How to Operate an Industrial Dishwasher

Nearly everyone knows how to run a run-of-the-mill, family-size dishwasher. But what happens when you’re in a situation where you need to wash dishes for a large group of people, and you find yourself face-to-face with an intimidating, industrial-sized dishwasher? Don’t worry—industrial dishwashers are simple to operate. Here’s how.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• An industrial-sized dishwasher loaded with the proper dish soap
• A sink, with a hose connected to a high-pressure spray nozzle
• Plastic dish racks
• Dirty dishes

1. Make sure the dishwasher is loaded with the proper dish soap, then power it on and wait for it to fill with hot water.

2. When the dishwasher is ready to go, use the hose with the power nozzle to spray off some of the dishes.

3. Load the dishes onto one of the plastic dish racks. Make sure the dishes are neatly arranged and spread out, with their dirtiest sides facing down. (The water jets on most industrial dishwashers come from down below.)

4. Slide the rack into the dishwasher and pull down the lever to close the door. The dishwasher’s cycle should begin.

5. When the wash cycle is complete, open the dishwasher and pull the dish rack with the now-clean dishes out the other side. (Be careful not to put your face too close to the dishwasher as you open it. The escaping steam may be hot enough to scald your face.)

6. Either allow the dishes to air-dry on the rack or dry them with a dish towel, and then put them away.

7. Repeat Steps 2 to 6 until all the dishes are washed, dried and put away.

8. When you’re done washing the dishes, drain the water from the dishwasher, remove the “trap” (the tray inside the machine that strains all the garbage out of the dishwater) and spray it out. Replace it, and then power down the dishwasher.