Design for Cleaning

Basics

• This page aims to go over the Design Philosophy / OSE Specification of “Design for Cleaning”
  • In the same category as Design for X
• Preface:
  • Given it is not an area’s primary use, cleaning of equipment or a space can easily be overlooked by an engineer, architect, or other designer
  • HOWEVER even small details in the design can make a huge difference in the ease of cleaning something (for better or for worse)

Contexts

Buildings

• Designing Floorboards and Corners etc to not have a Vacuum Cleaner get stuck etc
  • A related concept would be avoiding thresholds/ledges such that a Robotic Vacuum can navigate a space without needing elaborate technology
• Choosing materials that are easily maintained+cleaned
  • This is complicated with many stain resistant coatings utilize PTFE or similar Fluropolymers (which while mot INHERENTLY bad, should be avoided where not explicitly needed)
• Designing Bathtubs / Shower Pans with as little seams as possible to make rinsing down for cleaning an option with little risk of water damage
• Chemical Resistance of Bathroom/Kitchen Gear to Allow Sanitizing with Bleach Water

Industrial Sites and Storage Tanks

• In a Tank Farm etc at LEAST have a water faucet in between every two tanks (a faucet by each tank itself would be ideal)
  • This reduces the need to run a pile of water hoses
  • While it introduces more problems for much less of a benefit (especially when Rented Portable Diesel Powered Air Compressor Trailers are typically used. Compressed Air Lines CAN be run as well
  • Running electrical out is far more complicated, and runs into Explosion Proofing/code issues, but is worth considering as well
• Water for Pressure Washers and Rinsing is especially useful though, and PVC Pipe is Comparatively Cheap to the Value it Offers
• Center Sump Tanks and either Cone Bottom, or for Atmospheric Storage Tanks just a mild slope to that center sump are preferable to Inverted Cone Bottom tanks with Sumps near the perimeter
  • There MAY be a point to have sumps below Product Intake Pipes etc to catch Sludge , Water , or even Pipeline Drag Reducing Additives , but a Floating Intake Pipe and Water Draw Off Points (as well as not skimping on maintenance+build quality etc) may eliminate the need for this, TLDR: Citation Needed
• Grinding Weld Seams in welded tanks, or cutting Caulking flush to the surface of the metal is HIGHLY recommended as well as any irregularly in the surface will interfere with Squeegeeing (and to a lesser extent rinsewater flow)
  • A couple of Flap Disks / a Hard Rock disc or two is WELL WORTH the benefit to the Cleanup Crew

Vehicles

• Have the wheel well covers be a smooth surface, not a Nonwoven Textile (to allow for easy rinsing of dirt etc)
• Use Rubber Floor Mats to prevent spills/simplify cleanul
• Use Leather/ Pleather / Vegan Alternatives for Leather Seating+ Upholstery to allow simple wiping down for cleaning rather than some complex Carpet Cleaner type solution being needed
  • Also while they CAN be great for “hot car melting your skin off” type seats, Cooled Car Seats typically do so via a Mesh or Piles of holes and a Fan / AC Vent, thus make spills/cleaning WAY more complex
    • Some sort of NASA/Nascar tubes of fluid solution could be done under a sealed surface…or just put a junk towel / Beach Towel over the seat.
• Panel Gapping / how well the seals are made can be a concern for Car Washing
• The area/assembly below the Windshield Wipers frequently accumulates piles of debris so designing that with cleaning in mind would be greatly appreciated
• Designing Windshield Wipers such that they can be lifted to remove debris such as that from a car parked outside under a tree is another good feature
• Either reducing small “nooks” in an engine bay (via enclosing them in easily rinsed down/blown off compartments, or making the edges rounded and loops too large for things to be trapped in them) simplifies Engine Bay Cleaning
• While one has to also take into account Aerodynamics and in the case of areas like Rear Bumpers/Hatches (on a Minivan , SUV , or Hatchback etc, the Ergonomics of one sitting on it/loading it, BUT designing surfaces such that they shed water (due to slope+minimal obstructions) and thus “self clean” can be of use as well
• Minimizing the use of Carpet and/or Having it in Tab Based Removable (and thus Cleanable/Replaceable Sections] ) is another good rule to follow

Misc

• While it isn’t the PRIMARY factor for determining size/length of something etc, designing such that something is an even number (or Even.5 for overlap) of Squeegees or Vacuum Cleaner Floor Nozzles / Robotic Vacuum Pathfinding Paths across would simplify cleaning
  • Rather than squeegeeing at an angle/not doing a “full sweep”
  • This also relates to the “not making spots you can’t fit cleaning tools into”
• Design for Accessibility and Design for Inspection tie into this point as well, but having TONS of Manways and other access ports makes cleaning (and Confined Space Ventilation if relevant) FAR easier (and to a degree, safer)
• This delves more into Design for Accessibility , but designing an AST Tank Farm should be done with space for one or more Vac Trucks , One to Two Trailers (for Equipment), and such around all of it
  • More mundane things like “How Good is the Drainage when it Rains” (or does it turn into a pond/muddy quicksand that traps vehicle (ESPECIALLY heavy vehicles)), or “How steep is the slope on the Secondary Containment Dike are also worth considering
  • Having more ramps or staircases is probably advisable as well
    • A study of Opportunity Paths is probably worth it for Pedestrian (worker) Routes
      • This is moreso fitted for Design for Robot Accesibility but mundane things can make Automation Difficult; Boston Dynamics ‘s Spot (Robot) can inspect many industrial sites due to it’s ability to climb stairs. It could NOT however climb the Spiral Staircase leading to the top of an AST in tank farms and thus manual Hourly/Daily “Look, Listen, Smell” readings were still required for that, rather than a robot with an Electro-Optical Suite, Datalink, and a 5 Gas Meter