Dreaming of a clean Christmas:

Winterhalter’s tips to ensure glasswashers and dishwashers deliver peak performance

Christmas is tough on glasswashers and dishwashers.  It’s not just the volume of dirties to be cleaned, it’s also the state they’re in: heavy-duty lipstick on glasses, rich sauces on crockery and staff under pressure to get things turned round fast.  So now’s the right time to give warewashers a little TLC, to ensure they deliver peak performance when the festive season gets in to full swing.

The warewash wizards at Winterhalter offer some top tips on ensuring machines are A1 for active service. 

• Clean machine: good warewashers will have a self-cleaning programme. Those that don’t should be cleaned every day, as per the manufacturer’s instructions, or wash results will be compromised. Even if it does have a self-cleaning programme, check it is working thoroughly – for example, it may still be necessary to clean inside the hood of passthrough warewashers.

•  Descale: scale buildup is a common cause of breakdown in warewashers. Make sure the descaling schedule on dishwashers and glasswashers is up to date. Look in the machine for any signs of limescale, especially around the element if it is exposed. If in doubt, get the machine descaled.

• Dosing: if streaks start to appear on glasses or dishes, check that the cleaning chemicals’ dosing is right. Too little or too much can cause problems. If in doubt as to how to adjust it, refer to the manual, call in the site’s service engineer or contact the manufacturer.

• Filters: clean all filters, get rid of any blockages and check them for damage. If there are any issues, contact the supplier or service engineer to get a new filter.

• Gaskets and seals: check and clean these thoroughly. If there are any tears or damage, get them changed.

• Water treatment: whatever water treatment system is used with the warewasher, make sure it isn’t about to need servicing or replenishing.

• Chemicals: if there are any problems with washing results, and staff have already cleaned the machine and checked dosing, filters and the water treatment, and carried out a descale, then consider trying a different brand of chemicals.

Operators who are considering buying a new glasswasher, and who have limited space and are concerned about speed of washing, should consider low temperature machines.  They are ideal in busy bars since the glasses come out cool and so are ready for service right away – a real bonus during chaotic Christmas parties!