Clean Out of Place (COP)

Cleaning equipment with disassembly

Clean Out of Place (COP) is defined in the ISPE guide Cleaning Validation Lifecycle - Applications, Methods and Controls as a, "automated or semiautomated procedure in which the process equipment is disassembled and its components are placed into an agitated fluid bath of cleaning solutions. Baskets may be utilized to hold and wash smaller parts such as gaskets, clamps, valve bodies etc. The cleaning is normally done with a proprietary acid or caustic-based detergent, or a combination of both, with a compendial water rinse."