inside areas, including the production, warehouse and loading bay. A well-thought-out concept, a regular schedule and suitable machines and cleaning agents are what's required to get it right. The PDIR cleaning process is a very good place to start.

Industrial cleaning with the PDIR cleaning process

The PDIR cleaning process

When it comes to keeping production and warehouse clean and ensuring employees safety, prevent production downtime and reduce cost in work force, the four types of cleaning in the PDIR process come highly recommended. The acronym "PDIR" is based on the first letters of the following cleaning functions:

Preventative cleaning in the outside area

Preventative

Preventative cleaning: Removing dirt in the outside area before it is brought inside the building

Daily maintenance cleaning

Daily

Daily maintenance cleaning: Routine cleaning to maintain the level of cleanliness

Intermediate cleaning

Interim

Intermediate cleaning: Cleaning that helps prevent production downtimw and keep time-consuming deep cleaning to a minimum

Deep cleaning of floor coverings

Restorative

Deep cleaning: Thorough, time-consuming cleaning of floor coverings

Organization is everything

PDIR cleaning really comes into its own when the timings of all four types of cleaning are coordinated as part of a well-organised process. As long as this cleaning system is used regularly, savings can be made on the time, materials and staff resources allocated to daily maintenance, whilst ensuring that the building retains its value and prevent production downtime.

Preventative cleaning: Keeping outside areas spotless

The concept of preventative cleaning tackles dirt head on in the outside areas. Giving the areas outdoors a thorough clean can help reduce the amount of dirt traipsed into a building by as much as two thirds. It's important not to forget the pavement and parts of the road that are close to the entrance area. Not to mention car parks, any other factory or warehouse entrances and the public areas in front of goods entrances, loading bay, etc. And then there are the outside areas belonging to the factory like rubbish dump and canteen, as large amounts of dirt can soon accumulate here too and be brought into the corridors, stairwells, warehouse, production area. Given that there is the option of using (vacuum) sweepers and high-pressure cleaners when required, preventative cleaning requires less time and hard work than is needed to clean warehouse and production areas. Since this type of cleaning tackles the main source of dirt, the outside areas, it does have a huge impact on all of the subsequent cleaning and maintenance measures.

 

Preventative cleaning

Dirt from truck or van tires can be prevented into the warehouse or loading bay by having it clean using a high-pressure cleaner at the guard house or gate.

Stubborn stains and soiling, for example caused by moss, lichen, remnants of tar or chewing gum, bird droppings and leftover food, can be removed using a high-pressure cleaner.


HDS

 

The size of the outside area to be cleaned will determine the type of (vacuum) sweeper to be used. For small to medium-sized areas, the best option is a push sweeper or a vacuum sweeper with traction drive (petrol, diesel or battery-powered). For bigger areas spanning 1,000 m² and more, ride-on sweepers with a large container volume and hydraulic high container emptying are recommended.

Wider coverage for huge factories or warehouse you could consider Industrial Sweeper or Municipal Sweeper. Karcher has all the solution.

Outside area cleaning with a sweeper

Product recommendation for outdoor cleaning

Municipal Equipment

Municipal Equipment

 
Sweeper & Vacuum Sweepers

Sweepers & Vacuum Sweepers

 
HDS Pressure Cleaner

High Pressure Cleaner

 

Daily maintenance cleaning: For hygiene and a squeaky clean image

Daily maintenance cleaning is part of the routine in a factory or warehouse, helping to achieve the desired level of cleanliness and thereby ensuring employees feel happy and at ease, increasing productivity and reduce downtime. It is also a necessity that avoids permanent damage being caused by dirt being left to stick onto surfaces, meaning it lengthens their service life quite considerably.

Ride-on Scrubber

Maintenance cleaning: Removing light soiling
Maintenance cleaning is carried out using the one-step method. To clean away light soiling, the scrubber drier is fitted with red scrubbing brushes or pads. The scrubber drier works with a lower contact pressure and lower roller brush speed. The cleaning agent is diluted to between 0.5 and 3% (RM 69 ASF) depending on how dirty the surface is. We also recommend equipping the machine with the automatic cleaning agent dosing function (Dose). Postwiping or rinsing is not required – the floor can be walked on again immediately.

If the cleaning job does not require wet cleaning, maintenance cleaning can also be carried out using a vacuum sweeper.

 
Removing skid marks and tyre tracks
To remove the skid marks left by forklift trucks or the abrasion from tyres, use RM 776 – a cleaning agent that is NTA-free and has been specifically developed for this purpose. Apply it undiluted to the dirty areas using the RM sprayer or spray bottle, leave it to work for a few minutes, then go over the area with a scrubber drier. The roller scrubbing head should be fitted with green roller pads or roller brushes depending on the structure of the surface (smooth or textured respectively). The next step is to remove the dirty water and then rinse with clean water (one-step method).

Please note: Do not use this method on polymer-based or wax coatings, as the cleaning agent will remove them.

Outside area cleaning with a sweeper

Maintenance Cleaning: Wet areas
All areas in which animal or plant oils and fats are worked with (especially meat) have the strictest requirements when it comes to hygiene and safety. The Karcher system is perfectly set up to meet them. Especially with effective cleaning agents. There is also the inno form accessories for optimal dosage and cost savings. Of decisive importance are the upkeep of frictionless working processes.

Depending on the scale of operations, food grade pressure washer or hot water pressure washer are the cleaning machine of food industry choice. For example, Karcher food grade pressure washer is used in the food industry as it boasts high performance values and hot water resistance of up to 85 ºC. The high-pressure washer is also equipped with specially developed accessories that help satisfy the stringent hygiene regulations.

HD Food Grade

Maintenance cleaning: Production areas
Industrial vacuum cleaner have proven to be especially effective at cleaning places particular demands on cleaning solutions: process integration, large quantities, hazardous substances, narrow time slots on a daily basis.

With our Kärcher industrial vacuums and dedusters, we offer you solutions for every industrial vacuuming task: whether flexible and mobile or stationary, for vacuuming anything from coarse swarf to the smallest unsettled particles, for small or large quantities, for liquids or solids, for unproblematic or hazardous material. A clean production machine or areas can prolong production machine life spend and prevent downtime.

If the cleaning job does not require heavy duty or specific requirement, maintenance cleaning can also be carried out using a Karcher wet & dry vacuum cleaner.

IVC

Maintenance Cleaning : IBCs and other containers

The cleaning and reuse of IBC containers offers convincing advantages over disposable use. Cleaning is more economical and owing to the high number of IBCs in the economy makes an important contribution to protecting the environment. Kärcher provides cleaning stations for all container sizes and substances.

Truck container : Container Cleaning

Maintenance Cleaning: Thermal disinfection
Germ-free through heat: thermal disinfection is a highly effective cleaning method for efficiently reducing the number of germs on temperature-resistant hard and exterior surfaces. The objects and surfaces to be cleaned are heated using water steam. Germs that cause illnesses in people cannot survive above 70 °C. Almost all harmful or dangerous germs, viruses and bacteria are sensitive to temperature and can be reliably killed and removed in this way.

Steam cleaners and steam vacuum cleaners from Kärcher, as well as the corresponding accessories, are tested by an independent laboratory regarding their effectiveness in disinfecting surfaces, and have been proven to effectively remove bacteria* and viruses**. They are therefore ideally suited to routine disinfection, such as sanitising floors as well as worktops and work surfaces in kitchens, canteens or restrooms.

* According to EN 16615, PVC surface, test device SG 4/4 and SGV 8/5, test germ: Enterococcus hirae ATCC 10541.
** According to EN 16615, PVC surface, test device SG 4/4 and (SGV 8/5 through conclusion by analogy), test germ: MVA, murine norovirus, adenovirus (except hepatitis B), under low organic load.
Steam Cleaner

Product recommendation for Indoor cleaning

Sweeper & Vacuum Sweepers

Sweeper & Vacuum Sweepers

 
Scrubbers & Scrubber Driers

Scrubbers & Scrubber Driers

 
FloorPro

Floor Cleaning Agent

Note: Maintenance Cleaning dosage:
6.295-174.0 - 0.5-1%
6.296-050.0 - 0.5-3%

Floorpro

Floor Cleaning Agent

Note Maintenance Cleaning Dosage
6.295-082.0 - 3-5%
6.294-997.0 - 0.5-2%

HDS Pressure Cleaner

High Pressure Cleaner

Note: For Food Industry
Wet application is require

Tank Cleaner

Container Cleaner

Note: For Chemical Industry
On all truck at loading bay

Industrial Vacuum

Industrial Vacuum

 
NT Vacuum

Wet & Dry Vacuums

 
Steam Cleaners & Steam Vacuum Cleaners

Steam Cleaners & Steam Vacuum Cleaners

 
Intermediate cleaning on machine

Intermediate cleaning: Using the right methods to do away with downtimes

Intermediate cleaning is always required every now and then – even when maintenance cleaning takes place on a daily basis. It helps to cut back on production downtime or production service, which is both time-consuming and thus costly, and also to maintain a high standard of cleanliness and safety.

It is vital to select the right method so as to avoid damage on machine which causing downtimes in production, for example Ice Blaster. In other words, a cleaning method needs to be selected that does not leave behind residues to ensure that the production machine can run smoothly on it again soon after cleaning. 

If intermediate cleaning is taken care of every so often, the amount of time and effort spent in machine service will drop massively.

Cleanliness in all areas.

Kärcher Ice Blasters do not use any cleaning agents or chemicals. They are suitable for use in all areas where cleaning with water or sand is legally prohibited. Because the pellets dissolve without residues, no waste water is produced. The dry ice pellets can easily be self-made with the aid of the high-performance Kärcher dry ice pelletiser.

Steel_metal_and_machine construction

Steel, metal and machine construction

Deep cleaning and maintenance cleaning of production machinery, welding robots, conveyor belts and paint shops is extremely easy with Ice Blasters from Kärcher.

Printing plants

Printing plants

After dry ice blasting, all printing machines and cylinders, tools, etc., look like new.

Timber_electrical industry

Timber and electrical industry

Dry ice blasting is also ideal for cleaning woodworking machines, generators, turbines, control cabinets, etc.

Plastic_and_packaging industry

Plastic and packaging industry

The dry ice blaster removes silicone and rubber as well as dyes, paints and other dirt from injection moulds and production lines.

Automotive industry

Automotive industry, foundries and plastic injection moulding plants

Our dry ice cleaners remove binding and parting agents from all kinds of parts and workpieces. Residues such as silicone, rubber, dyes, paints, parting agents, etc., can easily be removed from injection moulds, tools and entire production lines. Cleans perfectly without leaving residues.

Food industry

Food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry

An ice blaster is ideal for removing coking, burnt-in deposits, encrustations, fat and starch from filling and mixing plants, production lines, handling systems as well as tanks and furnaces.

Paper industry

Paper industry

In the paper industry, glue, lime, dust and cellular materials are deposited in the systems. Machine downtimes and loss of quality are the result. Systems are cleaned faster with dry ice and are soon ready to use again.

Local authorities_and_municipalities

Local authorities and municipalities

Graffiti and chewing gum: a problem for many cities and municipalities. This calls for a cleaning method that cleans walls and surfaces thoroughly, yet gently – like ice blasters from Kärcher. They remove dirt without damaging surfaces.

Product recommendation for Indoor cleaning

Ice Blaster IB 10/8 L2P

Ice Blaster

 

Deep cleaning: Restoring the original condition

Despite all other cleaning and maintenance efforts, it is not possible to avoid deep cleaning floor coverings. The aim, insofar as is possible, is to restore the flooring to its original condition and degree of slip resistance. Of all four cleaning methods, deep cleaning takes up the most time, materials and staff resources. It can, however, be delayed for quite some time if the daily cleaning routine is carried out regularly and properly. 

Deep cleaning: Removing heavy soiling

Deep cleaning uses wet scrubbing to remove oil and grease marks and encrusted dirt. This requires powerful scrubber driers with a roller scrubbing head. If the floor covering allows, cleaning is carried out using the two-step method at full contact pressure with green roller brushes or pads. The procedure should always be performed step by step to avoid the floor getting too wet or the cleaning fleet drying out again quickly.  

Step 1: Use a scrubber drier to cover the surface that needs cleaning with cleaning agent and then scrub it two or three times until all the dirt has come loose. 

Step 2: Remove the dirty water using the squeegee and the suction device on the machine. Then cover the entire area with clean water again and proceed using the one-step method: Cover with water – scrub – suction. 

If protective films need to be removed in addition to oil and grease, we recommend using RM 752 or RM 750, the alkaline all-round deep cleaner. The RM 69 floor deep cleaner could also be used. The cleaning agent is diluted to between 5 and 10% depending on how dirty the surface is.

Please note: Only the one-step method is recommend for deep cleaning of industrial floors that have not been treated or surfaces that are not water-resistant (see screed types), as otherwise the floor will get too wet and consequential damage could occur.

Deep cleaning with a scrubber drier

Product recommendation for Indoor cleaning

Scrubbers & Scrubber Driers

Scrubbers & Scrubber Driers

 
Floorpro

Floor Cleaning Agent

Note Deep Cleaning Dosage
6.295-082.0 - 5-20%

FloorPro

Floor Stain Remover Agent

Note Deep Cleaning Dosage
6.295-545.0 - 40 ml/m2