This project started with an electronic survey among fresh blueberry producers for the practices that they use to clean and sanitize harvest containers and mechanical harvesters. Subsequently, the microbial loads on the surfaces of blueberry harvest containers and various sites of over-the-row machine harvesters were determined in selected facilities in Georgia and Oregon. In a laboratory study, the efficacies of certain sanitizing treatments in removing biofilms from coupons made of different colors of high-density polyethylene were examined. It was found that over 86% of the participants cleaned and sanitized harvest containers and mechanical harvesters at various frequencies with different tools and detergents/sanitizers. Study suggests that additional food safety education is necessary to encourage more fresh blueberry producers to adopt appropriate practices. The assessment of the hygiene status of blueberry harvest containers showed that used handpicking buckets in both Georgia and Oregon and used lugs in Georgia had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher microbial counts than their cleaned/sanitized counterparts. Fecal coliforms and enterococci were detected in 1.3% or 3.8% of the Georgia samples and 3.8% or 10.6% of the Oregon samples. Study revealed that containers soaked in chlorinated water with manual washing/scrubbing seemed cleaner than those washed in a washing machine with un-chlorinated water. Chlorination of water in the washing machine after each use was, nevertheless, more effective than manual washing. In the laboratory study, biofilm residues on coupons treated with soaking and machine washing were significantly lower than those without soaking and manual washing. Dish soap was more effective than sodium hypochlorite. The color of the coupons did not significantly (P > 0.05) affect biofilm accumulation and only marginally affect biofilm removal from surface coupons. Study suggests the sanitizer treatments simulating the practice of some blueberry packing facilities are not adequate to eradicate biofilms from surface coupons. Results of the harvester survey revealed that sites with higher levels of microbial loads included vertical conveyors, horizontal conveyors, and catcher plates. Study suggests that the type and concentration of sanitizers, and frequency and approach of cleaning/sanitation treatments all had an impact on the hygiene status of berry-contact surfaces of machine harvesters.