CIP (Clean-in-Place)

Cleaning equipment without disassembly

Clean in place (CIP) is defined in PDA Technical Report 29, Points to Consider for Cleaning Validation, as "The process of rinsing or washing of process components, as installed without removal, in order to remove or eliminate any contaminants". A CIP skid is able to connect to an equipment train and perform a cleaning recipe at the click of a button to automate the cleaning process. It is worth mentioning that CIP might not always be feasible at the facility. The facility must have the appropriate utilities to achieve the parameters necessary for CIP to be effective such as water pressure. Additionally, the equipment trains must be designed with CIP in mind to prevent leaks and allow proper cleaning to occur.