Your kitchen staff works hard, logging long hours to create delicious food for your customers. However, there is one hard-working member of the team you may have overlooked – your commercial dishwasher.
Your dishwasher gets loaded up every day with plates, glasses, silverware, pots, and pans. It frees up countless hours for your staff by cleaning in minutes what would take them hours to wash by hand. But, your commercial dishwasher also needs some care and attention to keep it running smoothly. If not, you may encounter problems such as:
- Leaks
- Cloudy glasses and/or dishes that are only partially clean.
- Insufficient water intake.
- Drainage issues.
Here are some tips on how to keep your commercial dishwasher working in tip-top shape.
Give Your Dishwasher a Daily Cleaning
Just like your commercial stove, it's important to give your commercial dishwasher a good cleaning at the end of the day. The spray arm and nozzles should be carefully cleaned, and you should also check for any cracks in the gaskets or other signs of deterioration.
It's also a good idea to leave the door to the machine open after the last load of the day is complete. This gives it a chance to air dry before the next shift begins.
Drain and Delime
At the end of each day, make sure to drain the water completely. You need fresh, clean water to make sure dishes are being properly sanitized and cleaned.
Lime buildups can also form inside commercial dishwashers. This could cause mineral deposits to leave a white film on dishes and reduce the efficiency of your dishwasher by almost half.
Deliming can remove buildups. You might also want to consider using a softening system to combat the hard water that typically causes lime buildups.
Filter Maintenance
You've no doubt heard the expression that it's better to be proactive than reactive. That definitely applies when it comes to the filter on your commercial dishwasher. Ideally, you should clean the filter after every 20 cycles. If your dishwasher receives especially heavy use, you may want to clean it even more frequently.
To clean the filter, simply remove it and use a scrub brush, mild soap and water to remove any food debris or dirt that has accumulated. Once it's clean, reinstall it right away. Believe it or not, a lot of kitchen workers forget to put the filter back in place, which can lead to some major issues for your dishwasher.
Perform Preventative Maintenance
In addition to cleaning your commercial dishwasher on a daily basis, it's also a good idea to have a professional technician like the ones at EcoClean perform preventative maintenance at least once a year on your kitchen drain lines. Keeping your dishwasher drain and other drains clean and clear of debris regularly can stop those unwanted backups from occurring at the busiest times. As trained professionals, they can also catch issues that you and your staff may miss and keep a small problem from becoming a larger issue.
With proper care and attention, you should expect to get at least five to 10 years of use out of your commercial dishwasher.
