As a restaurant owner, you probably spent a lot of time thinking about equipment purchases, furniture arrangement, food menu, employees' work shifts, etc. With so much on your mind, it’s likely that the maintenance needs of your restaurant equipment such as the commercial dishwasher remains an afterthought until it breaks.
You could continue to operate the restaurant in the short term but in the long run, this could lead to wastage, the downgrade of your commercial dishwasher’s functionality, and endanger the safety of your employees and customers.
Instead of waiting for your restaurant equipment to break down only for you to take action, it’s best to initiate regular equipment maintenance to guarantee the safety and security of your F&B business. After all, your investment will be more worthwhile if it works perfectly for several years without giving you any trouble. So, here are some tips you should take note of.
1. STUDY THE OPERATING MANUAL CAREFULLY
There’s a reason why the operating manual is included in every equipment purchase – to guide you and your employees on how to correctly and efficiently operate the equipment.
That way, you can reduce human error and inform your employees precisely on what can and cannot be done, especially when it comes to operating the dishwasher.
Don't miss out on the finer details such as the cleaning instructions because different dishwashing machines require the use of different chemical detergents. Not all chemical detergents are created the same.
2. CHECK FOR LEAKS AROUND THE DOOR OR PLUGS INLET AND OUTLET
A leaking commercial dishwasher can mean many things – the door gasket’s watertight seal has dried out and become brittle or damaged, the spray arm can’t do its job properly due to improper cleaning, a loose or damaged drain hose isn’t removing water, or the equipment’s water inlet valve isn’t tight enough. If any of these issues persist, it may reduce the efficiency of your equipment.
So, make sure to check for leaks around the door or the plugs inlet and outlet to reduce wastage of water and energy. You should also check if the filter needs to be cleaned or replaced because food debris can clog the filter and prevent drainage, causing poor cleaning results.
3. REMOVE LIMESCALE BUILD-UP REGULARLY
If your water is particularly hard, getting your commercial dishwasher professionally descaled on a regular basis helps to protect the internal components from failing, especially the heater. This will prolong the lifespan of your heating elements. Alternatively, you can opt for MEIKO’s built-in water softener called ‘Active Clean’.
A water softener will remove calcium and magnesium minerals from the wash tank water by using salt as an ion exchange to reduce the build-up of scales which will affect the heating elements and wash arm nozzles.
4. CLEAN AND DRY THE MACHINE AFTER THE LAST WASH CYCLE OF THE DAY
You may have bought a piece of restaurant equipment that has a self-cleaning programme but the various sieves, filters, wash arms, seals, corners, etc. in your commercial dishwasher still need to be washed or rinsed properly.
Besides, it’s important that your dishwashing machine is cleaned and water is drained out of it because dirty water can harbour bacteria which could potentially cause health hazards to those operating the machine.
5. CHECK DETERGENT/SANITIZING AGENT SUPPLY
Rinse aid, detergent, and sanitizer are the most important chemicals used by a commercial dishwasher because they help to give you sparkling clean and well-sanitized dishes. The presence of too little or too high concentrations of these chemicals on your dishes may cause unwanted results.
Therefore, make sure to check the detergent/sanitizer supply periodically so that they are in constant correct dosing for the best washing results and ensure that food oils and dirt don’t build up in your dishwasher.
6. SCHEDULE PERIODIC PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FOR INTENSIVE CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE
Scheduling periodic professional service maintenance for your commercial dishwasher may seem like a simple task but it is often forgotten for a variety of reasons. Also, missing equipment servicing can degrade the performance of your commercial dishwasher in the long run and prevent it from performing at optimum efficiency and shorten its lifespan.
With MEIKO Connect, which is available for certain dishwashing machine models, you can monitor your restaurant equipment as well as access and record machine- and hygiene-related data through your smartphone. You can also keep up with the maintenance service so that you don't miss out on any of the appointments.
In a nutshell, if you follow these six maintenance tips closely, you can rest assured that your commercial dishwasher will serve you and your kitchen for many years to come.
As one of the top warewashing technology manufacturers in the world, MEIKO offers some of the best commercial dishwashers in the world. With an emphasis on making the world a cleaner place by using innovative technology for warewashing, cleaning, and disinfection, MEIKO can guarantee you clean solutions wherever and whenever you need them.
