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How to Clean Pipes, Tubes and Valves: Tube Brush Guide

Date: 08-10-2026
General Cleaning Blogs

How to Clean Pipes, Tubes and Valves in a Food Plant

Pipes, tubes and valves are the places food residue hides. Product films the inside walls, gaskets trap soil, and warm, damp conditions let biofilm grow. A flushed line can still be dirty. Mechanical brushing is how you reach what flow alone can't. This guide covers how to brush these areas safely and how to choose a tube brush.

It's part of our complete guide to colour-coded cleaning tools.

Why brushing still matters

Cleaning chemicals and water do part of the job, and brushing does the rest. Vikan's hard tube brushes are designed to scrub and dislodge stubborn soils like fatty deposits, grease, dried batter and biofilms when used with a cleaning solution. Vikan's Microbial Hazards hub covers biofilms and microbial control in more depth.

How to choose a tube brush

Three things matter: diameter, length and stiffness.

  • Diameter. The brush should fit snugly so bristles touch the whole wall. Vikan's range includes Ø10, Ø15, Ø20, Ø40, Ø50 and Ø60 mm brushes.
  • Length. Vikan's tube brushes come in 310 mm and 500 mm lengths. Choose a length that reaches the end of the tube or bend.
  • Stiffness. Hard bristles are thicker and suit stubborn soil. Medium bristles are gentler. See our brush stiffness guide.

Each tube brush has a twisted stainless steel shaft. The shaft is flexible enough to follow curves and bends, and the bristles are twisted directly into the brush, which lowers the risk of bristle loss. A drop-shaped hanging hole prevents liquid pooling and makes storage easy.

Step by step: brushing a pipe or tube

Always follow your site's cleaning procedure and chemical instructions. As a general guide:

  1. Isolate and prepare. Make sure the line is safely isolated and drained.
  2. Pre-rinse. Remove loose product with water.
  3. Apply cleaning solution. Use the detergent and contact time in your procedure.
  4. Brush the full length. Push the brush through in steady strokes, and pull it back to loosen soil on the return.
  5. Check the ends and bends. These collect the most soil.
  6. Rinse well. Flush out loosened soil and chemical.
  7. Sanitise and dry as your procedure requires.
  8. Inspect and verify. Check the brush for damage, and verify the clean to your standard.

Valves and fittings

Valves, gaskets and fittings need individual attention. Dismantle them as your procedure allows, then use a smaller tube brush or a hand brush on seats and grooves. Vikan's Tube & Pipe Brushes category also includes pipe exterior brushes for the outside of pipework, and adapters for use with handles. Check each product's specification for compatibility.

Colour code your tube brushes

A brush used in a raw zone shouldn't go through a ready-to-eat line. Vikan's tube brushes come in colours, so assign colours by zone or line and store them on wall brackets when not in use. See what colour-coded cleaning is and cleaning tool storage and 5S.

Looking after your brushes

  • Rinse brushes after each use and let them dry hanging up.
  • Check bristles for bending, wear or loss before every use.
  • Replace worn brushes straight away, since a loose bristle in a line is a foreign body.
  • Keep a spare in each common size.

Shop tube and pipe brushes

Browse the full range of Tube & Pipe Brushes in the colours you need, or open a trade account with Hygiene Direct for bulk pricing across the full Vikan colour range.

Related reading: Soft, medium or hard? A brush stiffness guide and Vikan handles explained.