Your cow herd likely passes through the milking parlour every day. A lot of dirt is left behind – manure, protein and fat residues as well as milk residues, limescale and urine deposits. Cleaning the milking parlour regularly is therefore essential. The right cleaning equipment is also key to cleanliness in the milk store and at the milk tank in order to ensure the necessary hygiene conditions along the entire production chain.
The milking area is the most sensitive part of a dairy barn because it is the boundary between animal husbandry and food. Since all dairy cows – whether sick or healthy – pass through this area several times a day, hygiene is of central importance.
To prevent germs from being spread from one animal to the next, a thorough clean of the entire milking house and milking area is recommended after each milking shift.
A high-pressure cleaner should be used to clean the rotary milking parlour and also the waiting area and the drive paths. Tiled walls, tiled floors and lots of stainless-steel materials in both the technology and barn equipment create the best conditions for fast and thorough cleaning. When cleaning, special attention needs to be paid to the milking equipment and other milking system parts that come into contact with dirt.
Several times a week, suitable cleaning agents should also be applied with the foam lance to break infection chains and remove all residues. There are different milking parlour cleaners available. Alkaline cleaners effectively remove faecal, protein, milk and grease residues. Acidic cleaners are suitable against lime scale, rust, urine deposits.
High-pressure cleaners with a high water flow rate of at least 800 litres per hour and a high flushing capacity help to wash away large quantities of dirt during milking parlour cleaning. This is exactly what is required for cleaning the milking parlour, where faeces and urine can accumulate during milking.
A high pressure lance with a gun attachment can be a real help. Here, the amount of water and pressure can be dosed on a sliding scale. In this way, the device can easily be used for gentle cleaning of sensitive components or for rinsing away coarse soiling.
A long high pressure hose ensures sufficient working radius to reach even the last corners of the milking parlour or milking house. To avoid tripping hazards, the high-pressure hose is ideally guided on a reel with automatic return.
Sensitive electrical equipment, such as cylinders and lasers on milking machines, should be left out of the process and cleaned separately. You can roughly clean heavily soiled floors with a high pressure cleaner.
Apply cleaning agent to surfaces, the ceiling and any milking equipment from bottom to top using a foam lance. An alkaline milking parlour cleaner is recommended for this purpose in order to effectively remove faeces, protein and grease residues.
Advantage of using foam cleaner:It is so stable that it adheres to surfaces. The exposure time and cleaning effect are increased.
After the recommended exposure time of the milking parlour cleaner, rinse off the foam from top to bottom.
Tip: The water used for rinsing should be of high quality to prevent recontamination. If the floor does not dry on its own by the next milking, a wet/dry vacuum will help ensure a dry and non-slip floor.
Using an acidic cleaner on areas that come into increased contact with urine and milk will be more effective. Rinse off the foam from top to bottom after the recommended exposure time.
High-pressure washers can also be used to clean the outside of the milking equipment such as milking clusters, hoses and accessories. After each milking, it is a good idea to rinse these pieces of equipment off as well. High-pressure lances with a gun, where the amount of water and pressure can be adjusted on a sliding scale, help to gently clean sensitive components. An alkaline cleaner effectively removes faecal, protein and grease residues.
Whether you’re using a piped milking system or an automatic milking system – automatic rinsing and disinfection systems ensure that the milking clusters are clean and microbiologically flawless after each milking time (each round).
The same requirements apply to any milk storage areas as to the milking area itself. High-pressure washers and hot water as well as cleaning agents ensure that the dirt is removed as effectively as possible. Wet and dry vacuum cleaners can also be used to prevent mould growth due to remaining moisture and to prevent the risk of slipping.
Cleaning with hot water: High-pressure cleaners clean even better at a constant pressure. Alongside improved results and faster cleaning and drying times, hot water high-pressure cleaners also have a measurable germ-reducing effect. When the steam stage is used, even delicate surfaces can be gently cleaned with temperatures of up to 155 °C. Furthermore, the machines allow for a reduction in the working pressure, the time required and the volume of cleaning agent that is used. This means that cleaning with hot water offers a number of advantages and various possibilities for optimising the cleaning process.
