Best Practices

Tips for Heavy Equipment Washing

Keeping your heavy equipment clean is a key part of regular machine maintenance that will help reduce wear, increase efficiency, and lengthen its lifespan. But heavy equipment cleaning isn’t as simple as washing your car, and it’s important that you handle it the right way. To help you out, we’ve put together some tips and best practices for washing your machines.

Stick to a schedule

How often you wash your equipment depends on how much you use it and the conditions it’s operating in. If you’re working on an especially muddy or dirty jobsite, then you may need to clean it every couple of days or at least once a week. The longer you let grease, mud, and other gunk build up on your machine, then the more difficult it will be to remove and the more it may interfere with the efficiency and safety of operation.

Use a specific wash station

When it comes to heavy equipment washing, there may be environmental laws that limit how you can do it. For example, many jurisdictions have regulations that prohibit water containing grease, fuel residue, and other contaminants from entering open surfaces and groundwater reservoirs. A wash bay or station is an area where you can remove those contaminants and debris from your machines while adhering to local rules and regulations by preventing them from entering the environment.

You can construct a permanent wash bay at your facility or where you store your machines, or you can purchase a portable wash pad that can be transported to almost any location. Whether permanent or portable, they both work by capturing the polluted water in a catch basin below the wash pad and then moving it through a water treatment recycling system that removes the contaminants.

Grab your pressure washer

For heavy equipment cleaning, we suggest working with a pressure washer. It makes it a lot easier to remove tough residue, including old grease, mud, rocks, sludge, branches, and more. A normal hose will often not have the pressure required to loosen and clear the grime that builds up, especially in seams, crevices, hinges, and other hard to reach areas. You can also use a hot water pressure washer for your most difficult to remove buildup and residue. Hot water will break down and dissolve grime, grease, and oil more quickly and efficiently than cold water, helping you save time and use less water.

Wear protective clothing and gear

With heavy equipment washing, it’s important to wear full length clothes or coveralls, non-slip shoes, face and eye protection, and gloves. The right clothing and equipment will decrease the chances that you come into contact with hot water, chemicals, or contaminants coming off of the equipment.

Utilize the right detergents and surfactants

If your machine is covered with a mixture of organic substances, such as lubrication grease, fuel residue, or insect and bird waste, or inorganic substances, such as sand, gravel, and dust, then detergents will help you with heavy equipment cleaning.  

Here are some of the best chemicals to clean the grease, dirt, and grime during heavy equipment washing:

• Acidic pre-soaks and/or aluminum brighteners for oxidation and mineral residue
• High pH detergent to neutralize your low pH presoak & clean normal buildup
• Friction detergent for brush washing that will reduce drying & surface abrasions
• Degreaser for a heavy buildup of grease, fuel spills, and oils
• Concrete and cement cleaner for removing paving materials, lime, fly ash, rust, and water scale

Remove attachments

When handling heavy equipment washing, it’s important to take off any attachments and clean them separately. That way, you can reach grime more easily and the entire washing process will be simpler and more seamless.

If you have any questions about heavy equipment cleaning or machine maintenance in general, contact our team today!