Tube cleaning describes the activity of, or device for, the cleaning and maintenance of fouled tubes.
The need for cleaning arises because the medium that is transported through the tubes may cause deposits and finally even obstructions. In system engineering and in industry, particular demands are placed upon surface roughness or heat transfer. In the food and pharmaceutical industries as well as in medical technology, the requirements are germproofness, and that the tubes are free from foreign matter, for example after the installation of the tube or after a change of product. Another trouble source may be corrosion due to deposits which may also cause tube failure.