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FacilitySpec™ · FP · 3 pillars · 5 stressors · 6 modules
Food plants do not fall behind because people stop cleaning. They fall behind when the chemistry does not match the machine, the zone, or the waste stream.
Food Processing PlantsProcess fit beats product lists.
Section 01 · Program overview
Why food plants stall — and how operators keep the whole system moving
Three operating pillars. One connected system.
Food processing facilities do not need a generic chemical shelf. They need a process-matched system: the right chemistry for the machine, the production zone, and the waste stream. Dishwash, plant sanitation, and drains are connected — if one fails, the whole facility feels it.
FacilitySpec™ treats the plant as three pillars that share one soil load. Clean dish lines without a drain program, and the soil simply moves downstream. Strong waste control without food-plant degreasing leaves the source of the loading unchanged. The strongest programs treat dishwash, plant hygiene, and waste infrastructure as one connected operating system — because in a food-processing facility, they are.
Three operating pillars · click a zone on the plan or in the list
Z1Dishwash & ware qualityWare quality · machine health10Z2Food plant & production zonesSurface soil · zone hygiene13Z3Waste, drains & grease controlDrain flow · grease control12
Selected zoneOther zonesExterior / dock / wet wellCounts = cabinet entries in the module
Food ServiceCommercial SanitationMunicipal Wastewater= catalogue section of a linked product
The operating route
1IdentifyThe machine, zone, or waste stream
2MatchChemistry to soil, temperature, and process
3ApplyBy labelled dilution, dwell, and rinse rules
4VerifyWare quality, surface condition, flow
Stressor 01Grease & protein loadFat, oil, and protein land on plates, walls, conveyors, and cutting boards every shift, then travel down the drain. It is the defining food-plant soil, and it never stops arriving.
Stressor 02Heat-set & baked-on soilsCarbon on grills and ovens, milkstone in dairy circuits, egg protein set by washer heat, tar in smokehouses. Ordinary degreaser does not have the alkalinity to crack these efficiently.
Stressor 03Water hardness & scaleHard water amplifies spotting and silently scales dish machines, boosters, coffee and ice equipment until pressure and heat transfer fall off.
Stressor 04Cling, circulation & coldWalls and conveyors need foam that clings. CIP circuits need low-foam chemistry that circulates. Freezer floors need product that stays liquid below zero. One shelf cannot do all three.
Stressor 05Downstream loadingEverything cleaned upstream arrives in floor drains, grease traps, and lift stations. Without a waste program, the drain becomes the plant’s hidden bottleneck.
The balanced-package rule
Three pillars, one system
- Dishwash chemistry protects ware quality and machine performance.
- Food-plant chemistry attacks soils at the source.
- Waste chemistry keeps drains, traps, and wet wells from becoming the hidden bottleneck.
- Troubleshooting tools belong in a separate category from routine maintenance chemistry.
Planning mistakes this guide helps avoid
- Using a single universal cleaner for dish, plant, and drain work.
- Treating odour with emergency line-opener chemistry instead of scheduled maintenance.
- Trying to solve spotting by increasing detergent rather than checking rinse aid or scale.
- Overusing aggressive degreaser where a food-contact wipe or CIP-specific cleaner is the better fit.
Safety floor
Follow site SOPs, SDS, product labels, food-safety requirements, and applicable regulations. Never mix chlorinated cleaners with acid products — the combination produces chlorine gas. Label secondary containers and keep cleaning, sanitizing, drain, and plant chemistries in their own lanes. Rinse chlorinated products thoroughly.
Strength is not a strategy
Do not solve every issue by increasing strength. Spotting may be rinse aid or scale. Drain odour may be routine bio-maintenance. Greasy walls may need foam dwell. A stronger product is not a substitute for the right route.
Working from a complaint, not a plan?The Quick Selector starts with the symptom — “plates come out clean but spotty” — and points to the right first move.
Open the Quick SelectorSection 02 · Zone 1 · Dishwash & ware quality
Dishwash & Ware Quality
Machine warewashing, glasswash, manual sinks, rinse aid, sanitizer support, and scale control.
ResultConsistent wash results, fewer rewashes, less scale downtime
“Match detergent to the machine type before adjusting dose. If ware comes out clean but hazy, look at rinse aid and scale first.”
This zone is about two things: ware quality and machine health. Pre-soak flatware before increasing main-wash aggression. Use stronger pot-and-pan chemistry in the scrub sink instead of over-driving the plate machine. Descale on schedule — visible failure means you waited too long.
The dishwash logic
1Match the machineDetergent to machine type first
2Pre-soak flatwareEnzyme before main-wash aggression
3Rinse & sanitizeRinse aid for drying, sanitizer where required
4Pans in the scrub sinkNot through the plate machine
5Descale on scheduleQuarterly minimum · monthly in hard water
The chemistry cabinet · colour dot = the catalogue section each product lives in · tap a name to open its product page
Machine warewashing — the default routeMatch the detergent to the machine and its temperature profile before touching the dose.
CI Machine Dishwash L-TypeHigh-temp liquid
CI Machine Dishwash P-TypeLow-temp powder
CI Bar Glass CleanerLow-foam
Rinse aid, sanitizer & pre-soakDrying, final-rinse support, and the enzyme step that protects the main wash.
Manual sinks & pot-and-panPremium, hand-friendly, and heavy-grease options for the scrub sink.
Scale control — scheduledMachines, boosters, coffee and ice equipment. Planned, not reactive.
CI ScalzoffAcid descaler
Task-to-product map · sheet FP-02
SheetFP-02ZoneDishwash & ware qualityStandardClean · clear · dry · no rewashes · no scale downtimeProducts10
| Task / area · best-fit products | Why it belongs · operator note | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | High-temp machine warewashCI Machine Dishwash L-Type | High-concentration liquid detergent for strong grease, starch, and general soil removal through an automatic dispenser program.Best where consistency and dispenser-controlled feeding matter. Pair with CI Sprinse for drying control — the two products solve different problems. |
| 2 | Low-temp / oxygen-assisted powderCI Machine Dishwash P-Type | Phosphate-free granular compound with active oxygen for soil and stain removal in lower-temperature warewashing programs.Useful where low-temp operation, stain lift, or powder-handling preference drives the setup. |
| 3 | Bar glass / bottle / glasswasherCI Bar Glass Cleaner | Low-foaming cleaner and sanitizer for bar glass and low-temperature glass-wash systems; aimed at sparkling, residue-free glassware.If glasses still haze after switching chemistry, check rinse temperature and aid dose. |
| 4 | Rinse-cycle drying & spot controlCI Sprinse Rinse Additive | Non-foaming rinse aid that helps dishes and glassware sheet-dry instead of spotting or streaking.Usually the first adjustment when ware comes out clean but not clear. |
| 5 | Sanitizing support — final rinseCI Sanitrol | Low-foaming cleaner, sanitizer, and rinse aid positioned for final-rinse sanitizing support in commercial warewashing.Particularly important where final-rinse sanitization is a process requirement. |
| 6 | Flatware pre-soakCI WareWash Enzyme PreSoak | Protease-enzyme presoak designed to break down food residues on flatware before the main wash cycle.Ideal for stubborn proteins and dried-on cutlery loads. |
| 7 | Manual sink chemistryCI Platinum Dish DetergentCI Soft & GentleCI ZIP Pot & Pan DishWash | Premium concentration for grease cutting, a hand-friendly option for frequent contact, and high-sudsing pot-and-pan chemistry for heavy grease loads.Keep ZIP in the scrub sink — do not run it through the plate machine. |
| 8 | Scale — machines, coffee, ice equipmentCI Scalzoff | Removes mineral scale and restores flow, heat transfer, and spray performance in dish machines, glasswashers, boosters, and beverage equipment.Schedule quarterly at minimum; monthly in hard-water regions. |
The dishwash decision
Clean but hazy is a rinse-and-scale problem, not a detergent problem.
The detergent route is enough when…
- Ware comes out clean and clear on the first cycle.
- Flatware clears without re-polishing.
- Spray pressure and machine temperature hold steady.
- Rewash counts are low and stable.
Clean but hazyspots · film · sluggish machine
Look at rinse aid and scale when…
- Water spots or chalky film appear despite enough soap.
- Glassware is hazy or not sparkling.
- Machine performance or pressure drops from hidden mineral scale.
- Operators are solving every issue by increasing detergent feed.
Rinse aid → descale → pre-soak → dose.
Signs this pillar is under-built
Repeated rewashes or silverware re-polishing after every cycle. Water spots or chalky film despite enough soap. Greasy pan results even after hot manual washing. Slow machine performance or pressure loss from hidden mineral scale. Operators trying to solve every issue by increasing detergent feed.
Water hardness matters
Hard water amplifies spotting and accelerates scale build-up. If rinse-aid adjustments and regular descaling do not resolve the problem, test incoming water hardness before assuming the chemistry is wrong.
Section 03 · Zone 2 · Food plant & production zones
Food Plant & Production Zones
Production surfaces, CIP, ovens, smokehouses, freezers, and specialty environments.
ResultCleaner production zones, less rework, stronger food-contact control
“Foam where cling matters. Low-foam where circulation matters. Separate cleaning from sanitizing in the way the plant actually works.”
This pillar is built around soil type and zone. Foaming degreasers where vertical cling matters. Low-foam chemistry where circulation matters. Dedicated products for smokehouse, egg-wash, dairy, beverage-line, and freezer environments. Keep food-contact wipes available at every prep station, and rinse chlorinated products thoroughly.
The foam decision
Foam it — cling and dwell
- Walls, conveyors, and ceiling-area equipment where contact time matters.
- Grease, oil, and food soils you can spray and wipe rather than circulate.
- Heavy grease and protein in meat-plant environments — chlorinated foam for long cling.
Cling or circulate?walls & conveyors vs CIP
Circulate it — low-foam CIP
- Dairy equipment with milkstone, butterfat, and protein soils.
- Beverage dispensing lines with biofilm, yeast, and mineral build-up.
- Industrial egg washers where protein sets quickly with heat.
- A foaming surface degreaser in a circulated system is the wrong tool.
Chemical separation — critical safety rule
Never mix chlorinated cleaners with acid-based products. The combination produces chlorine gas. Store chlorinated and acid chemistries in separate, clearly labelled areas.
Where this pillar usually saves labour
Less repeated scrubbing on cooked-on and protein-heavy soils. Fewer wrong-chemical workarounds from operators who grab whatever is closest. Better visual finish on stainless and prep areas after soil is gone. Cleaner line-maintenance routines in dairy, beverage, and egg-processing systems. Fewer audit observations related to chemical misuse or cross-contamination risk.
The chemistry cabinet · colour dot = the catalogue section each product lives in · tap a name to open its product page
Production surfaces & equipmentFoam for soil removal, wipes for between-cycle reset, presentation tools after the soil is gone.
CI Blast Kitchen SurfaceFood-safe foam
CI SuperFoam PlusChlorinated foam
CI Triple Star Sanitizing WipesNo-rinse
CI GleamGuard Stainless Steel WipesPresentation
CI BrightBoard Block WhitenerWhitener
Ovens, grills, smokehouse & carbonCarbon is polymerized grease. This shelf has the alkalinity to crack it.
Specialty — CIP, lines, egg-wash, coldDedicated chemistry for circulated systems, dispensing lines, washers, and sub-zero zones.
CI DairyQueen 3000Dairy CIP
CI Brew Line +Line cleaner
CI Egg WashNon-foaming
CI ColdClear DegreaserSub-zero · RTU
CI Release Food Grade LubricantFood-grade · 6/77 family
Task-to-product map · sheet FP-03
SheetFP-03ZoneFood plant & production zonesStandardFoam where cling matters · low-foam where circulation mattersProducts13
| Task / area · best-fit products | Why it belongs · operator note | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General equipment & surface degreasingCI Blast Kitchen Surface | Food-safe foaming cleaner and degreaser for grease, oil, and food soils on production-area surfaces and equipment exteriors.Foam provides contact time without scrubbing. Use where you can spray and wipe rather than circulate. |
| 2 | Heavy vertical foam — meat & processing wallsCI SuperFoam Plus | Chlorinated alkaline foam for heavy grease and protein in industrial meat-plant and food-processing environments.Best where long cling time is needed on walls, conveyors, and ceiling-area equipment. |
| 3 | Food-contact touch-up between cleansCI Triple Star Sanitizing Wipes | No-rinse sanitizing wipes for food and non-food contact surfaces during production.Keeps staff from overusing heavy degreaser when the job only needs a surface wipe-down. |
| 4 | Stainless finish & cutting boardsCI GleamGuard Stainless Steel WipesCI BrightBoard Block Whitener | Presentation and audit-visible surface care after soil removal — stainless finish and stained, odour-holding prep blocks.Use after soil is gone. These are appearance and renewal tools, not degreasers. |
| 5 | Grills, fryers & baked-on carbonCI Grill CleanCI Oven Cleaner Aerosol | Purpose-built for fast breakdown of baked-on grease, grime, and carbon on hot or cold cooking equipment.Carbon is polymerized grease — regular degreaser does not have the alkalinity to crack it efficiently. |
| 6 | Smokehouses & heavy tar / greaseCI SmokeHouse Cleaner | Alkaline cleaner for deep grease and foul soil where deposits combine fat, protein, and combustion by-products.Use where normal kitchen degreaser no longer cuts it. |
| 7 | Dairy CIP & circulation cleaningCI DairyQueen 3000 | Low-foaming alkaline cleaner for in-place cleaning of dairy equipment with heavy milkstone, butterfat, and protein soils.Use low-foam CIP chemistry for circulated systems — not a foaming surface degreaser. |
| 8 | Beer & wine dispensing linesCI Brew Line + | Dedicated line cleaner removing biofilm, yeast residue, and mineral build-up inside dispensing systems.A dedicated line-maintenance product is more reliable than repurposing a general cleaner. |
| 9 | Industrial egg washersCI Egg Wash | Chlorinated, non-foaming compound for rapid cleaning where protein sets quickly with heat.Designed for the washer environment specifically. |
| 10 | Cold rooms / freezers / sub-zero docksCI ColdClear Degreaser | Ready-to-use cleaner and deicer for grease and ice removal where ordinary degreaser freezes on contact.ColdClear stays liquid and active at operating temperatures. |
| 11 | Food-safe lubrication pointsCI Release Food Grade Lubricant | Food-grade lubricant family (Release / Formula 6/77) for equipment zones where incidental contact with product is possible.Separate plant lubrication from general shop products. |
The production-zone route
1Match soil & zoneGrease, protein, carbon, milkstone, or ice — and where it sits
2Foam or circulateCling for walls and conveyors · low-foam for CIP
3Rinse thoroughlyEspecially after chlorinated products
4Sanitize separatelyCleaning and sanitizing are two steps, not one
5Touch up between runsNo-rinse wipes at every prep station
Practical plant notes
Use foaming cleaners where vertical cling matters; low-foam chemistry where circulation matters. Separate cleaning from sanitizing in the way the plant actually works. Keep food-contact wipes available at every prep station. Assign dedicated chemistry for smokehouse, egg-wash, dairy, freezer, and beverage systems. Rinse chlorinated products thoroughly.
Section 04 · Zone 3 · Waste, drains & grease control
Waste, Drains & Grease Control
Grease traps, floor drains, lift stations, odour control, and blockage response.
ResultBetter flow, lower odour, fewer emergency drain events
“Control grease before it enters line-opening territory. Keep a separate response path for true blockages versus recurring build-up.”
A practical waste program does not treat every problem as the same problem. Grease-cap control, bioenzyme maintenance, true blockage response, remote lift-station loading, and sediment flushing are different jobs. Use bioenzyme maintenance on schedule where the loading is mostly organic. Use remote or block formats where the site cannot be serviced constantly. Diagnose route and solids problems instead of repeating the same chemistry blindly.
The chemistry cabinet · colour dot = the catalogue section each product lives in · tap a name to open its product page
Grease traps & routine maintenance — scheduledBiological treatment on a rhythm. Strongest before a line is failing, not after.
CI BioTrapTrap renovator
CI Grease D Solve PlusFloating citrus
CI BioCleanBioenzyme
CI EverClearBioenzyme
CI Formula 27XOrganic drain
C.I. DigesterBioenzyme
CI BioSnake Enzyme BlocksBlock format
Remote stationsContinuous dosing where nobody can visit often.
CI BioLink RemoteAutomated dosing
Blockage response & diagnostics — trained useAcute response and troubleshooting tools. Not the maintenance schedule.
CI LemonFuryLine opener
CI PressureDropGranular line opener
CI Silt & Sand FlushDispersant
CI Sewer Tracing DyeDiagnostic
Task-to-product map · sheet FP-04
SheetFP-04ZoneWaste, drains & grease controlStandardMaintenance and emergency response on separate pathsProducts12
| Task / area · best-fit products | Why it belongs · operator note | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grease traps — cap & odourCI BioTrapCI Grease D Solve Plus | Trap renovation through ongoing biological treatment, plus floating-grease and odour control in accessible wells.Use trap-renovation chemistry early, before the cap turns into a recurring service call. |
| 2 | Floor-drain & small-line organic maintenanceCI BioCleanCI EverClearCI Formula 27XC.I. Digester | Bioenzyme products that break down organic waste and keep drains clear and odour-free through scheduled biological treatment.These are strongest on a routine schedule — not only after a line is already failing. |
| 3 | Persistent build-up in traps & wet wellsCI BioSnake Enzyme Blocks | Ongoing treatment in grease-heavy waste conditions with recurring matting, odour, and heavy organic loading.Block format provides slow, steady enzyme release without daily staff dosing. |
| 4 | Remote lift stations & wet wellsCI BioLink RemoteCI Grease D Solve Plus | Automated grease control for stations that cannot be manually serviced frequently.Continuous dosing keeps floaters from consolidating into a cap requiring emergency intervention. |
| 5 | Full or near-full organic blockageCI LemonFuryCI PressureDrop | Professional drain-opening products for stubborn fats, oils, hair, lint, paper, and organic clog loads.Reserve for trained maintenance response and label / SDS-driven procedures. |
| 6 | Sediment, mud, silt & sandCI Silt & Sand Flush | Polymer dispersant that breaks up and moves organic and inorganic deposits in sewer and drain infrastructure.Best where the problem is accumulated solids, not grease. |
| 7 | Tracing unknown routes & cross-connectionsCI Sewer Tracing Dye | Biodegradable tracing dye for flow studies, leak detection, and troubleshooting drain routing.A diagnostic tool — use it when the question is “where is it going”, not “how do we dissolve it”. |
The waste decision
Maintenance and emergency response are two jobs.
Scheduled maintenance is the route when…
- The loading is mostly organic and recurring.
- Odour returns between cleanings rather than suddenly.
- The trap looks acceptable on top but keeps failing underneath.
- A remote station accumulates floaters between visits.
Recurring or acute?build-up vs true blockage
Escalate to response or diagnostics when…
- A line is fully or nearly closed — trained line-opener response.
- Bio-treatment is not clearing the line — suspect sediment, not grease.
- Nobody can say where the run is going — trace it before dosing it.
- The same chemistry keeps being repeated without diagnosis.
Maintenance ≠ emergency
The most common waste-program failure is treating routine maintenance and emergency blockage response as the same job. Bioenzyme products prevent build-up over time. Line-openers clear acute blockages. Separate the two paths in the site SOP.
Signs the plant needs a stronger waste program
Drain odour returns shortly after surface cleaning. Grease traps look acceptable on top but repeatedly fail inspection underneath. Lines are opened frequently but never truly stay clear. Remote stations accumulate floaters between service visits. Sediment problems are being treated as grease problems — and the treatment is not working.
The waste-side route
1Control grease at sourceTrap renovation before it becomes a cap
2Bioenzyme on scheduleWhere the loading is mostly organic
3Block or remote formatsWhere the site cannot be serviced constantly
4Diagnose before repeatingRoute, solids, or grease — different jobs
5Blockage responseSeparate path · trained use · SDS-driven
Section 05 · Operations & production rhythm
Operations & Production Rhythm
Between runs, shift close, scheduled biological maintenance, and planned descaling and recovery work.
ResultSchedule around the production run, not the clock
“Do not schedule sanitation around the clock. Schedule it around the production run.”
Food plants run on production cycles: between-run touch-ups, end-of-shift clean-downs, scheduled biological drain maintenance, and planned descaling and carbon recovery. A recurring review of ware quality, labour hotspots, odour complaints, and scale and blockage trends keeps the three pillars aligned — and keeps emergency chemistry off the schedule.
The operating cadence · pillars down, the plant’s rhythm across
| Zone ↓ · cadence → | Between runs / during productionTouch-ups, pre-soak, keeping soil off the drain | Shift close / clean-downFoam, rinse, sanitize, machine and sink reset | Weekly focusWare-quality check, carbon, scheduled biological dosing | Scheduled maintenanceDescaling, blocks, remote dosing, line cleaning | Planned recovery / dark windowsDeep carbon, CIP review, trap and well service | Review rhythmWhat management checks each cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z1Dishwash & ware | Flatware pre-soaked as it arrives CI WareWash Enzyme PreSoak · rinse-aid dispensing running | Machine and sinks reset · pans through the scrub sink, not the plate machine CI ZIP | Ware-quality check: spots, haze, rewash count CI Sprinse | Descale on schedule — quarterly minimum, monthly in hard water CI Scalzoff | Water-hardness test if rinse aid and descaling do not resolve spotting | Ware quality, rewash trend, machine pressure and temperature |
| Z2Production zones | Food-contact touch-up at every prep station CI Triple Star Sanitizing Wipes | Foam clean-down of surfaces, walls and conveyors CI BlastCI SuperFoam Plus · rinse chlorinated products · sanitize separately | Carbon and smokehouse recovery CI Grill CleanCI SmokeHouse Cleaner · stainless and board presentation CI GleamGuardCI BrightBoard | Beverage lines on the line-maintenance schedule CI Brew Line + · food-grade lube points CI Release | CIP program review for dairy and egg-wash circuits CI DairyQueen 3000CI Egg Wash · freezer and dock floors CI ColdClear | Labour hotspots, touch-up gaps, wrong-chemical workarounds |
| Z3Waste & drains | Solids kept out of floor drains · sediment not treated as grease | Drains flushed after clean-down · nothing greasy poured to drain | Scheduled bioenzyme dosing CI BioCleanCI EverClearCI Formula 27XC.I. Digester · trap cap check CI BioTrap | Enzyme blocks replaced CI BioSnake · remote dosing verified CI BioLink Remote · wet wells CI Grease D Solve Plus | Trap and well service cycle · tracing-dye study where routes are unknown CI Sewer Tracing Dye | Odour complaint type, blockage trend, floater accumulation between visits |
| Operator note | Keep soil off the drain and off the plate machine. The cheapest waste program starts upstream. | Shift close is where tomorrow’s run gets easier or harder. That is the decision point. | Weekly work should reduce recurrence, not just create a second version of the daily route. | If the same issue keeps coming back, the cadence is wrong or the daily route is under-built. | Planned recovery belongs in dark windows — not in the middle of a production run. | Review the trend, not the incident. Repeating chemistry without diagnosis wastes labour. |
Daily route — trained to every shiftCorrective & recovery — scheduled, supervisor-controlled
Run vs. schedule
Rhythm focus points
- Between runs: wipes at every prep station, flatware pre-soaked, solids kept out of drains.
- Shift close: foam, rinse, sanitize, and reset — separately and in that order.
- Scheduled: bioenzyme dosing, enzyme blocks, remote dosing, and descaling on the calendar.
- Planned recovery: carbon, smokehouse, CIP review, and trap service in dark windows.
Common scheduling failures
- Using a single universal cleaner for dish, plant, and drain work.
- Treating odour with emergency line-opener chemistry instead of scheduled maintenance.
- Solving spotting by increasing detergent rather than checking rinse aid or scale.
- Waiting for visible scale or a blocked line before the schedule exists.
The scheduling principle
Production runs trigger touch-ups. Shift close triggers clean-down. Trends trigger the review. Emergency chemistry should never be the schedule — if it is, the maintenance path is missing.
Section 06 · Playbooks, quick selector & QA
Playbooks & QA
Start with the symptom, verify the standard, then choose the right route.
“Use this module when the conversation starts with a headache rather than a chemistry name.”
This section is deliberately plain-English. When a site describes a problem rather than requesting a product, this crosswalk identifies the pillar and the starting chemistry.
Quick selector — start with the complaint
| If the site says… | It’s probably a… | Start with… |
|---|---|---|
| Dishwash symptoms | ||
| “Plates come out clean but spotty.” | Rinse aid / scale issue — not detergent | CI Sprinse Rinse AdditiveCI Scalzoff Check rinse aid and scale before touching the detergent dose. |
| “Flatware is still dirty after the machine cycle.” | Pre-soak or dried-protein issue | CI WareWash Enzyme PreSoak Pre-soak before increasing main-wash aggression. |
| “Pots and pans still feel greasy after sink washing.” | Manual sink chemistry too light | CI ZIP Pot & Pan DishWashCI Platinum Dish Detergent Keep them in the scrub sink. |
| “Glassware is hazy or not sparkling.” | Wrong chemistry for glasswasher or low-foam line | CI Bar Glass Cleaner If haze persists, check rinse temperature and aid dose. |
| “Machine seems sluggish — pressure is down.” | Scale reducing heat transfer and spray performance | CI Scalzoff Then put descaling on the calendar. |
| Food plant symptoms | ||
| “Walls and conveyors need cling, not just spray-and-wipe.” | Vertical foam and longer dwell on greasy food soils | CI Blast Kitchen SurfaceCI SuperFoam Plus |
| “Oven or grill soil is black, baked, and stubborn.” | Carbon / baked-on grease | CI Grill CleanCI Oven Cleaner Aerosol |
| “Cutting boards look stained and tired.” | Embedded discoloration beyond standard detergent | CI BrightBoard Block Whitener |
| “Dairy equipment needs circulated cleaning.” | Low-foam CIP job | CI DairyQueen 3000 |
| “Beer or wine lines are degrading drink quality.” | Biofilm / yeast build-up inside dispensing lines | CI Brew Line + |
| “Smokehouse is impossible to clean between runs.” | Tar + protein + combustion residue | CI SmokeHouse Cleaner |
| “Cold room floors are greasy and icy at the same time.” | Standard degreaser freezes before it can work | CI ColdClear Degreaser |
| Waste disposal symptoms | ||
| “Grease trap smells and keeps loading up.” | Trap-renovation / grease-cap control | CI BioTrapCI Grease D Solve Plus |
| “Floor drains keep smelling after cleaning.” | Organic build-up inside the drain body | CI BioCleanCI EverClearCI Formula 27XC.I. Digester |
| “Trap looks fine on top but fails inspection underneath.” | Matting and persistent organic loading below surface | CI BioSnake Enzyme Blocks |
| “Remote station accumulates floaters between visits.” | Needs continuous automated treatment | CI BioLink RemoteCI Grease D Solve Plus |
| “Line is badly blocked.” | True blockage response | CI LemonFuryCI PressureDrop Trained maintenance response only, label and SDS-driven. |
| “Not sure where the drain run is going.” | Diagnostic question | CI Sewer Tracing Dye |
| “Bio-treatment isn’t clearing the line.” | Possible sediment / inorganic issue | CI Silt & Sand Flush |
Food-plant scorecard
| Category | What to check | Pass standard |
|---|---|---|
| Safety | ||
| Chemical storage | Walk the chemical room and every cart | Chlorinated and acid products in separate, clearly labelled areas. Secondary containers labelled. |
| Chemical lanes | What is actually on each shelf and in each dispenser | Cleaning, sanitizing, drain, and plant chemistries in their own lanes. No pot-and-pan detergent in the plate machine. No line-opener on the maintenance shelf. |
| Ware quality | ||
| Plates & flatware | Pull ware straight off the exit table | Clean and clear on the first cycle. No rewashes, no re-polishing. |
| Glassware | Hold glasses to the light | Sparkling. No haze, spots, or film. |
| Machine & boosters | Spray pressure, temperature, visible scale, descale log | Pressure and heat steady. No visible scale. Last descale date on record and within schedule. |
| Production zones | ||
| Walls & conveyors | Touch test after clean-down | No grease or protein film. No zone that needs constant re-scrubbing. |
| Cook equipment | Grills, ovens, smokehouse interiors | No baked-on carbon or tar carried over between runs. |
| Stainless & prep boards | Visual finish after soil removal | Fingerprint-free stainless. Boards not stained or odour-holding. |
| Waste | ||
| Floor drains | Odour on entry after cleaning · flow | No persistent odour. Drains flow freely without repeat line-opening. |
| Grease trap | Look underneath, not just on top | Passes inspection below the surface. No recurring cap or matting. |
| Lift station / wet well | Floater accumulation between visits · dosing running | No floater build-up between service visits. Remote dosing verified. |
Starter rollout checklist
1Confirm the equipment mix
Map machine types, sink count, and manual-versus-automatic dish mix before selecting warewash chemistry.
2Map the production zones
Identify which zones need degreasing, food-contact touch-up, line cleaning, and specialty chemistry.
3Separate waste paths in the SOP
Divide routine drain maintenance, grease-cap control, and emergency blockage response into distinct SOP tracks.
4Set the chemical lanes
Chlorinated and acid chemistries stored apart. Cleaning, sanitizing, drain, and plant products on their own shelves, with secondary containers labelled.
5Test incoming water hardness
Hard water drives spotting and scale. Know the number before assuming the chemistry is wrong.
6Set a review rhythm
Schedule recurring checks on ware quality, labour hotspots, odour complaints, and scale / blockage trends.
Good first questions for the site
?Labour hotspots
Where do operators spend the most extra scrub time? That is usually where chemistry selection is weakest.
?Touch-up gaps
Which zones need food-contact touch-up between deep cleans?
?Drain complaint type
Are drain complaints mostly odour, grease loading, solids, or true blockages?
?Specialty environments
Which systems are specialty — dairy, beverage, smokehouse, egg-wash, freezer, or commissary?
Program warning lights
Ware is clean but spotty
Likely rinse aid, water hardness, or machine scale. Check CI Sprinse and CI Scalzoff before increasing detergent.
Walls need constant scrubbing
The plant may need better foam dwell or heavier protein / grease chemistry. Review CI Blast, CI SuperFoam Plus, or specialty carbon products.
CIP system is foaming or weak
Circulated systems need low-foam process chemistry, not a surface foamer. Confirm DairyQueen, Brew Line, or Egg Wash fit.
Drain odour returns after cleaning
Surface cleaning is not reaching the drain body, grease trap, or organic loading. Move to scheduled biological maintenance before emergency chemistry.
Lines keep blocking
Separate grease, organic build-up, sediment, and true blockage. Repeating the same chemistry without diagnosis wastes labour and raises risk.
Staff can explain why each product exists
That is usually the sign the program is actually working rather than just being stored in the supply room.
Safety note: use this guide with current SDS, label directions, site procedures, food-safety requirements, training, PPE, and applicable regulations. Never mix chlorinated cleaners with acid products. Product names follow the FacilitySpec™ source; linked names open the product page on chemintonline.com.
FacilitySpec™ · Food Processing Plants
Need a site-specific food-plant program?
FacilitySpec™ can be customized into a wall-chart deployment packet with dosing guides, zone maps, chemical-lane layouts, and review schedules for your exact facility.
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