Types of Industrial Cleaning Services: The Ultimate Guide

Industrial cleaning services follow specialized sanitation protocols designed for hazardous environments such as factories, power plants, and warehouses. Unlike standard janitorial work, these services require heavy machinery, chemical remediation, and strict compliance with OSHA regulations. In this guide, we define the essential types of industrial cleaning services, from hydro-blasting to decontamination, and explain their role in maintaining production standards.

What Defines Industrial Cleaning Services?

Most facility managers confuse commercial cleaning with industrial cleaning.

Commercial cleaning focuses on offices, retail spaces, and public-facing areas. Industrial cleaning targets manufacturing floors, heavy machinery, warehouses, and power plants. This sector handles hazardous environments where dirt poses a safety risk rather than just an aesthetic issue.

Industrial vs. Commercial Differences:

• Scope: Commercial cleans carpets; industrial cleans chemical tanks.
• Hazards: Commercial deals with trash; industrial deals with combustible dust.
• Equipment: Commercial uses vacuums; industrial uses hydro-blasters and boom lifts.

Understanding this distinction ensures you hire the right partner. For instance, a dedicated warehouse cleaning service possesses the specific safety certifications required to operate around heavy logistics equipment, whereas a general office cleaner does not.

4 Common Hazards Removed by Industrial Cleaning

An unclean industrial workplace creates immediate health and safety liabilities.

Professional industrial cleaners must identify and neutralize specific environmental hazards. Failing to remove these contaminants results in OSHA citations, equipment failures, and employee illness.

1. Decontamination and Infection Control

Industrial sites often require decontamination to remove biological threats.

• Focus: Removing bacteria, viruses, and fungi from high-touch surfaces.
• Application: Essential for food processing plants and pharmaceutical labs.
• Method: Using EPA-registered disinfectants and electrostatic sprayers.

Effective decontamination prevents widespread illness outbreaks that can shut down production lines.

2. Combustible Dust Remediation

Dust is not just a nuisance; it is an explosive hazard.

• Risk: Aluminum, grain, and wood dust can ignite if allowed to accumulate.
• Regulation: OSHA strictly monitors dust levels on rafters and high surfaces.
• Method: Using explosion-proof HEPA vacuums to capture particles safely.

Managing combustible dust is a critical compliance requirement for NFPA standards.

3. Mold and Mildew Removal

Moisture in industrial HVAC systems can quickly breed mold.

• Risk: Mold spores cause respiratory issues and immune system weakness.
• Location: Often found in cooling towers, air ducts, and damp storage areas.
• Method: Industrial crews use biocides and physical scrubbing to remediate surfaces.

Remediating mold protects your workforce’s respiratory health.

4. Specialized Hazardous Material Abatement

Some contaminants require specific federal licensing to handle.

• Asbestos: A carcinogenic mineral found in older insulation and tiling.
• Lead: Toxic heavy metal found in pre-1978 paint and industrial coatings.
• Note: You must verify that your cleaning provider holds specific certifications before they disturb these materials.

Proper abatement prevents long-term legal liability for your company.

7 Different Types of Industrial Cleaning Services

You must match the cleaning method to the machinery and soil type.

Using the wrong method damages expensive equipment. Below are the primary technical methods used in the industrial sector.

1. Hydro-Blasting (High-Pressure Water Cleaning)

This process uses extreme water pressure to strip surfaces.

• Pressure: Ranges from 10,000 to 40,000 PSI (pounds per square inch).
• Uses: Removing paint, rubber deposits, and heavy scale from pipes.
• Safety: Operators must wear heavy-duty protective suits to prevent injury.

Hydro-blasting remains the most effective method for clearing blockages in industrial piping.

2. Dry Ice Blasting

Dry ice blasting is a non-abrasive, non-conductive cleaning method.

• Process: Shooting solid carbon dioxide (CO2) pellets at supersonic speeds.
• Science: The pellets sublime (turn to gas) on impact, lifting dirt without leaving waste.
• Uses: Cleaning electric motors, food processing belts, and delicate molds.
• Benefit: It requires no drying time and creates no secondary waste stream.

Facilities with sensitive electronics prefer dry ice blasting to avoid water damage.

3. Abrasive Blasting

This method uses gritty media to scour surfaces.

• Media: Sand, glass beads, or walnut shells.
• Uses: Stripping rust from steel beams or preparing surfaces for repainting.
• Caution: This generates significant dust and requires containment.

Abrasive blasting restores corroded metal surfaces to their original condition.

4. Clean-in-Place (CIP)

CIP cleans interior surfaces of pipes and tanks without disassembly.

• Process: Circulating cleaning chemicals and rinses through the equipment’s own piping.
• Uses: Standard in breweries, dairies, and pharmaceutical plants.
• Benefit: It eliminates the downtime required to disassemble machinery.

CIP systems allow for frequent sterilization without halting production for long periods.

5. Industrial Vacuuming

An industrial vacuum is not your standard shop vac.

• Equipment: Truck-mounted vacuum units with massive suction power.
• Uses: Sucking up sludge, gravel, slurry, or large debris spills.
• Safety: Essential for removing hazardous dry bulk materials.

Heavy-duty vacuuming quickly clears large spills that would take hours to shovel by hand.

6. Foam Cleaning

Gravity makes cleaning vertical surfaces with liquid alone difficult.

• Process: Applying a thick, chemical foam that clings to walls and machinery.
• Science: The foam increases “dwell time,” allowing the chemical to break down grease.
• Uses: Large tanks, exterior machinery, and food processing walls.

Foam cleaning ensures chemicals stay in contact with the soil long enough to work effectively.

7. Hot Water and Steam Cleaning

Grease and oil do not yield to cold water.

• Process: Heating water to high temperatures to melt viscous substances.
• Uses: Degreasing engine blocks, flooring, and kitchen exhaust hoods.
• Benefit: The heat sanitizes surfaces while removing the physical debris.

Steam cleaning provides a chemical-free option for sanitizing greasy environments.

Types of Industrial Cleaning Services by Industry Sector

You cannot use the same chemicals in a bakery that you use in a refinery. You must tailor the types of industrial cleaning services to the specific regulatory demands of your sector.

Manufacturing and Heavy Industry

Facilities that produce metal, plastic, or automotive parts generate heavy soils.

• Focus: Degreasing floors and removing metal shavings.
• Challenge: Managing heavy oil buildup on concrete creates slip hazards.
• Solution: Aggressive power scrubbing and magnetic sweeping.

Keeping these floors clean prevents forklift accidents and keeps production moving.

Food and Beverage Processing

Hygiene is the absolute priority in this sector.

• Focus: Sanitizing conveyors and preventing cross-contamination.
• Challenge: Strict FDA compliance and allergen control.
• Solution: Dry ice blasting and foam cleaning to remove bacteria.

Sanitation in food plants directly protects the consumer and your brand reputation.

Pharmaceutical and Medical

These environments require sterility, not just cleanliness.

• Focus: Maintaining cleanroom standards and particle counts.
• Challenge: Documenting every cleaning step for regulatory audits.
• Solution: Specialized decontamination and HEPA filtration.

Strict adherence to protocols ensures the integrity of sensitive medical products.

Warehousing and Logistics

Distribution centers face massive dust and debris challenges.

• Focus: Deep cleaning and sanitizing high racks and floors.
• Challenge: Managing dust accumulation over vast square footage.
• Solution: High-reach dusting and ride-on autoscrubbers.

A clean warehouse ensures accurate inventory tracking and safe forklift operation.

Why You Should Outsource Industrial Cleaning

Handling these tasks in-house creates liability and inefficiency.

Your employees should focus on production, not remediation. Hiring a professional service ensures the job is done safely and correctly, using the appropriate five must-haves for industrial warehouse cleaning services.

Benefits of Outsourcing:

• Compliance: Pros know the latest OSHA and EPA regulations.
• Equipment: You avoid the capital cost of buying expensive scrubbers and blasters.
• Safety: Contractors carry their own insurance and PPE training.
• Downtime: Crews work during shutdowns or nights to minimize disruption.

Outsourcing transfers the risk of hazardous cleaning from your company to the contractor.

How to Choose an Industrial Cleaning Partner

Not all cleaning companies possess the capability to handle industrial hazards.

You must vet potential partners carefully to ensure they can handle the scope of your facility.

Vetting Checklist:

• Safety Record: Ask for their EMR (Experience Modification Rate) safety rating.
• Training: Verify that their crews have OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 certification.
• References: Request case studies from other clients in your specific industry.
• Capabilities: Ensure they own the specific equipment (hydro-blasters, lifts) you need.

Selecting the right partner prevents costly accidents and ensures regulatory compliance.

Achieving Compliance Through Types of Industrial Cleaning Services

Industrial cleaning protects your machinery, your people, and your license to operate.

Understanding the specific types of industrial cleaning services available allows you to choose the right solution for your facility. From hydro-blasting to hazardous remediation, these specialized services are vital for maintaining a safe, productive environment.

Contact Dallas Janitorial Services today to discuss your facility’s specific industrial cleaning needs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Industrial Cleaning

What is the difference between commercial and industrial cleaning?

Commercial cleaning focuses on general sanitation for offices and retail spaces (trash removal, vacuuming). Industrial cleaning in hazardous environments, such as factories, requires specialized machinery and safety training.

What is hydro-blasting used for?

Hydro-blasting uses high-pressure water (up to 40k PSI) to remove tough deposits like paint, rubber, and scale from industrial tanks and pipes.

Is dry ice blasting safe for electrical equipment?

Yes. Dry ice blasting is non-conductive and moisture-free, making it the ideal method for cleaning electric motors and circuit boards without causing short circuits.

How often should industrial facilities be cleaned?

High-traffic areas and food processing lines require daily cleaning. Heavy machinery and high rafters typically require deep cleaning on a quarterly or semi-annual basis.

Do industrial cleaners handle hazardous waste?

Many do, but you must verify their certification. Handling materials such as asbestos, lead, or chemical spills requires specialized licenses beyond general industrial cleaning.be an effective cleaning method. Typically, it will be used on specific machinery. The process involves spraying abrasive particles at a surface with high pressure. By doing so, you may remove grease, oil, and rust.