Talk:Design for Cleaning
This is one of those pages i make that feels almost snobby/overly analytical, so i HOPE i’m not coming across that way, but as someone currently doing work in Confined Space Cleaning / (Hazmat) Spill Cleanup, my job would be WAY easier if designers took my work into consideration, so as an ose design nerd just wanted to share some of these insights with everyone!
--Eric (talk) 14:11, 24 June 2025 (UTC)
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PPE Decontamination Time!, so cleaning off my Hard Hat + Glasses + Muck Boots from that DAF unit cleaning.
Covered in a bit of that Grit / Oil Solids dirt, and reek of the place.
Been a constant issue, but at least with most other debris (WMO , Diesel , Gasoline etc the solids content isn’t that much, and the smell is BAD, but not “dirty” (more of a chemical smell
Main issue is these have PILES of Greebling on the sides, and the tread on the bottom doesn’t clean up well. (Some sort of jig to hold a boot in place while you blast it with a pressure washer , and another pair of muck boots MAY do the job, but quick post-work self rinse doesn’t do much except get the big chunks, and cleanup has room for improvement)
Main thoughts on boots are 1.) Better Design (Any available, also what to do if designing from scratch) 2.) Better Cleaning (Either tools (even a rigid bristle toothbrush may do well) or jigs/in some dream workspace one of those Walk Through Automatic Boot Washers they have at cleanrooms etc
(Other thing to note is using a Boot Scraper by that door is GREAT, but just want “normal” dirt/mud on those, not rotting oil etc (Truck mounted ones are neat though and would suffice + a Truck Decontamination (aka carwash+internal wipedown and MAYBE new/cleaned air filters))
The next grips/learning experience is Safety Glasses
Been largely disappointed in even “nicer” Milwaukee ones etc so Open Source High End Safety Glasses is definitely a page to make
(Thinking (thin, COTS preferable such as watch faces or phone screens) Sapphire or Diamond sheets laminated over polycarbonate. These would not scratch, even if coated in sand/grit and wiped down (unlike conventional anti-scratch films/coatings
Due to the high thermal conductivity, especially with Diamond, having “heated defog” may be easily doable without Window Defog Wires (heat requirements need to be calculated, heat sink nature may complicate demand vs an insulator with latent heat)
Also have all stainless steel hardware (so Salt Water or even cleaning with Caustic Degreaser would be no issue (although DIY/OS nature should make Spare Parts easier etc)
Also Design for Cleaning in terms of nooks where debris hides
Design for Disassembly in terms of using Threaded Inserts rather than Self Tapping Screws for the Hinge, AS WELL AS having an optional gasket such as some safety glasses have, but have it be screwed in, rather than Glue and/or Snap Tabs for longevity
Designing with accidental “crushing” in mind would be ideal, but may be limited by form factor/materials/cost
Flat Temple Safety Glasses to allow use of Over The Ear Hearing Protection is another ideal feature, although slight compromise on ergonomics / long term wear then)
FINALLY Hard Hats
Having a removable+dissasemblable ( Design for Disassembly ) Hard Hat Ratchet would be ideal
Dirt/Grime can get into that internal mechanism and be hard to clean out
Also long term much of those plastic gears strip off teeth/wear down, so a metal gear system would be nice
Washable Hard Hat Liner / Fabric Straps would be nice as well
Using Laser Engraved Labels / Releifs in the mold/Hot Stamps (if using Thermoplastics ) rather than labels which often come off with time and/or with Heavy Cleaning would be ideal as well
Anywho, kind of rambling, but have been meaning to document that Safety Glasses Idea + wanted to write down my gripes/potential solutions for some of this gear design; as with that DEF designer disconnect bit i discussed a while back, having not just an engineering perspective but also “grunt dealing with the design” aspect is VERY helpful in design.
(ps Architects Should Live in their Designs was an interesting perspective, form over function is less fun when you have to live/work in it etc)
--Eric (talk) 15:46, 20 August 2025 (UTC)
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One issue come to think of it would be fabrication, Sapphire could be cut/polished etc with a Bonded Diamond , PCD , or MCD tool etc
Diamond will be hard to work with. Those Water Guided Laser Cutters / Microjets come to mind, but as of now are PRICEY (Also Machine Time in the places that DO have them for a project like this etc)
Also not just the cuttin/drilling, but polishing to a convex shape (if relevant) adds difficulty.