Just got our first batch of IBCs delivered, any maintenance tips?

[valentinefurbank]

After months of going back and forth I finally pulled the trigger and ordered our first set of 1000L containers for our food ingredient business in Dubai Investment Park. We work with liquid sweeteners and food-grade oils and we've been using smaller drums forever but the inefficiency was just getting ridiculous with all the handling and storage issues. The delivery came yesterday and honestly I'm pretty impressed with the quality, they look really solid and the cage design seems sturdy enough for stacking. I ended up going with a Trusted IBC Tank supplier in Dubai after reading some recommendations here and the price was reasonable compared to some other quotes I got, though I'm hoping the quality holds up long term. Now I'm wondering about maintenance and cleaning between batches because we switch products sometimes and I need to make sure there's no cross-contamination. How do you guys clean the inside of these things properly? Do you use a specific cleaning solution or just hot water and sanitizer? Also, how often do you replace the valves and seals? I'm a bit nervous about getting this wrong since we're dealing with food products and hygiene is absolutely critical for us. Any advice from experienced IBC users would be really helpful.