How to clean used plastic pallets
To clean used plastic pallets, remove debris, wash the surface, rinse, and let the pallet dry before it carries anything clean. Check the maker's guidance first, because what is safe to use on one resin may not be on another.
- Order
- Debris, wash, rinse, dry
- Check first
- The maker's cleaning guidance
- Food or pharma
- Needs papers as well as clean
- Open deck
- Drains and dries faster
Steps
- Take the pallet out of service and remove loose debris and labels.
- Read the maker's cleaning guidance. If you cannot find it, ask the maker.
- Wash decks, runners and the insides of fork pockets with water and a cleaner the maker allows.
- Rinse thoroughly. Residue under a deck rib is the usual miss.
- Stand the pallet on edge or on a rack to drain and dry fully.
- Inspect again: cleaning shows cracks that dirt hid.
Open deck and closed deck
| Deck | Cleaning note |
|---|---|
| Open deck | Lighter, drains, but residue collects in ribs |
| Closed deck | Keeps small items from falling through, but water can pool |
| Closed deck with lip | Raised edge can hold residue at the rim |
Clean is not food safe
A clean pallet is not the same as an approved one. FDA does not approve pallet models, and direct food contact may call for non-blended virgin HDPE. Ask the maker for resin and colourant documentation. Used pallets seldom arrive with it, so we describe how clean a lot looks and say nothing more.
- Clean: appearance and smell
- Documented: maker's papers
- Approved: FDA does not approve pallet models
Cleaning does not change the rating
Washing a pallet removes dirt but cannot alter its design, its resin or its history. A pallet that carried chemicals and was washed may still hold a trace in the ribs, and a clean deck on a pallet with a crack is still cracked. Ask what soap or sanitiser was used, whether the pallet was dried, and whether the water reached the hollow parts. Dryness matters, because trapped water can leave a smell.
Methods and their limits
Pressure washing removes surface soil, hot water with detergent lifts oils, and a sanitiser step addresses microbes. None of them reach inside a sealed hollow part, and none repair a crack. Rinse thoroughly, drain the pallet by tilting it, and let it dry in air before stacking. Pallets stacked wet can grow a film in the stack where airflow cannot reach, and that film brings an odour that is hard to remove.
A kit for the walk-around
- A steel tape that reads both inches and millimetres.
- A torch for the underside, where hairline cracks hide in shadow.
- A straight edge about a metre long to test decks for bow and dishing.
- Gloves, because burrs and weld beads cut skin.
- A phone, a pen and a numbered sheet so every pallet checked gets a mark.
Sorting a lot into piles
- Pile one: whole pallets with flat decks, square corners and no repairs.
- Pile two: whole pallets with a repair or a mismatched piece, kept separate and counted.
- Pile three: pallets with a crack through a load path, set aside for repair or scrap.
- Pile four: marked pallets that may belong to someone else, held until the owner is known.
- Write the pile count on a board by the stacks, and photograph it each morning.
Walk-around checklist
The same four stops for every lot, in order. Tick each as you go.
- 1Deck: free of residue between ribs
- 2Corners: free of residue in corners
- 3Runners: free of residue under runners
- 4Fork pockets: free of residue inside pockets
- Dry before use
Words used on this page
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
- Closed deck
- Solid top deck with no gaps; keeps small items from falling through.
- HDPE
- High-density polyethylene, resin code 2. The most common resin in plastic pallets; tough and moisture resistant.
- Runners
- Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
- Open deck
- Top deck with gaps between slats or ribs; lighter and drains.
What the sources say
- That used pallet is listed as pharma and food safe but not approved for direct food contact, in colours that vary. nelsoncompany.com
- For products touching the pallet directly, stricter federal requirements may call for non-blended virgin HDPE; recycled pallets often meet general FDA needs. nelsoncompany.com
- Plastic pallets can deform (creep) under heavy long-term loads and are hard to repair. en.wikipedia.org
- Rehrig Pacific's rackable pallet has a two-piece snap-lock design for quick repair and options for FDA-approved colours, RFID and up to 15 percent black recycled content. rehrigpacific.com
How a request works
- Pick the footprint, then the grade you can live with.
- Say what the pallets will carry and how many you need.
- Read the written lot description that comes back.
- Agree the lot before anything moves.
The four grades, in a line each
- Like new. A few trips only. Clean, no cracks, no missing parts, deck and runners flat.
- Used and clean. Many trips, scuffs and colour variation, but whole and usable for general-purpose or closed-loop work.
- Repaired. A cracked or chipped part welded or swapped. Some designs use snap-lock parts for repair.
- Mixed lot. Mixed makers, colours and sizes sold by the truckload, sorted by footprint.
Questions people ask
How do I clean plastic pallets?
Remove debris, wash with a cleaner the maker allows, rinse, and dry fully. Check the maker's guidance first.
Can I power wash them?
Ask the maker. Do not assume.
Are washed pallets food safe?
Not by washing alone. Papers decide.
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.