It's the great washing-up championship

Machine:

Glasses are collected in the rack and inserted into the dishwashing machine. The only thing left to do: press the start button.

The machine will automatically do the rest, with no further input from employees needed.

• The opportunity for human error is reduced to a minimum
• The length of wash cycle and all other parameters are set by the choice of programmes
• The wash process takes place inside the machine, i.e. in a closed system without releasing aerosols (extra-fine droplets that can spread pathogens through the air)
• Hygienic indoor climate thanks to reduced steam emissions using a MEIKO heat recovery system (AirConcept or ComfortAir)
• Assured, validated wash process with parameters that can be read out and evaluated

Manual:

Staff individually dip glasses into the wash water and wash them out with a brush or sponge, then swirl them in clear water and put them out for the next round of drinks. Tea towels may be used at this point.

The wash water has to be changed regularly and it has to be checked for chemical dosage and temperature.

• There is plenty of room for error
• Several actions are necessary to keep the area hygienic – at the cost of time and resources
• Aerosols and steam are released from the sink during the wash process – potentially spreading germs in the air throughout the entire room
• This is not an assured or validated process

Machine:

The water temperature in glasswashers is 60 °C for the wash cycle and 65 °C for the rinse cycle.

• That is a high enough temperature to achieve clean, hygienically safe washing results
• Temperatures are kept constant by the double-walled construction which combats fluctuations
• The required temperature is met, otherwise the machine automatically extends the wash programme (run time extension)

Manual:

For manual washing, a water temperature of at least 45 °C is recommended.

• This does not assure hygienic wash results
• The temperature is too low to reliably inactivate certain viruses (this is only achieved above 60 °C) or to effectively remove certain substances (e.g. at least 55 °C is required for fats)
• A temperature increase cannot be tolerated because of skin exposure
• The temperature in the sink cannot be kept constant

Machine:

The required detergent and rinse aid are automatically fed into the tank or boiler from the attached chemical canisters on every fill cycle.

• The correct dosing of the chemical agents is managed by the dishwashing machine
• Automatic process that takes place inside the machine
• Availability is always ensured (display notification provides information when chemical agents need to be refilled)

Manual:

Detergent and rinse aid must be added to the wash water by hand. Chemical dosing in the wash water must be checked at set intervals. In practice, it is doubtful that this is reliably carried out and, most importantly, at the correct dosing levels – especially in the rush of peak times.

• No option for constant monitoring of chemical dosing levels
• There is plenty of room for error
• If dosing is too high: skin is affected and an odor can build up in the glasses
• If dosing is too low: the chemical agents will not be effective enough (especially when contact is brief)

Machine:

Commercial dishwashers feature several programmes so the user can select one according to the degree of soiling on the dishes – then it will run reliably.

• Soft start to protect the glasses
• Viruses are reliably removed
• Wash programmes run automatically inside the machine

Manual:

How thoroughly and for how long an employee washes an item depends on many factors. Not least of which, how pressed for time he is.

• This can be negatively impacted by the environment (how hectic it is) and equipment (e.g. sponges)
• Hygiene risk: washing-up sponges (often carry high numbers of germs)

Machine:

A glasswasher can wash up to 25 glasses in 90 seconds, depending on the size of the rack, the machine and the glasses.

• It can handle larger volumes of glassware than any human dish washer
• All at the push of a button – so employees can turn their attention to customers, to service or to other tasks

Manual:

The length of time required really depends on the employee – but a glasswasher with a capacity of 25 glasses every 90 seconds is simply unbeatable.

• Employees are busy with washing-up, thus they have no time to spend with customers