Patent ID: 8388761

Claim:
A method for sterilizing and washing a container, comprising: sterilizing the inside of a container that is conveyed in an inverted posture, and washing the inside of the container that is conveyed in an inverted posture, wherein in said sterilizing, a non-inserted nozzle is disposed below a mouth of the container conveyed in an inverted posture at a distance of 1-50 mm therefrom, wherein in said sterilizing, a sterilizing fluid is atomized and sprayed from said non-inserted nozzle into the container onto an inner surface of the container, thereby wetting the inner surface of the container, wherein the sterilizing of the container is divided such that it is carried out at a plurality of sterilization turrets, wherein in said sterilizing carried out at the plurality of sterilization turrets, sterilizing fluid is continuously sprayed onto the inner surface of the container in a respective sterilization turret for a predetermined time, spraying of the sterilizing fluid is stopped at least in an interval in which the container is transferred from the respective sterilization turret to the next sterilization turret, thereby sterilizing the inner surface of the container by intermittent spraying performed by alternately spraying the sterilizing fluid and terminating the spraying, and wherein in said washing, a non-inserted nozzle is disposed below the mouth of the container conveyed in an inverted posture at a distance of 5-50 mm therefrom, washing water is sprayed from said non-inserted nozzle into the container, thereby washing the inner surface of the container.