DOWN TO THE DIRTY DISHES

Dish washing… a necessity for every restaurant, but we’re willing to bet that your feelings toward washing the dishes might have to do with the cleaning method your restaurant has available.

BIG RESTAURANTS typically have the space to accommodate a commercial dishwasher, where smaller restaurants might not have the same luxury.

If your restaurant doesn’t have a commercial dishwasher, chances are you rely on the three-sink method to keep your wares clean, spotless, and bacteria-free. It’s a method that’s been around forever and although it gets the seal of approval from most health departments, the three-sink method isn’t foolproof. In fact, a lot of restaurants try to streamline the process in the name of efficiency without recognizing that in doing so, they may be sacrificing the cleanliness of their ware. Let’s be honest, dirty dishes are less than appetizing. So, allow us to serve up a guide to ensure your three-sink warewashing is up to snuff and your dishes will pass the test.

PREP: Prep your sinks – yes, all three. Thoroughly clean each one, and fill with water. Ensuring the water is the right temperature, using the right chemicals in the right proportions, and testing the concentrations with a test strip are imperative. The cleaner you start, the less likely you’ll be to re-do the work.

WASHING: Sink 1 is the wash sink, with minimum 40°C water and detergent. Always dilute your detergent in water and never apply it directly to the wares. Scrub with a brush or scouring pad to remove the dirt and replace the water and soap when suds are no longer visible. RINSING: When finished washing, transfer the wares to Sink 2, the rinse sink – filled with water only, no soap, no chemicals. Submerge the wares to remove soap and replace the water when it gets too soapy.

SANITIZING: Don’t overlook Sink 3. Sanitizing is vital to kill remaining bacteria and avoid food-borne illnesses. Chemical sanitizers –using the proper bleach-to-water ratio – or hot water (minimum 80°C) will sanitize. Wares must be submerged for at least one minute, and never rinsed after for either option.

DRYING: In the three-sink method, drying always means air drying on a rack or drainboard, letting the water drain completely, and never using a cloth or towel to expedite the dry.

Proper execution of the three-sink method results in spotless wares, but it takes time – and other resources. “It seems cheap, but it’s not,” says Gabriele Forneris of Hobart Canada. “Between the hot water, the power, and the chemicals, restaurants are spending on average about $7,500 a year for the three-sink method.” And that’s not including the $30,000 a year they’re spending on labour.

Commercial dishwashers can certainly increase efficiencies, but when the price tag for this type of appliance is upward of $25,000, understandably restaurant owners can’t always justify the expense. But what if there was a more affordable option? Forneris says Hobart recently unveiled the Centerline CDL-H, a door-style dishwasher in the below 10k range. “It only costs about $2,500 a year to run,” he says, “so it pays for itself in two years.”

In addition to the monetary savings, Forneris says the Centerline also saves time. “It only takes a couple of hours a night to run the same number of dishes manually washed,” he says. “So, your staff person can spend the remaining six hours doing other tasks around the kitchen. That’s a huge efficiency, especially during a labour shortage.”

As difficult as it can be to make a big-ticket purchase, the return for your restaurant can be well worth the investment. And with a cost-effective option available, it’s okay to say so-long to the relationship you’ve established with the three-sink method.