Bottle Cleaning Options - Wash, Rinse, Vacuum

While container cleaning equipment may not be found on every packaging line, there are those industries that will find bottle washers and rinsers to be more of a necessity than an option. For food products, pharmaceuticals and other items that will be consumed or ingested, container cleaning equipment can be the first step in protecting the product against contamination. This equipment can be used to wash or rinse both the inside and outside of containers and we will take a look at the three most popular designs for cleaning containers below.

Bottle Washers

Bottle washing equipment is most often used to wash the outside of a container, though some machines may be built to rinse both the inside and the outside. These machines are most popular in industries that re-use containers, such as the Bottled Water Industry. Especially popular with larger containers in the industry, such as three and five gallon bottles, the washers will often be combined with interior rinsing, filling and capping as well.

Inverting Bottle Rinsers

Probably the most popular of the container cleaning machines is the inverting bottle rinser. These machines are used to clean the inside of bottles prior to the introduction of product and are used across a number of different industries. The rinsing machines remove dust, debris and other contaminants that can build up through the manufacture of the bottle, during transportation or even while just in storage. As containers index in to the rinsing area, they are secured and inverted over a rinse basin. Once inverted, either air, water or other cleaning liquid is used to remove the debris before containers are returned to the conveyor. These machines can also be built to run semi-auotmatically with the operator placing containers and activating the air or liquid rinse.

Bottle Vacuums

Bottle vacuum machines are typically used when bottle shape or size makes inverting the containers a chore, if not nearly impossible. These container cleaning machines allow the bottles to be rinsed while remaining on the conveyor system. Instead of inverting containers, special nozzles are used to create a seal over the container opening before blasting the inside of the container with air and vacuuming out the debris and contaminants. These machines can also be manufactured to run semi-automatically with a little more help from the operator of the machine, again loading bottles, activating the rinse and unloading bottles.

Container cleaning equipment can handle just about any container using one of the three machine types discussed above or custom equipment for unique projects. To learn more about bottle rinsers and washers, visit the container cleaning section of the Liquid Packaging Solutions website or call our offices to discuss your project with a Packaging Specialist.