In today’s busy times, one of the most essential equipment's to have is a dishwasher. Having a dishwasher makes it a lot more convenient to wash plenty of dishes which helps you save time, money, and energy. It’s environmentally friendly, it gets the job done quickly, and it cleans your dishes much better than you would by hand washing them. Although dishwashers are an integral part of any hospitality kitchen, it’s important to know how to operate them safely to prevent any unwanted accidents from happening.
Modern dishwashers come with a variety of safety features that reduce the risk of overheating electrical components. These features help protect consumers in the event that the dishwasher experiences mechanical failure. Some of the most common safety features found in dishwashers are:
- Cut-off feature that immediately shuts off power from the dishwasher to prevent overheating.
- Tight seals and minimized gaps to reduce air flow which limits the risk of fire from spreading due to overheating components.
- Fire-resistant inner and outer doors which are comprised of metal shieldings to prevent the spread of flames.
Aside from these safety features, there are a couple of tips that you should follow to eliminate the risk of injury when operating dishwashers. Here are some important dishwasher safety tips to keep in mind when using a dishwasher.
Important dishwasher safety tips to keep in mind
- Place sharp utensils like knives and forks face down inside the utensils basket. Place the spoons up to allow more room for other utensils in the basket. This prevents you from cutting or piercing your skin when unloading your dishes after it has been cleaned.
- When loading glassware inside the dishwasher, make sure to place it gently to prevent breaking/chipping. Glassware should be positioned inside the rack firmly where they don’t rattle with each other once you start the wash cycle.
- Avoid overloading dishes. Placing dishes beyond the maximum capacity of your dishwasher can cause a number of different issues like poorly cleaned dishes and chipped of plates. Separate your dishes into batches and place them correctly inside the rack.
- Always make sure to close the dishwasher door when loading or unloading dishes to prevent tripping accidents.
- Store dishwashing products such as detergent and rinse aid out of reach of children to prevent ingestion and accidental poisoning.
- Read the instruction label when using detergents and rinse aid. Use only the recommended amount that’s appropriate for your dishwasher.
- Fill the dispenser cups only when you’re going to use the dishwasher. Doing so will prevent children from reaching in and getting into the chemicals.
- Avoid mixing dishwasher detergent with other cleaning chemicals. This prevents irritating fumes from forming that are dangerous when inhaled.
- Keep the detergent and other dishwasher chemicals in their original containers with the labels intact so children won’t confuse it for food, etc.
- Don’t wash non-stick pots and pans inside the dishwasher. The cleaning process can wear out the non-stick coating and cause it to flake off over time. Unless the cookware says it’s dishwasher safe, avoid placing non-stick cookware inside the rack.
- Check if your dishes are dishwasher safe. Dishwashers use high temperatures to clean and sanitize your dishes. Plastics tend to warp or become brittle over time so opt to hand wash them instead.
Conclusion
The dishwasher is the workhorse of any commercial kitchen or bar. Day after day, it gets used to thoroughly clean even the dirtiest of dishes. Despite being a reliable piece of equipment, dishwasher come with its own risks that should not be ignored. It’s important to know how to operate a dishwasher safely to prevent risk of injury. Make sure to follow these dishwasher safety tips so you and your family are protected from unwanted accidents when using the dishwasher.
Dishwasher safety is not exclusive to only residential dishwashers, it is equally as important for both commercial and industrial dishwashers. Should you require any advice that is specific to your industrial or commercial dishwasher then get in touch with Warewashing Solutions today. ph: 1300 217 411
