Why pubs, restaurants, cafes, hotels, nursing homes and hospitals should NEVER use eco settings on dishwashing machines

Is your dishwashing machine a health risk?

In today’s world, where sustainability and energy efficiency are at the forefront of many business decisions, it’s tempting for pubs, restaurants, cafes, hotels and nursing homes, etc to opt for the lower eco settings on their dishwashing machines. 

After all we have had the ideal of "saving the environment" rammed down our throats for the past several decades.

These settings are often marketed as a way to reduce energy consumption and water usage, which can be appealing both from an environmental perspective and in terms of cost savings. 

However, when it comes to maintaining cleanliness and high standards of hygiene, choosing lower eco settings can be a costly and potentially dangerous mistake.

Hygiene Should Always Be a Priority

The primary purpose of a dishwashing machine in any food establishment is to ensure that all dishes, glasses, and utensils are thoroughly cleaned and sanitised. 

This is not just about removing visible dirt but also about eliminating harmful bacteria and pathogens that can cause foodborne illnesses. (Lower temperature dishwashing often leaves lipstick marks on glasses and particles of food stuck to cutlery or plates.)

Lower eco settings typically use cooler water temperatures and shorter wash cycles, which may not be sufficient to kill these harmful microorganisms.

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) sets out clear guidelines for the temperature and conditions required to sanitise food contact surfaces effectively. 

For most commercial dishwashers, this means reaching temperatures of at least 82°C during the final rinse cycle. Lower eco settings often fail to meet these requirements, leading to the risk of inadequate sanitation and potential health hazards for customers and staff alike.

Reputation and Customer Trust

For any pub, restaurant hotel or nursing home, the trust of its customers and service users is invaluable. Patrons expect a high level of cleanliness, and any lapses can quickly damage a business's reputation. 

Instances of food poisoning or even minor cases of stomach upset linked to your establishment can lead to bad reviews, loss of customers, and even legal action. 

Maintaining high hygiene standards by using the appropriate dishwashing settings is a fundamental way to protect your reputation and ensure customer safety. After all, it's not rocket science, it's just good hygiene practices. 

The False Economy of Lower Eco Settings

While the immediate cost savings of using lower eco settings might seem attractive, the long-term consequences can be far more expensive. Health issues stemming from poor hygiene can result in hefty fines, compensation claims, and a loss of business. Furthermore, the costs associated with dealing with a health and safety violation can far outweigh any savings made on energy bills. 

Additionally, the potential need to rewash items that aren’t properly cleaned or sanitised on the first pass also negates any initial savings. Inefficiencies like these can lead to increased water usage and energy consumption over time, defeating the purpose of the eco settings in the first place. And could cause blockages in drains and sewers helping to cause so-called fatbergs.

The Role of Proper Maintenance

It’s also worth noting that a well-maintained dishwashing machine is more efficient, even when operating on higher settings. Regular maintenance and servicing ensure that the machine runs optimally, preventing breakdowns and ensuring that it cleans effectively at the necessary high temperatures. 

This further underscores the importance of investing in proper care for your equipment rather than cutting corners with lower eco settings.

A Balanced Approach to Sustainability

Sustainability is undoubtedly important, and pubs and restaurants can still take steps to reduce their environmental impact without compromising hygiene. Investing in energy-efficient appliances that still meet health and safety standards, training staff on efficient dishwashing practices, and reducing overall water and energy use elsewhere in the business are all effective strategies.

Ultimately, the health and safety of your customers should always come first. By ensuring that dishwashing machines are used on settings that guarantee proper sanitation, pubs and restaurants can maintain the highest standards of cleanliness, protect their reputation, and promote long-term sustainability in a responsible way.

The art of dishwasher loading: An expert's very timely tips

As someone who, or so I'm told by my wife, has limited capabilities regarding loading our dishwasher, I feel sure that I'll be able to learn something with the help of Appliance experts, Hisense, who have teamed up with professional home organiser, Nicola Lewis, to help the nation to get the most out of our home appliances.

Dishwashers are a kitchen essential for many. For example, people with rheumatoid arthritis find a dishwasher if not a lifesaver, then certainly a crockery saver. 

Using one can save you time and doesn’t cost a ton of money to run if you use it correctly and efficiently. But do you really know how to get the most out of your dishwasher and to use it correctly?

Leading electricals manufacturer, Hisense, has teamed up with professional home organiser, Nicola Lewis, from @thisgirlcanorganise, to share some revolutionary home hacks to get the most out of this handy home appliance and keep time spent cleaning to a minimum.

From achieving spotless dishes to saving on resources, you can maximise a dishwasher’s performance and longevity using these simple tips from Hisense and Nicola.

Do’s

Do add a scrunched piece of silver foil into your cutlery basket before turning on the dishwasher. This will help brighten up your cutlery and glassware and give a sparkling result when the wash is done.

Do add a small bowl of white vinegar as an alternative to rinse aid in your cycle. You can also use it to clean your machine and neutralise odours on an empty cycle.

Do tilt your plates backwards and stack them facing towards the centre on the bottom tray of the dishwasher. This allows the spray arm to access the dirty side of the plate easily and will clean everything thoroughly.

Do group your cutlery together when adding it into the basket for cleaning within the dishwasher (i.e. dessert spoons together, forks together). This will help you save time when it comes to unstacking your clean cutlery so you can put them away in your cutlery drawer without having to sort through the stack.

Do add your mugs, glasses, and bowls on the top tray of the dishwasher, where they can nestle side by side more easily. This will utilise the space on the top tray, whilst leaving plenty of room for the bigger dishes that need to be cleaned on the bottom tray.

Don’ts

Don’t add any sharp knife sets or other wooden utensils in the dishwasher as the salt and water pressure may damage the coating of them.

Don’t lay glasses over any of the prongs on the trays of the dishwasher as this could risk smashing within the machine.

Don’t lay larger glasses down along the trays. Instead, many dishwashers (like the Hisense HV673C60UK) allow you to adjust the tray level in the dishwasher to allow the glasses to stand when placed upright at an angle in the tray to reduce the risk of smashing.

Don’t place knives upright in your cutlery basket on the bottom tray of the dishwasher. Make sure that the blades are faced down for safety reasons when continuing to stack or when unstacking the dishwasher.

To watch Nicola’s latest #HisenseHomeHacks Instagram Reel where she shares her dishwasher tips with Hisense on her official home organisation channel, please visit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxryyLiKvQb

For more information on dishwashers where you can utilise the space efficiently to get the best results, you can visit https://hisense.co.uk/dishwashers.