Industrial drums are used to store and ship many different substances, including chemicals, paint, ink, grease, adhesives, dyes, foods, and even hard-to-remove residue like cured resins and dry paint. They come in many different sizes, but most are 55 gallons, cylindrical in shape, and made of plastic, fiber or metals like stainless steel.

To prevent contamination or mixing of substances, drums are thoroughly cleaned every time they are emptied. Therefore, many facilities that regularly use drums also own a drum washer. They are able to clean smaller containers like barrels, pails, buckets, overpaks, jars, and lids.

The petroleum, chemical processing, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, hazardous waste, wastewater treatment, and agriculture industries use drum washers on a regular basis to maintain safe and sanitary conditions.

Drum washers are often rotary washers, which move drums in a circular motion, and are equipped with high-pressure water nozzles to spray and clean the inside and exterior of a drum.

The combination of hot water, high water pressure, cleaning solution, and a rotating motion effectively cleans and sanitizes even the dirtiest industrial drums. After cleaning, they are used over again within the facility. When a drum is old and no longer useful, it is crushed down and recycled into another metal or plastic product. Before the recycling process, every drum must be completely cleaned of any chemicals or substances to eliminate the risk of contamination.

Every drum washer is equipped with a filtration system, which keeps the tank clean and removes debris and grime from the water or aqueous cleaning solution. The spray nozzles are powered by corrosion resistant, high-pressure pumps made of stainless steel and are angled at the drum's interior to ensure it is adequately cleaned. All drum washers have wash-rinse or wash-rinse-dry cycles that dry the containers via a heating system or air guns. The water and cleaning solution, which is either a solvent or detergent, is heated by electricity or gas to about 120º F. It takes about five to 15 minutes to clean a single drum.