The use of chlorine-free chemicals for cleaning and disinfecting milking equipment has been widely adopted by dairy farmers throughout the Republic of Ireland since January 2021.

In general, dairy farmers have implemented these new regimes with great success, but the transition to chlorine-free has been more challenging for some who have struggled with achieving low TBC and, in particular, thermoduric counts.

In response to this, Teagasc researchers undertook a study in 2022 aimed at investigating the farm management factors that influence the performance of chlorine-free cleaning.

Key areas

Evidence from this study indicates key areas that need to be improved to ensure effective cleaning with chlorine-free chemicals.

These areas include detergent usage rate, hot water temperature, frequency of hot washing and use of acid descale products.

Moreover, these criteria are of particular concern when liquid detergents are used, as liquid products have lower levels of caustic present than powders.

The volume of detergent required varies depending on whether hot water (0.5 – 0.7% solution) or cold water (1% solution) is being used.

Almost all (97%) of the farmers surveyed that were using liquid detergent were using the same amount of chemical for both hot and cold washing.

The hot wash solution must be 75°C to 80°C at the start of the wash cycle but 62% of farmers (using liquid detergent) were not achieving this.

Minimum washes

A minimum of seven hot washes per week are required when using liquid detergent, but only 30% of farmers were achieving this.

Eighteen per cent of farms had inadequate acid cleaning with 6% using no acid.

For effective removal of mineral deposits from water, at least two acid washes per week are required.

Fifty-four per cent of farmers were not following a recommended milking machine cleaning protocol, while 23% of farms were not following a recommend bulk milk tank cleaning protocol.

For chlorine-free cleaning to be successful, these aspects of the routine must be implemented correctly and consistently. The key aspects for effective cleaning will be discussed at the Moorepark open day.