Water and heat are only part of the equation. To achieve deep cleaning, you need the right PET washing chemicals. In a professional hot wash cycle, two main components are used to transform dirty plastic into high-value raw material.

  1. Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide – NaOH): Usually added at a concentration of 1% to 2%. Its primary role is to saponify oils and dissolve the adhesives used for labels. It effectively “strips” the contaminants from the PET surface.
  2. Specialized Detergent/Surfactant: While caustic soda does the heavy lifting, a surfactant helps to suspend the loosened dirt and oils in the water, preventing them from re-attaching to the flakes.

Proper dosing of these cleaning additives is critical. Too little, and the flakes remain oily; too much, and you increase your wastewater treatment costs. If you are interested in the PET bottle recycling process, feel free to contaact us, our engineer will ensure you use exactly what you need for maximum efficiency.