Materials and methods for maintaining industrial, mechanical and restaurant equipment
The subject invention provides yeast-based products, as well as their use to improve industrial production and performance by, for example, efficiently cleaning contaminating and/or fouling substances such as FOG, biofilm, paraffin, and/or asphaltenes from industrial equipment.
1. A method for cleaning a contaminant from a surface, wherein the method comprises:
applying a cleaning composition comprising an inactive Starmerella bombicola a yeast and a sophorolipid growth by-product thereof and a solvent selected from isopropyl alcohol and ethyl acetate, to the surface; and
removing the cleaning composition and the contaminant from the surface, and wherein the surface is restaurant or kitchen equipment, or a part thereof.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning composition is applied to the surface by spraying.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the spraying is achieved using a spray bottle.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the spraying is achieved using a pressurized spraying device, and wherein the composition is sprayed at a pressure of 1,000 psi to 7,000 psi.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the pressurized spraying device is a power washer or pressure washer.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning composition is rubbed, spread or brushed onto the surface using a cloth or brush.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the cleaning composition comprises dipping, dunking or submerging the surface into a container having the cleaning composition therein.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the cleaning composition and contaminant comprises rinsing or spraying water onto the surface.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the cleaning composition and contaminant comprises rubbing or wiping the surface with a cloth until the cleaning composition and contaminant have been freed from the surface.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the surface is rinsed or sprayed with water prior to and/or after rubbing or wiping the surface with the cloth.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sophorolipid growth by-product is a product of fermentation of the yeast, and is present in a broth resulting from the fermentation.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning composition comprises the sophorolipid growth by-products without the yeast.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning composition further comprises a biosurfactant selected from rhamnolipids and mannosylerythritol lipids.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contaminant comprises one or more contaminants selected from fats, oils and greases (FOG); paraffins; waxes; resins; biofilms; scales; sludge; dirt and dust.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the restaurant and kitchen equipment is a counter, oven, stove, grease trap, sink, utensil, floor, drain or a part thereof.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is used to unclog a conduit selected from a drain, tube, pipe and grease trap.