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Hand Scrapers for Food Processing: Which Type to Use

Date: 08-10-2026
General Cleaning Blogs

Hand Scrapers for Stubborn Residue: Polypropylene or Stainless Steel?

Some soils won't wipe or brush off. Pastry, chocolate, burnt-on food and dried batter need a scraper to loosen them first. The right scraper clears the residue without scratching the surface or leaving pieces behind. This guide compares the main types so you can choose with confidence.

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

What to look for in a scraper

  • The right edge. A bevelled edge helps dislodge dried-on material.
  • A safe material. The blade must not damage the surface you're cleaning, and it must not shed fragments into food.
  • The right size. Narrow scrapers reach small spaces and curved equipment. Wide ones cover benches and tables.
  • Colour. Match the scraper to the zone, as in your hygienic zoning plan.

Polypropylene hand scrapers

Vikan's polypropylene hand scrapers are the everyday choice for sensitive surfaces. Because the material is softer than metal, it reduces the risk of scratching. The 75 mm hand scraper is a narrow scraper made for small spaces and rounded equipment such as large bowls. It loosens stubborn dirt including pastry, chocolate and burnt food. Features include:

  • A bevelled scraping edge to dislodge dried-on material
  • A lightweight design that reduces fatigue
  • A drop-shaped hanging hole that stops liquid pooling and makes storage easy
  • Suitability for sensitive surfaces
  • Made in Denmark, in up to 12 colours

Vikan also makes a 102 mm hand scraper for wider surfaces, and a flexible 165 mm version.

Stainless steel scrapers

Vikan's range includes stainless steel hand scrapers (in 50 mm and 100 mm widths) and stainless steel scrapers with a threaded handle, which fit Vikan's Euro handles for reach. As a general rule, a stainless steel edge is firmer than plastic and suits tougher, baked-on residue on surfaces that can take it. It can scratch softer surfaces, so check what you are cleaning before choosing metal.

Scrapers with a flexible blade

For large flat surfaces, a flexible steel blade scraper gives more reach and cover. Vikan lists a 260 mm scraper with a soft flexible steel blade. Use it on benches, tables and tank walls where a rigid edge would be awkward.

Which scraper for which job?

Job

Suggested scraper

Bowls, mixers and rounded equipment

75 mm polypropylene hand scraper

General bench and equipment cleaning

102 mm polypropylene hand scraper

Heavy, baked-on residue on hard surfaces

Stainless steel hand scraper

Reaching tanks and vats

Scraper with threaded handle

Large flat surfaces

Flexible blade scraper

Using scrapers safely in food sites

  • Scrape first, then wash, rinse and sanitise as your procedure requires.
  • Inspect blades for chips, cracks and wear at the start of each shift.
  • Replace damaged scrapers straight away, because broken fragments are foreign bodies. See Vikan's Foreign Bodies hub.
  • Colour code scrapers by zone and keep them on wall brackets when not in use. See cleaning tool storage and 5S.

Shop Vikan scrapers

Browse the Vikan Scrapers range, 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 Food-grade shovels and scoops.