Foodservice facility

Contributed by ProNatural Brands

Whether floors are mopped or cleaned using an automatic scrubber, most cleaning professionals believe their job is done once completed. However, while the floor may look clean, the inconvenient truth is that floor drains may be building up all types of debris, soap scum, and pathogens.  

The situation is even worse in commercial kitchens such as in foodservice. Food particulates, spills, and other liquids are intentionally sent down drains every day in these industries. That’s the fastest way to get rid of this waste.  

But the long-term result is build-up in floor drains that can cause several problems, according to Lee Chen, COO of ProNatural Brands, makers of 100 percent naturally derived cleaning solutions, sanitizers, and disinfectants.

Among the most concerning are the following: 

• Bacteria and viruses can thrive in floor drains.

• Drain flies, moth-like creatures are attracted to bacteria accumulation in floor drains. They reproduce every 48 hours, resulting in an infestation in little time.

• Biofilm, a colony of bacteria and other pathogens that form a protective coating.  

• Mold formation in the drain comprised of slime, yeast, and fungi.

• Oil and grease build-up, which contributes to clogs in pipes.

• Limescale and mineral deposits, which also can clog drains.

• Odors.

“In a food service facility, build-up such as these can result in fines and the actual closing of a facility by public health officials,” says Chen. “It’s unhealthy, it can collect on shoe bottoms that we later touch, end up in food, and the result is cross-contamination.”

To address this, Chen suggests using a high-quality, low-environmental impact disinfectant and pumping it down drains using an applicator.

The process creates a foam that clings to the circumference of the pipes, providing total surface coverage, allows for dwell time, and effective cleans and disinfects.

“All too often, floor drains are out of sight/out of mind to cleaning professionals and building managers,” adds Chen.  “But ignored, contamination can build up, turning clean floors into unhealthy ones, posing a potential health risk to building users, and [pipe] blockages that can be costly to repair.”