ServSafe Manager · Cleanliness and Sanitation · 8 min read
Dishwashing Machines, Three-Compartment Sinks and Equipment
- Identify operating temperatures, monitoring methods, and maintenance requirements for high-temperature and chemical-sanitizing dishwashing machines.
- Execute the correct five-step manual warewashing procedure in a three-compartment sink, including proper chemical concentrations, water temperatures, and contact times.
- Apply active managerial control procedures to clean stationary equipment, manage clean-in-place (CIP) systems, and store clean ware to prevent contamination.
Commercial Dishwashing Machine Maintenance and Operation
Commercial dishwashing machines are essential for processing high volumes of tableware, but they depend entirely on active managerial control to work properly. Managers must establish clear standard operating procedures and train staff on how to prepare items before loading. Food handlers should scrape, rinse, or soak items as needed to remove food soil before machine washing. Dishwasher racks must never be overloaded, and staff must load items so that the water sprays can strike all food-contact surfaces directly. If items nest together or block the spray, soil remains behind and sanitization fails.
Routine maintenance helps prevent breakdowns; managers must also monitor machine operation and verify that wash and sanitizing cycles meet requirements. Managers should train staff to check spray arms and nozzles regularly for debris or mineral buildup, cleaning them as needed under the equipment manufacturer's maintenance instructions. Furthermore, warewashing machines must be descaled or delimed regularly to maintain heating efficiency and ensure proper water flow throughout the unit. Water mineral deposits insulate heating elements and clog spray nozzles over time, making deliming a critical preventive task.
Daily monitoring is the core of a manager's active managerial control strategy. Managers must monitor the required, readable wash- and rinse-water temperature indicators mounted on the unit. For machines that utilize a fresh hot-water sanitizing rinse, managers must also ensure the machine has a functioning device that indicates the rinse supply's flow pressure. Managers should set and monitor procedures for checking machine temperatures, document these monitoring results as appropriate, and retain any records required by local rules or establishment policy.
If a machine's required temperature indicator or chemical dispenser malfunctions, managers must act immediately: stop using the affected machine for warewashing, correct the problem, and use a compliant alternative warewashing method until proper operation is verified. Managers must also ensure that Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all hazardous dishwashing chemicals and sanitizers are readily accessible to employees during each work shift. Electronic Safety Data Sheets are acceptable if employees have immediate access during each work shift, with no barriers to retrieving the information, including during a system outage.
Common mistakes
- Using a clean cloth towel to dry wet tableware or utensils immediately after sanitizing instead of allowing them to air-dry completely.
- Waiting for suds to disappear while overlooking soiled wash water, water below the required temperature, or cleaning-agent instructions.
- For a hot-water-sanitizing machine, relying only on its rinse gauge instead of verifying that ware reaches a food-contact surface temperature of at least 160°F (71°C) with an appropriate indicator; for a chemical-sanitizing machine, failing to test sanitizer concentration.
- Storing clean cups, bowls, or utensils right-side up and uncovered, or placing clean items on shelves less than 6 inches (15 cm) above the floor.
Key points
- High-temperature dishwashers sanitize using hot water; single-temperature stationary units require a 165°F (74°C) final rinse, while all other high-temp machines require a 180°F (82°C) final rinse (not to exceed 194°F [90°C] at the manifold), ensuring surface temps reach at least 160°F (71°C).
- Chemical-sanitizing machines wash at not less than 120°F (49°C) unless the cleaning agent’s label specifies otherwise; their chemical-sanitizing rinse must be at least 120°F (49°C) in stationary-rack, single-temperature units or 75°F (24°C) in other units, subject to the sanitizer label, and managers must have staff verify concentration with an appropriate test kit.
- Manual warewashing follows scrape, wash (at least 110°F [43°C], unless the cleaning agent’s label specifies otherwise), rinse, sanitize, and air-dry; managers must have staff maintain clean, properly heated, effective wash water and change it when needed, including when a sudsing detergent loses its suds.
- Manual hot-water sanitization requires complete immersion for at least 30 seconds at 171°F (77°C) or higher in a sink with an integral heater and an accessible thermometer accurate to ±3°F (±1.5°C).
- Chemical sanitization concentrations and parameters vary (including 25 to 49 ppm chlorine under specific conditions, 12.5 to 25 ppm iodine at ≥68°F [20°C], and quat per label at ≥75°F [24°C]); test kits must be accessible.
- Stationary equipment used continuously with TCS food must be cleaned and sanitized at least every four hours, controlled for hazardous energy during cleaning, and dismantled as needed per manufacturer instructions.
- Managers must have staff air-dry or adequately drain clean items, store them covered or inverted in a self-draining position generally at least 6 inches (15 cm) above the floor, and handle utensils by their handles or other non-food-contact surfaces.
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