Established in 1984 Shawpak Systems prides itself on providing high level technical sales and support to our valued customer base. Offering solutions for Product Inspection, Packaging and Hygiene equipment sales and after sales support including certified customer training on site or at our Centre of Excellence training and demonstration facility.

What Our Clients Are Saying

Sole Cleaner Washer

An industrial sole cleaner and washer is a fixed or portable station designed to remove contamination from footwear before workers enter production areas, food processing environments, or controlled spaces where hygiene is non-negotiable.

If you manage a food processing facility, pharmaceutical plant, or meat processing operation in Oakville, you understand the problem: one pair of contaminated shoes can compromise an entire batch, invite regulatory scrutiny, or worse. Workers rushing between loading docks and processing floors track soil, bacteria, and foreign material on every step. Manual cleaning wastes time. Inconsistent cleaning creates gaps. That is where the right equipment makes the difference-but only if your team knows how to use it properly.

Shawpak Systems Ltd has spent decades helping manufacturers and food processors across North America install and operate industrial hygiene equipment. Our Centre of Excellence demonstration facility in Oakville trains operators on best practice, and our certified technicians support facilities across Canada and the USA. This guide walks you through using this equipment the way professionals do-efficiently, consistently, and with the thoroughness that compliance demands.

Inspect the Equipment Before Each Shift

Every morning, before the first worker steps into the station, walk through a quick pre-use check. Look at the brush heads, rollers, or bristle surfaces-they should be clean, intact, and free of matted debris from the previous shift. If you see hair, dried soil, or buildup, the brushes will not perform, and workers will skip the station or rush through it. Rinse or replace worn bristles immediately because a degraded brush is worse than useless; it creates false confidence that cleaning happened when it did not.

Next, verify that water pressure is adequate and flowing. For units with adjustable pressure, check that it is set to the manufacturer recommendation-too low and soles do not get clean, too high and you waste water and energy. Confirm the drainage basin is empty and not clogged; standing water breeds odor and bacteria and signals to workers that the station itself is not being maintained. A single morning inspection takes three minutes and prevents eight hours of contaminated product.

Position Yourself and Your Footwear Correctly

This step feels obvious but is where most contamination escapes. Stand facing the equipment with your weight evenly distributed. Do not lean to one side or rush-sloppy positioning leaves the heel or outer edge of the sole untouched. Place one foot firmly on the cleaning surface, whether it is a brush platform, roller system, or wash station, and use the guardrail or support structure for balance. Never skip this; a slip during cleaning is a safety incident waiting to happen.

With your first foot in place, engage both the front and back of the sole. Roll your foot slightly from heel to toe, then side to side, making contact with the entire walking surface. Most operators clean only the center and miss the perimeter where soil hides. Spend four to six seconds on each foot. This is not negotiable in food processing environments-inadequate cleaning at this step defeats the purpose of the entire system. Then lift your foot, step back onto clean floor, and repeat with the second foot using the same deliberate motion.

Use Water or sanitizing solution According to Your Protocol

Some industrial boot cleaners use water alone; others incorporate antimicrobial or sanitizing solutions. Your facility should have a documented protocol-Shawpak Systems Ltd works with you to establish what that looks like based on your regulatory requirements and product vulnerability. If your equipment has a chemical dispenser or misting function, activate it according to your schedule. Typically this means applying sanitizer every two to four hours, not with every use, to balance effectiveness with cost and material durability.

If your station requires manual application or has a rinse cycle, activate it after mechanical cleaning. The water should run long enough to flush away loosened soil and any chemical residue. Some operators make the mistake of assuming that presence of water means the shoes are clean-it does not. The mechanical action (brushing, rolling, or agitation) does the cleaning; the water removes what was loosened. Both steps matter equally. Verify that your shoes are visibly clean before you exit the station. If soil remains, step back and repeat the mechanical cleaning.

Log Usage and Report Equipment Issues Immediately

Accountability drives compliance. Keep a simple log-date, time, number of users, any observed issues. This record serves two purposes: it creates a culture of discipline around hygiene, and it gives Shawpak Systems Ltd the data needed to maintain your equipment and catch problems before they become failures. If you notice reduced water pressure, a loose brush, unusual noise, or drainage backup, report it the same day. Deferred maintenance compounds quickly.

Your facility is an investment protected by the right equipment and the discipline to use it. Shawpak Systems Ltd provides the machines, the training, and the after-sales support to keep them working. Our team has guided hundreds of food processing, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing facilities across Oakville and North America through implementation and ongoing operation. We do not hand you a brochure and disappear; we train your team on-site, establish protocols specific to your production environment, and stand behind our equipment with certified technical support.

If you are operating a boot cleaning station now and want to refine your process, or if you are considering one and need guidance on selection and training, reach out to Shawpak Systems Ltd. We will walk you through the specifics of your facility, demonstrate the equipment that fits your workflow, and ensure your team has the knowledge to make hygiene part of your competitive advantage.

• Check equipment condition every morning before shift start
• Position yourself squarely and balance using the support rail
• Roll your foot from heel to toe, side to side, for full sole coverage
• Spend 4-6 seconds per foot on mechanical cleaning
• Use water or sanitizing solution per your documented protocol
• Verify visible cleanliness before exiting the station
• Log usage and report maintenance issues the same day