Standard triple rinse
Ambient pressure rinse, detergent cycle, clear rinse. Fine for ag nutrients, soaps, glycols and most industrial non-hazardous residues.
Service 04 — Cleaning
Triple-rinse washing
Washing a tote uses water. Washing it badly wastes water twice — once in the rinse and once again when the container gets scrapped anyway. Our wash bay recovers 96% of what it uses and documents every cycle.
- Sheet
- 11
- Revision
- 2026-10
- Scale
- 1:1
- Drawn at
- Peoria IL
96%Wash water reused
180°FHot cycle temperature
3+1Rinses for food grade
46 galFresh water saved per tote
Pick the wash the product demands
Hot caustic
180°F caustic recirculation for oils, fats, resins and sugar. Includes neutralisation and pH verification on the final rinse.
Food-grade release
Cycle 2 plus a potable final rinse, swab check and a signed cleaning certificate with lot traceability.
| Last contents | Recommended cycle | Food-grade eligible after? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid fertiliser, UAN | Standard triple rinse | No | Nitrogen residue stains but rinses clean |
| Vegetable oil, glycerine | Hot caustic | Yes | Needs the hot cycle or film remains |
| Corn syrup, molasses | Hot caustic | Yes | Sugar load; two caustic passes common |
| Glycol (brewery, HVAC) | Standard + neutralise | No | Colour can persist in the bottle |
| Latex, adhesive, resin | Hot caustic | No | Often a rebottle candidate instead |
| Surfactant, detergent | Standard triple rinse | Case by case | Foam control added to the recovery loop |
| Solvent, flammable | Not accepted for wash | No | Routed to licensed processing, not our bay |
A wash bay that keeps its own water
01
Capture
Every drop from every bay drains to a 6,000-gallon underground sump — nothing hits the storm system.
02
Separate
Oil-water separator, then settling for solids. Sludge is drummed and handled by a licensed processor.
03
Filter
Bag filtration to 25 micron, then cartridge to 5 micron for recirculated rinse duty.
04
Reuse
Filtered water goes back to the pre-rinse and detergent cycles. Only the final rinse uses fresh potable water.
“Any wash bay can get a tote clean. The question is what happens to the water afterwards — and whether you can prove it.”
— Wash bay lead, Peoria yard
Paper that survives an audit
- Cleaning certificate per tote or per lot, with cycle type, temperature log and operator initials.
- Last-contents declaration kept on file against the tote serial for seven years.
- pH and conductivity readings on the final rinse for caustic cycles.
- Swab results for food-grade release, with the lab name and method on the certificate.
- Chain of custody from your dock to our bay to the buyer's dock.
Residue to cycle, in one table
| Residue | Cycle | Temperature | Food-grade after? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water, brine, de-icer | 1 | Ambient | Case by case | Fastest cycle we run |
| Liquid fertiliser, UAN | 1 | Ambient | No | Stains but rinses clean |
| Glycol, chiller fluid | 1 + neutralise | Ambient | No | Colour is permanent |
| Surfactant, detergent | 1 | Ambient | Case by case | Foam control added to the loop |
| Caustic, acid (dilute) | 1 + pH verify | Ambient | No | Neutralised before recovery |
| Vegetable oil, glycerine | 2 | 180°F | Yes | Cold rinses leave a film every time |
| Corn syrup, molasses | 2 | 180°F | Yes | Often two caustic passes |
| Mineral oil, motor oil | 2 | 180°F | No | Separator load is significant |
| Latex, adhesive, resin | Not washable | — | No | Rebottle or granulate |
| Solvent, fuel | Not accepted | — | No | Absorbed into the wall; licensed route |
| Food product, documented | 3 | 180°F + potable rinse | Yes | Swab tested, certificate issued |
- Cycle 1 is a validated triple rinse: three passes at roughly 10% of container volume, drained through the valve so the valve body is rinsed too.
- Cycle 2 adds 22 minutes of hot caustic recirculation. Contact time removes residue; pressure only redistributes it.
- Cycle 3 adds neutralisation with pH read on the drain stream, a single-pass potable final rinse, and a lab result tied to the wash lot.
- Every cycle is recorded: type, temperature, duration, operator, pH where relevant, against the serial, for seven years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which wash cycle will my totes need?
It depends on what the tote last held. Fertiliser, soaps and glycols usually get the standard triple rinse. Oils, fats, resins and sugar get the hot caustic cycle. Tell us the last contents and we will recommend the cycle.
Can you make a tote food grade after it held something else?
Only after certain contents. Oils, glycerine, corn syrup and molasses can reach food-grade release after a hot caustic wash. Fertiliser, glycol and resin totes are not eligible. Food-grade release adds a potable final rinse, a swab check and a signed certificate.
What happens to the wash water?
All water drains to a 6,000-gallon underground sump, then goes through an oil-water separator, settling and filtration. About 96% is reused. Only the final rinse uses fresh potable water. Sludge is drummed and handled by a licensed processor.
Will you wash a tote that held flammable solvent?
No. Solvent and flammable contents are not accepted for washing in our bay. Those containers are routed to licensed processing instead. Contact the yard through the form on the contact page if you are unsure what a tote held.
Do I get a record of the wash?
Yes. Every cycle is documented. For food-grade release you receive a signed cleaning certificate with lot traceability. Ask when you book if you need a specific record format for an audit.