How to clean a Lazy Susan turntable

A Lazy Susan turntable (sometimes called a rotary turntable) is a type of conveyor used to improve the efficiency of production lines and packing stations within the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Maintaining a clean workspace in such environments is essential for the safety of your machines, the productivity of your staff and, more importantly, members of the public who will consume the products. But the reality is, an industrial rotary turntable can harbour contaminants if it’s not cleaned properly and regularly.

The biggest benefit of our Lazy Susan turntables – here at Stainless Steel Manufacturing & Equipment Ltd – is that they are made from grade-304 stainless steel, meaning that they are easy to wipe down. However, to ensure compliance with the strict food industry hygienic guidelines, we thought we’d share some top tips.

5 steps to clean a stainless steel rotary turntable:

  1. Turn off the power

First and foremost, you need to switch off all electrical components before you can clean the Lazy Susan. Once turned off, make a start on manually removing dirt and large pieces of food from the rails using a sweeping motion.

  1. Pre-rinse the turntable

The next step is to use low-pressure water and air to give the turntable a thorough rinse – taking extra care to clean off any dirt or debris that remains – before you clean and sanitise it.

  1. Apply necessary cleaning agents

A damp cloth or sponge should do the trick for wiping the surface and mopping up spillages immediately. However, for a more effective clean, it’s worth using soap and water or a good quality detergent to loosen and remove stubborn debris.

  1. Thoroughly rinse off the detergent

After leaving the cleaning agent to work its magic, you then need to rinse the turntable down with water. Continue rinsing until there are no dirt particles or soap suds and make sure that all areas have been cleaned.

  1. Disinfect the Lazy Susan

Whilst it largely depends on the disinfectant you’ll be using; a final rinse may be required to complete the cleaning process. If this is the case, be sure to apply the product evenly – covering the Lazy Susan turntable – and wash off thoroughly. Then inspect the turntable once more to ensure that every element is clean.

Need an expert opinion?

Most Lazy Susan turntables are chemical resistant and easy to sterilise – allowing you to meet stringent health and safety standards. However, if you’re not sure what cleaning products to use, or you think there might be a problem with your industrial rotary turntable, it’s worth consulting the manufacturer to ensure you don’t cause more harm than good.

Having supplied and manufactured these excellent food conveyors for many years, it’s fair to say that we know a thing or two about them. So, if you have any issues at all, please feel free to contact us.

Get in touch


Here at SSME, we are always on hand to help and will be more than happy to share our expertise. Just give us a call on 0121 661 6346 or email sales@ssmeltd.co.uk, and we’ll get back to you.

And remember, if you need to replace your Lazy Susan for something new or you want to add an extra one to your production plant, we supply turntables that offer fixed or variable operating speeds too.

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