Abstract
Clean‐in‐place (CIP) is the cleaning of the assembled plant (vats, fermenters, tanks, processing equipment, probes) and pipeline circuits (values, flowmeters, gaskets) by the jetting or spraying of surfaces or the circulation of cleaning solutions under conditions of high temperature, turbulence and flow velocity. CIP involves little or no manual involvement from an operator. Cleaning efficiency is associated with mechanical, thermal, and chemical activity. Important factors influencing the effectiveness of the CIP include the nature of the material to be removed, the design of the plant and CIP system, the type of surface requiring cleaning, the concentration and nature of the cleaning solution, and the temperature and duration of the cleaning stages [1]. Compared to manual cleaning regimes, a well‐designed, validated, operated, and monitored CIP system will dramatically increase cleaning effectiveness and reproducibility, reduce costs, and enhance operator safety.