In the development of filter media for the food and drug industry, cleanability is of increased importance compared with other characteristics such as the filter media resistance. The filter media should be designed according to hygienic design criteria in order to reduce residuals, cleaning time and costs. A reproducible test method is necessary to determine or validate the degree of cleanability. This work focuses on a fundamental understanding of the cleaning properties for a woven filter media loaded with particles in solid liquid applications. This paper provides information about the influence of geometric parameters such as mesh size and fiber diameter which lead to a better purification. For the removal of particles from the surface of the filter media, a flow opposed to the filtrate flow is investigated. A new model is formed through CFD software simulation of particle adhesion forces and wall shear stress distribution. This model confirms the experimental results and gives new insight into cleaning strategies and their limitations in technical applications. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.