Problem: Cleaning and rinsing lab and process carboys and containers by hand inevitably leads to problems with cross-contamination. Hard-to-reach areas in carboys, like the bottoms and necks, and around the tops of other vessels can be difficult to get at with hoses and brushes and leave harmful contaminants in place.

Cleaning carboys and containers manually, with hoses and brushes in a big sink, is also slow and cumbersome—not to mention messy. Water ends up on otherwise clean work surfaces or on the floor, making for slippery conditions and a potential safety hazard.

In short, cleaning and rinsing carboys by hand can increase the risk of cross-contamination and create productivity and safety issues in an otherwise well-run lab or process facility. Until recently, the only other option: invest in a costly—$100,000-plus—automated system.

Solution: The non-metallic TerraSpray™ rinse station is one example of a cost-effective solution to the longstanding problem of how to clean carboys efficiently and completely. Stations like these free up time for more important tasks while improving lab sanitization.

The process for cleaning and rinsing a carboy or other vessel is as follows. The carboy is scrubbed with a longhandled brush and a little detergent and water then placed upside-down on top of the rinse station. This, in turn, activates a fluid-driven spray nozzle that rinses the container quickly and thoroughly—a full 360 degrees around. All water is contained within the rinse station, eliminating the potential for wet work surfaces or floors and associated contamination and/or safety hazards.

The rinse station accepts any style carboy or container up to 50 gallons (200 liters). It connects via standard plumbing fixtures to a water inlet (1/2” NPT female) and drain (1 ½” NPT female). Special connections are also available. No electricity is necessary for operation of the TerraSpray unit.

Two floor models are available—a standard and large size. Both offer a foot-controlled valve attached to the bottom platform of the units that turns them on and off. A smaller tabletop version of the rinse station places the control valve on the side of the unit.

Manual cleaning cannot consistently sanitize carboys and other containers to the standards required by many of today’s labs and R&D facilities. For those looking to address this issue, rinse stations such as the the TerraSpray warrant further consideration.

For more information, go to www.terracon-solutions.com

The TerraSpray™ rinse station.