How To Get The Most Out Of Your Commercial Dish Washer

There’s one piece of equipment that is often taken for granted in a commercial kitchen; the dishwasher. Even though it’s one of the most heavily used appliances in the kitchen, commercial dishwashers receive little attention from kitchen workers when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. But what happens when the dishwasher stops working?

In our modern age, we’ve likely grown up knowing the convenience of dishwashers and easily forget the time and man power it takes to clean a load of dirty dishes by hand. Dishwashers save kitchen workers hours in time it would take to clean and sanitize all of the dishes that come through the kitchen every single day. They help keep things running smoothly by ensuring there is always enough clean plates and silverware for guests, and even pots and pans for preparing the food.

Because commercial dishwashers are relied upon so heavily, and usually run repeatedly in a single day, there are steps you can take to make sure your dishwasher stays in good shape. You need to take care of your dishwasher in order to avoid some of the most common issues with commercial dishwashers such as:

- Insufficient water intake
- Leaks
- Cloudy/or partially cleaned dishes
- Machines that won’t drain
- Machines that stop working

Whether your commercial dishwasher is a rack conveyor, under the counter, or continuous conveyor, you still need to take care of it in order to get the most life out of your machine. By practicing some simple maintenance tips, your dishwasher will keep running and so will your kitchen.

• Daily cleaning

As trivial as it may sound, it’s actually very important to do a quick cleaning of your commercial dishwasher at the end of every day. Components such as the spray arm and nozzles should be cleaned, and quick once over should be performed to check for cracks in the gaskets or signs of deterioration. Once the dishwasher has run its last load of the day, make sure to leave the door open so that the inside of the machine can air dry overnight, before the start of the next shift.

• Filter Maintenance

It is best practice to clean your dishwasher’s filter every twenty cycles, with more frequent cleaning recommended for dishwashers that are run heavily and often. You can clean the filter by removing it and cleaning off any food debris or dirt that has accumulated using a scrub brush, a mild soap, and water. Once the filter is clean, make sure you reinstall it. As silly as that sounds, many people forget to reinstall the filter, which only causes more issues.

• Preventative Maintenance

For the best care of your dishwasher, it’s smart to have a certified technician come out and perform preventative maintenance on the machine once a year. If your model is older and has seen better days, maintenance every six months would be ideal. Keeping your appliance in good working condition now saves you money down the road.

Taking care of a commercial dishwasher is not difficult. Keep your machine clean, inside and out, and it should run efficiently for 5-10 years. Not only will a properly functioning dishwasher save you time, it will also keep your entire kitchen operation running more smoothly.

Are you interested in scheduling a preventative maintenance service appointment for your commercial dishwasher? CPS offers preventative maintenance plans for all kinds of commercial kitchen equipment. Learn more about our program or schedule service today!