If you’ve invested in high-quality commercial floor drains, you want them to last for 50+ years. But what do you need to do to ensure they keep functioning properly?
After wrapping up the installation of your industrial floor drains, it’s time to adopt regular cleaning processes and maintenance checks. Below are more details.
How to Clean Stainless Steel Floor Drains
Cleaning your commercial floor drains is relatively straightforward, regardless of your industry. However, if your drains regularly carry acidic or salty solutions away or are in high-traffic areas, they’ll need more attention and routine cleaning than a drain tucked away in a storage area.
In high-traffic areas, you’ll typically want to remove and clean visible organic buildup daily (e.g., food production ingredients) and inorganic buildup weekly (e.g., mineral deposits). Low-traffic drains will need monthly cleanings.
Although stainless steel drains are incredibly durable, you don’t need to attack them with harsh chemicals or brushes. Adopt a gentler cleaning approach to ensure a longer lifespan for your drains.
Remember these tips:
- Sometimes, all your drain needs is a good flush with hot, soapy water (try a five-gallon bucket’s worth). Incorporate this regularly into your cleaning routine for all drains, in addition to more targeted, manual cleaning in high-traffic areas.
- To avoid scratching, use a soft sponge, microfiber cloth, or plastic scouring pads instead of tools like steel wool or wire brushes.
- Use a mild dish soap or detergent to clean. Avoid abrasive cleaners, bleach, and chlorine- or oil-based products.
- If you need more scouring power, use baking soda or a commercial cleaner formulated for stainless steel.
- If you have a pesky oil or grease build-up, use isopropyl alcohol, acetone, or methylated spirits to remove it. It may take multiple cleanings.
- Scrub or wipe with the grain of the metal when possible.
- Sanitize with 70% isopropyl alcohol or commercial disinfectants formulated for stainless steel. If using alcohol, simply rinse it after using it to remove any oxidizing or corrosive agents.
Armed with these tips, you’ll keep your drains sparkling.
Other Crucial Maintenance Tips
Cleaning your industrial floor drains isn’t the only thing you need to do to maintain them. What about the connecting pipes? Maintaining the entire drainage system is just as integral to your facility as maintaining the actual drain.
Don’t forget about these steps:
- Maintain P Trap levels: Connected to your drain system, P Traps hold water to stop sewer gas from wafting up the pipes and into your facility; however, water evaporation can let those nasty odors and fumes sneak in. Especially in your drains that aren’t used often, pour water down them routinely to ensure the P Traps remain full. Once or twice a month should be sufficient.
- Avoid overtaxing your drains: Certain commercial floor drain systems, like trench drains, are better able to handle solid waste than other systems; however, that doesn’t mean you should purposefully dispose of debris or solid waste by sweeping or pouring it into your drains. Your drains aren’t a catch-all. Instruct employees on the proper disposal of debris and avoid overtaxing your drains to prevent a serious plumbing problem.
- Flush with hot, soapy water: We’ve already mentioned the usefulness of flushing with hot, soapy water to clean drains, but it’s so essential to proper maintenance that we want to mention it again. Dark, damp pipes are the perfect place for insects, organic growth, dirt, and even small critters. Pouring at least five gallons of hot water per drain once or twice a month efficiently prevents unwanted stuff from entering your pipes.
Remember, preventative maintenance is your friend! A clog means a slowdown on your production floor, costing you time and money. When a clog does occur, call a professional to address the issue quickly.
Easy Maintenance of Industrial Floor Drains From AWI
When selecting drains for your commercial facility, look for a manufacturer that builds drains with easy maintenance in mind. At AWI, our talented engineers design sanitary drain systems with fewer welded seams that are easier to keep clean. Our products are NSF Certified and meet 3A SSI standards.
We would be happy to help you decide which drains would best suit your needs and explain how we maintain the drains in our manufacturing plant. Contact us today for a no-obligation quote!
