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Kitchen deep cleaning - water efficiency
The pot wash and glass wash are among the thirstiest parts of a commercial kitchen - using a lot of water, and the energy to heat it and the chemicals to clean with. Cutting that waste, without cutting hygiene, saves real money: through efficient machines, good practice, and keeping the equipment well-maintained. Here are practical ways to improve water efficiency in the wash areas. This is general commentary.
The short answer
The wash areas - the pot wash (for pots, pans and larger items) and the glass wash and dishwash (for glasses, crockery and cutlery) - are among the thirstiest parts of a commercial kitchen, and improving their efficiency saves money on several fronts at once. Why they matter: washing uses a lot of water, and with it the energy to heat that water (a major cost - hot water is expensive) and the chemicals (detergent and rinse aid) to clean and finish. So the wash areas run up water, energy and chemical costs together - and inefficiency in them wastes all three. How to improve efficiency, without cutting hygiene: (1) Efficient machines - modern commercial dishwashers and glasswashers use far less water per cycle or rack than older ones (and less energy and chemical accordingly), and some recover heat (using waste heat to pre-warm incoming water); choosing efficient machines cuts the per-wash water, energy and chemical use. (2) Good practice - run full loads rather than half-empty racks (each cycle uses similar water whether full or not, so full loads mean fewer cycles per item), do not leave taps or pre-rinse sprays running unnecessarily, and scrape plates rather than rinsing them under a running tap. (3) Maintenance and descaling - keep the machines well-maintained and descaled, because limescale and poor maintenance make machines run less efficiently (wasting water, energy and chemicals, and washing less well), whereas a well-maintained, descaled machine runs efficiently. Crucially, all of this cuts waste without cutting hygiene - the aim is to use water, energy and chemicals efficiently, not to under-wash. So improving wash-area efficiency - efficient machines, good practice, and maintenance - saves water, energy and chemical costs while keeping hygiene to standard. This is general commentary.
Key points
The thirsty areas
The pot wash and glass wash areas are among the thirstiest, most resource-hungry parts of a commercial kitchen - using not just a lot of water, but the energy to heat it and the chemicals to clean with, all together. Washing up in a commercial kitchen - the pots, pans, crockery, glasses and cutlery from a busy service - uses a lot of water, cycle after cycle, load after load. And it is not just the water: the water has to be heated (commercial dishwashers and glasswashers wash and rinse with hot water, and hot water is expensive to produce - a significant energy cost), and the wash uses chemicals (detergent to clean, rinse aid to finish). So the wash areas run up water, energy and chemical costs together.
This makes the wash areas a real target for efficiency, because inefficiency there wastes all three at once - waste water is also wasted energy (heating it) and often wasted chemical (dosed into it). A wasteful wash area - inefficient machines, poor practice, poorly-maintained equipment - quietly runs up water, energy and chemical bills. Conversely, improving efficiency in the wash areas saves on all three fronts together, which is why it is worth attention. And it can be done without compromising hygiene - the aim is efficient washing, not under-washing. So the wash areas are the thirsty parts of the kitchen, using water, energy and chemicals together - and improving their efficiency saves on all three. The following sections cover how: efficient machines, good practice, and maintenance. So the thirsty areas use water, energy and chemicals together. This is general commentary.
Efficient machines
The machines themselves are a major factor: modern, efficient commercial dishwashers and glasswashers use far less water per cycle or rack than older ones - and less energy and chemical accordingly. A commercial warewasher uses a set amount of water per wash cycle (per rack), and the amount varies a lot between machines: older or less efficient machines use more water per rack, while modern efficient machines are designed to wash effectively with much less. Because each rack washed uses that water (and the energy to heat it and the chemical dosed into it), a more efficient machine cuts the water, energy and chemical use for every rack, across thousands of racks - a substantial saving over time.
Some machines go further with heat recovery: recovering the waste heat (from the hot exhaust air or waste water) to pre-warm the incoming cold water, reducing the energy needed to heat it - cutting energy use further. So the choice of machine has a large effect on wash-area efficiency: an efficient, well-specified dishwasher or glasswasher (low water use per rack, energy efficient, perhaps with heat recovery) uses far less water, energy and chemical than an old, inefficient one, for the same washing. When replacing or specifying wash equipment, choosing an efficient machine is one of the biggest levers on wash-area running costs (as covered in commercial dishwashers and glasswashers). So efficient machines - using less water per rack - are a major route to wash-area efficiency. So less water per rack, from an efficient machine, cuts the cost. This is general commentary.
Good practice
Beyond the machines, everyday good practice in the wash area cuts water, energy and chemical waste - chiefly running full loads, not leaving water running, and scraping rather than rinsing. Full loads: a warewasher uses a similar amount of water (and energy and chemical) per cycle whether the rack is full or half-empty - so running full racks rather than half-empty ones means fewer cycles to wash the same items, and less water, energy and chemical used overall. Running the machine only when it has a full load (within reason and hygiene needs) is one of the simplest efficiency wins. Not leaving water running: taps and pre-rinse sprays left running unnecessarily waste a lot of water (and hot-water energy) - so turning off taps when not in use, and not leaving the pre-rinse spray running, cuts waste.
Scrape, do not rinse: scraping food debris off plates and pans into the waste (rather than rinsing it off under a running tap) removes the debris using little or no water - and reduces the load on the machine. So a good wash-area routine - scrape plates, load full racks, do not leave taps or sprays running, and run the machine efficiently - cuts water, energy and chemical use significantly, at no cost (just practice). These practices are within the control of the wash-area staff, so training and good routines embed them. Importantly, none of this compromises hygiene: full loads still wash properly, scraping still gets plates clean in the machine, and turning off unused taps changes nothing about wash quality - it is efficiency, not corner-cutting. So good practice - full loads, no running taps, scrape not rinse - cuts waste. So good practice cuts waste without cutting hygiene. This is general commentary.
Maintenance and descaling
The third lever is maintenance and descaling: keeping the wash machines well-maintained and descaled so they run efficiently, because limescale and neglect make them waste water, energy and chemicals and wash less well. Limescale: commercial dishwashers and glasswashers use hot water, and in hard-water areas limescale builds up in them (on heating elements, jets and surfaces) - furring up heating elements (so they use more energy to heat the water, and burn out sooner), blocking spray jets (so the wash is less effective, sometimes needing re-washing - which wastes water, energy and chemical), and reducing efficiency generally. So a limescale-furred machine wastes energy and water and washes worse - which is why descaling (and water treatment in hard-water areas) keeps the machine efficient (as covered in descaling and water treatment).
General maintenance: keeping the machine well-maintained - clean, with jets clear, seals good, dosing correct, and in good working order - keeps it running efficiently and washing well. A poorly-maintained machine (blocked jets, incorrect chemical dosing, worn parts) wastes water, energy and chemical, and may wash poorly (needing re-washes). Correct chemical dosing in particular matters: over-dosing wastes chemical (and money), under-dosing washes poorly - so the dosing being set and maintained correctly is part of efficiency. So keeping the wash machines maintained and descaled keeps them running efficiently - using water, energy and chemical as intended, and washing effectively first time (no wasteful re-washes). Maintenance is therefore a real lever on wash-area efficiency, alongside the machine choice and good practice. So maintenance and descaling keep machines running efficiently. This is general commentary.
Efficient washing, full hygiene
So improving water efficiency in the pot wash and glass wash areas saves real money - on water, energy and chemicals together - through efficient machines (far less water per rack, some with heat recovery), good practice (full loads, no running taps, scrape not rinse), and maintenance and descaling (keeping machines running efficiently and washing well). And crucially, all of it cuts waste without cutting hygiene: the aim is efficient washing, not under-washing - so the savings come with the wash standard fully maintained. So save money in the wash areas without cutting standards.
This connects to keeping the wash-area equipment clean and maintained - part of the deep-cleaning and maintenance of a kitchen. The efficiency of the wash machines depends partly on their being kept clean and descaled: limescale and build-up inside dishwashers and glasswashers reduce their efficiency and wash quality, and clog jets and elements - so keeping them descaled and clean (including periodic deep cleaning and descaling of the machines, especially in hard-water areas) keeps them running efficiently, using less water, energy and chemical, and washing well. So keeping the wash equipment clean, descaled and maintained is both a hygiene matter and an efficiency one - a clean, descaled, well-maintained machine washes better and costs less to run than a limescale-furred, neglected one. So keeping the wash area's equipment clean and maintained supports both its hygiene and its efficiency. So efficient washing at full hygiene, from clean, well-maintained machines, saves money without cutting standards. This is general commentary.
Questions
Because they use a lot of water, energy and chemicals together, so improving them saves on all three at once. Washing up in a commercial kitchen - pots, pans, crockery, glasses and cutlery from a busy service - uses a lot of water, cycle after cycle. And it is not just water: the water has to be heated (commercial warewashers wash and rinse with hot water, and hot water is a significant energy cost), and the wash uses chemicals (detergent and rinse aid). So the wash areas run up water, energy and chemical costs together, and inefficiency there wastes all three - waste water is also wasted energy (heating it) and often wasted chemical (dosed into it). Conversely, improving efficiency in the wash areas saves on all three fronts together, which makes them a high-value target. And it can be done without compromising hygiene - the aim is efficient washing, not under-washing. So the wash areas are worth targeting because they are thirsty for water, energy and chemicals together, and efficiency there saves on all three. This is general commentary.
A large difference - modern efficient dishwashers and glasswashers use far less water per cycle or rack than older ones, and less energy and chemical accordingly. A commercial warewasher uses a set amount of water per wash cycle (per rack), and the amount varies a lot between machines: older or less efficient machines use more water per rack, while modern efficient machines are designed to wash effectively with much less. Because each rack uses that water (plus the energy to heat it and the chemical dosed in), a more efficient machine cuts water, energy and chemical use for every rack, across thousands of racks a year - a substantial cumulative saving. Some machines add heat recovery (using waste heat to pre-warm incoming water), cutting energy further. So the machine choice has a large effect on wash-area running costs: an efficient, well-specified machine uses far less water, energy and chemical than an old, inefficient one for the same washing. When replacing or specifying wash equipment, choosing an efficient machine is one of the biggest levers on wash-area costs. So an efficient machine makes a large, cumulative difference. This is general commentary.
Running full loads, not leaving water running, and scraping rather than rinsing. Full loads: a warewasher uses similar water (and energy and chemical) per cycle whether the rack is full or half-empty, so running full racks rather than half-empty ones means fewer cycles for the same items, and less water, energy and chemical overall - one of the simplest wins. Not leaving water running: taps and pre-rinse sprays left running unnecessarily waste a lot of water and hot-water energy, so turning off taps when not in use and not leaving the pre-rinse spray running cuts waste. Scrape, do not rinse: scraping food debris off plates and pans into the waste (rather than rinsing it under a running tap) removes debris with little or no water and reduces the load on the machine. These practices are within the wash-area staff's control, so training and good routines embed them - and importantly none compromises hygiene (full loads still wash properly, scraping still gets plates clean in the machine). So the everyday practices are full loads, no running taps, and scrape not rinse. This is general commentary.
Yes - keeping the wash machines maintained and descaled keeps them running efficiently, whereas limescale and neglect make them waste water, energy and chemicals and wash less well. Limescale: warewashers use hot water, and in hard-water areas limescale builds up in them - furring heating elements (using more energy and burning out sooner), blocking spray jets (making the wash less effective, sometimes needing re-washing, which wastes water, energy and chemical), and reducing efficiency. So a limescale-furred machine wastes energy and water and washes worse - which is why descaling (and water treatment in hard-water areas) matters. General maintenance: keeping the machine clean, jets clear, seals good, dosing correct and in good order keeps it running efficiently and washing well; a poorly-maintained machine wastes resources and may wash poorly (needing re-washes). Correct chemical dosing matters too - over-dosing wastes chemical, under-dosing washes poorly. So maintenance and descaling are a real lever on wash-area efficiency, keeping machines using water, energy and chemical as intended and washing effectively first time. So yes - maintenance affects efficiency significantly. This is general commentary.
Yes - the efficiency measures cut waste, not wash quality, so they save water (and energy and chemical) while keeping hygiene to standard. The aim of wash-area efficiency is efficient washing, not under-washing: each measure cuts waste without compromising the clean. Efficient machines wash effectively with less water (they are designed to). Running full loads still washes every item properly (the machine washes the full rack as well as a half-empty one). Scraping plates before washing still gets them clean in the machine (and reduces the load). Turning off unused taps and sprays changes nothing about wash quality. And a well-maintained, descaled machine actually washes better than a neglected one (clear jets, correct dosing) - so maintenance improves both efficiency and hygiene. So none of the efficiency measures involves under-washing or cutting hygiene corners - they cut the water, energy and chemical wasted, while the wash standard is fully maintained (or improved). So yes - you can save water in the wash area without harming hygiene; efficiency and hygiene go together here. This is general commentary.
It keeps them running efficiently and washing well - clean, descaled machines use less water, energy and chemical and wash better than limescale-furred, neglected ones. The efficiency and wash quality of dishwashers and glasswashers depend partly on their being kept clean and descaled: limescale and build-up inside them reduce efficiency and wash quality, fur up heating elements (wasting energy) and clog spray jets (making the wash less effective and sometimes needing re-washes, which waste water, energy and chemical). So keeping them descaled and clean - including periodic deep cleaning and descaling of the machines, especially in hard-water areas - keeps them running efficiently (less water, energy and chemical) and washing effectively first time. So keeping the wash equipment clean, descaled and maintained is both a hygiene matter and an efficiency one: a clean, descaled, well-maintained machine washes better and costs less to run than a furred, neglected one. This is part of the broader deep cleaning and maintenance of a kitchen's equipment. So keeping the wash machines clean helps both efficiency and hygiene. This is general commentary.
Dishwashers and glasswashers run efficiently only when kept clean and descaled - limescale and build-up waste water, energy and chemicals. Our kitchen deep cleaning and equipment cleaning, with descaling in hard-water areas, keep your wash machines clear and efficient. Ask us about cleaning and descaling your wash-area equipment.
