How to clean warehouse racking

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Warehouses can get very dirty, as can the warehouse racking. They can collect lots of dirt and grime from machinery, workers, vehicles and accidents including spilling cleaning products, chemicals, etc. Most warehouses are cleaned professionally, like cleaning and maintaining a warehouse can prevent any further accidents in the workplace.

Why clean warehouse racking?

The main reason for keeping a warehouse clean, and more specifically cleaning warehouse racking, is to keep all items and products free from dirt and dust. If the racking is kept clean, there is less of a chance of dirt on the goods and of course damaging them. The logistics company is then safe in the knowledge that the goods will leave the warehouse in the same condition as how they arrived. But how to clean warehouse racking?

Start with the floor

It may not be obvious, but a lot of the dust and dirt that gets onto the racking comes from the floor. Most floors in commercial warehouses have a specialist resin-mix floor paint, to protect the floor and to ensure ease of mobility for materials handling equipment, such as forklifts. If you don’t want to invest in a specialist cleaning company, the best way is to sweep and vacuum the entire floor and remove all obstructions from walkways. Then use a hard industrial mop with warm soapy water and leave to dry.

Look at your racking and shelving

What type of warehouse shelving do you use in your storage facility? Contrary to popular belief, warehouse racking and industrial racking can be constructed from several different materials – which would then determine how to clean the warehouse racking. Racking materials are usually constructed using steel or aluminium but can be made from wood, wire (a metal mix), copper and occasionally a hardwearing plastic.

Cleaning materials

Once you know the materials that your warehouse shelving is constructed from, you need to collect the appropriate cleaning materials. It is possible to buy specialist-cleaning products, but it’s fine to use a damp rag and a household cleaner to clean most shelves. Make sure that you remove all sticky areas as these can cause damage to the goods on the shelves.

Health and safety

If you are cleaning your warehouse racking yourself, ensure that you have the correct safety procedures in place; it’s safer to work with another person, or ‘spotter’, and when working from height, please use a safe MEP (mobile elevated platform) or small cherry picker.

Looking for warehouse racking or shelving? From pallet racking to mesh decking, we have the perfect choice at Manutan. Please browse at our range of products, and please get in touch if you require any help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victoria Vaughan