One area in the oil field that you must stay on top of is maintaining your equipment, which is usually industrial or commercial grade and very expensive. One of the most expensive investments and oil company can make is an oil rig. Oil rigs take a great deal of maintenance and cleaning. You can do a sloppy job, or a great job, or anywhere in between the two. Let's examine the right and wrong ways of washing an oil rig.

First off, you'll want to find a suitable product. It's best to comply with the department of environmental quality control. To do this and get on their good side, using a biodegradable product is the best solution. Biodegradable cleaners are easy to dispose of as you don't have to worry or go through special procedures and guidelines in using them and disposing of run off, waste and unused product. Also, while your workers still have to take precautions, it's safer for them as well. You'll want to save the regulated and caustic, corrosive cleaners and solvents for only their very specific uses as these are controlled and have to be disposed of as a hazardous material.

A good rig wash can get a rig clean the right way and part of that is the labor and prep work involved. This isn't really any different then if you were painting a car. In fact, the best rig washing method is for a work crew to act like they are preparing the rig to have it repainted. You need to get rid of all foreign contaminants such as: oil, sludge, soot, grease and smooth out any paint that might be flaking off. These are all important steps to getting your rig clean.

One of the most common ways to apply a rig wash cleaner is via a pressure washer. It's important to clean off all debris and keep a rig work site clean for multiple reasons. It cuts down on employee accidents and increases workers safety. Cleaning a rig of any oils, dirt, mud and sludge also can keep your existing paint job intact, which ultimately can protect the rig structure from rust and extends the life and usability of the rig. These factors will help when any federal government rig inspector comes on a rig site to visually inspect a rig. Presenting a clean, safe work environment that they notice on arrival makes a good initial impression and setup for the rest of the inspection. In the end, keeping a rig clean will save a company time and money.