Douglas Dishwasher Repair

Commercial dishwashers have easily removable wash and rinse arms or rotors (depending on the type) that contain a lot of nozzles. The nozzles get constantly clogged by limescale, food solids, such as lemon seeds or olive stones, and other debris, such as foil, cocktail sticks and toothpicks, which will cause the water pressure to drop. When the water is not circulating properly, the dishes won’t get properly cleaned either.

Therefore, it is very important to remove and check the wash arms and rinse nozzles after each cycle to make sure the holes aren’t blocked. To remove a wash or rinse arm, turn it approximately 1/6 of a turn counterclockwise and pull it straight out. Remove the cap plug on the end of the arm by turning it and pulling it out. If you see that the holes are blocked, unclog the nozzles with something sharp (or thin in case of small nozzles) and rinse under running water.

Some arms have rubber gaskets and that’s where stringy food can sometimes get wrap around, so make sure you check whether the gaskets are in good condition and there are no food remains stuck.

Commercial dishwashers pump water from their water tanks for cleaning and sanitizing the dishes. Every time you put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, the tank water becomes dirtier and greasier, so in case you don’t change it often, your dishes will also become dirties and greasier instead of cleaner.

You should always carefully clean the whole tank while making sure food soil doesn’t stay accumulated on the sides or bottom. If the soil reaches the drain, it will cause drain obstruction and prevent proper drain closing. Subsequently, this will lower the volume of wash water and the dishes won’t get properly cleaned.

You can pre-rinse your dirty dishes in case you want to have better cleaning results and if you want to take better care of your machine by not loading large pieces of debris along with the washware. However, this can’t save you from changing tank water regularly – best practice would be after each wash.

Carefully clean the dishwasher walls, but also really get into the corners and door guides, because residual food won’t always be easily visible. To do it, use a soft cloth or a gentle brush. Give the dishwasher’s interior a good rinse after you are done cleaning to wash down any stray food debris into the filter.

Having a rinse or spray hose will help you clean both the inside and the outside of the dishwasher much faster and with less effort. However, in case you don’t have a one in your kitchen, you can use a squirt bottle.

While cleaning the inside of the dishwasher, you should also take the time to make sure that the curtains (if any) are not worn and that there aren’t any visible signs of tear or damage.

You should make sure you delime your commercial dishwasher regularly, as lime and other mineral deposits from hard water build up on the heating element and other parts of the machine, making it much less efficient.

Since the process will take at least an hour to do it properly, make sure you have enough time to finish the process. The best time to delime would be at the end of the working hours after you finish daily dishwasher cleaning routine.

You can use the opportunity while your dishwasher is deliming to clean its exterior. Pour a small amount of the deliming agent in a bucket, dip a towel cloth in it and start wiping down the exterior of the dishwasher. If necessary, you can also use a putty knife along with the cloth.

Continue cleaning the machine until the exterior is completely limescale-free. After you are done, rinse the machine exterior with water. Wait until dry and polish it using stainless steel polish.

Make sure you don’t use cleaning products and chemicals that could damage the interior and the exterior of your commercial dishwasher. Stay away from products such as bleach or chlorine-based detergents, steel wool or corrosive products.

Only use products that are safe to use on stainless steel surfaces. If not sure, read the user manual as it contains guidelines, or consult warewash professionals regarding the cleaning chemicals and other cleaning products appropriate your commercial dishwasher model.

It’s recommended to leave the dishwasher door(s) open whenever not in use, and it is crucial to allow the dishwasher to air dry after you’re done cleaning it. That’s why you should never close the dishwasher door at the end of the workday, but leave it open overnight to properly air dry.

The purpose of leaving the door open is to lessen the humidity that can help bacteria build up. Namely, the interior of a dishwasher is a suitable breeding ground for harmful microbes since the lack of air flow is combined with constant heat and water. Cleaning is crucial to prevent microbes, but so is allowing air flow.