Washing Process Flow

Did you know that 60 to 80 per cent of your day-to-day dishwashing costs are personnel wages? The better organised you are, the lower your costs. That applies not only to wash areas in kitchens, but also to commercial front-loading dishwashers: for best results, the dishwashing system needs to be integrated with your staff's traffic and work flow.

The first step is an analysis of your operation. You should consider the following:

• Is your glasswasher easily accessible?
• Do you have space for a rack to be filled with the dirty glasses?
• Do you have space for a rack with washed glasses for drying? The glasses may be dry in two minutes, but they still need somewhere to stand.
• If at all possible, a sink should be located near the dishwashing machine for dregs to be disposed of quickly and easily. Place an appropriate filter in the plughole so that waste, such as lemon slices, can't block the drain.
• A paper towel dispenser should also be installed at the sink so that clean, dry glasses aren't dirtied again when being stacked away.
• Think about water treatment: depending on the water hardness at the site, you may need to find room for a water softener.

Are you planning new premises? Then this is an excellent opportunity to install a cost-effective kitchen wash area. Your consultant, supplier or designer can advise you. However, the first item on the agenda is a basic analysis of the wash area.

• How much room do you have available?
• How many covers are you serving?
• How many dishes must be washed per day?
• When (at what times) will you be dishwashing?

The recommendation of a dishwashing system is based on this analysis, as is the recommendation of appropriate peripherals. In some cases, the analysis will reduce costs, since careful organisation maximises your system's capacity. And making sure all your resources are working together will save on day-to-day costs.