Process for the mechanical cleaning of reusable drinks containers

A process for mechanically cleaning a reusable container made of glass or plastic in a cleaning installation having one or more washing cycle or zones and rinsing cycles or zones, the process comprising the steps of:

• a) spraying an aqueous cleaning formulation onto reusable containers in a cleaning installation by means of one or more spray nozzles which produce a spray jet which is directed into an interior of each of the reusable containers through an opening in each of the containers;
• b) forming a spray mist from the spray jet in each of the interiors of the containers which uniformly distributes the aqueous cleaning formulation in each interior, the aqueous cleaning formulation comprising
• (i) 30 to 50% of an inorganic acid,
• (ii) 18 to 28% of a wetting agent,
• (iii) 2 to 7% of a dispersing polymer,
• (iv) 2 to 7% of a threshold agent, 5 to 10% of a chelating agent, and
• (v) water;
• and
• c) removing dirt, microorganisms and the aqueous cleaning formulation from the containers in the cleaning installation.