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 a Wickerhamomyces anomalus or Starmerella bombicola yeast, and/or a growth by-product thereof, to the surface; and
removing the cleaning composition and the contaminant form the surface, wherein the yeast is in an inactive form.
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 removing the cleaning composition and contaminant comprises rinsing or spraying water onto the surface.
8 . 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.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the surface is rinsed or sprayed with water prior to and/or after rubbing or wiping the surface with the cloth.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the growth by-product is a biosurfactant.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the biosurfactant is a product of fermentation of the yeast, and is present in a broth resulting from the fermentation.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the biosurfactant is added to the cleaning composition in purified form.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning composition comprises the growth by-products without the microorganism.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein one or more biosurfactants comprise a glycolipid selected from sophorolipids, rhamnolipids and mannosylerythritol lipids.
15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the contaminant is selected from fats, oils and greases (FOG); hydrocarbon deposits; asphaltenes; paraffins; waxes; resins; biofilms; scales; sludge; dirt and dust.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a drain, tube, pipe or grease trap.
17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a side of a building, a screen, a sidewalk, a fence, a wall, or a floor.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a piece of heavy machinery, an automobile, a boat or an airplane.