7 min readPathway sheetShort note (5 marks); sometimes a 10-mark answer

Dish washing methods

Dish washing follows scrape, pre-rinse, wash, rinse, sanitise, air-dry, by hand in a three-sink system or by machine, with very hot water or a chemical sanitiser.

StepsScrape, pre-rinse, wash, rinse, sanitise, air-dry, store

Manual methodThree-sink system: wash, rinse, sanitise

MachinesDoor (hood) type, conveyor (rack) type, flight type

SanitisingVery hot water (about 77-82°C) or a chemical such as chlorine, as directed

Manual dish washing: the three-sink method

Change the water whenever it becomes dirty, greasy or cool.

1
Scrape food waste into a bin; pre-rinse or soak to loosen dried food.
2
Sink 1, wash: hot water with detergent; scrub every surface with a brush or scrubber.
3
Sink 2, rinse: clean warm water to remove detergent and loosened soil.
4★
Sink 3, sanitise: dip in very hot water (about 77°C or more) for at least 30 seconds, or in a chemical sanitiser such as chlorine solution at the strength and time on the label.
5
Air-dry on racks; do not wipe with cloths, which can re-contaminate.
6
Store clean items inverted on clean racks, away from dust and splashes.

★ one-way, controls the pace

Dish washing methods

Method	How it works	Suited to
Manual (three-sink)	Wash, rinse and sanitise in three sinks	Small units; pots and pans everywhere
Door (hood) machine	A rack of dishes is pushed into a cabinet; the door or hood is closed for a wash and hot-rinse cycle	Restaurants, small hostels
Conveyor (rack) machine	Racks travel on a conveyor through wash and rinse zones	Large hostels, hospitals, industrial canteens
Flight-type machine	Dishes placed directly on a continuous pegged belt; very high output	Very large institutions, flight kitchens
Pot washing	Large utensils soaked and scrubbed by hand in deep sinks, or in pot-washing machines	All quantity kitchens

Manual vs machine dish washing

ManualLow cost; suits small units and large pots. But slow and tiring, hard to keep sanitising temperatures, and results depend on the worker.

MachineFast and uniform; reaches high rinse temperatures; saves labour. But costly, needs power, water, maintenance and a trained operator.

Rules for hygienic dish washing

Keep dirty and clean areas separate; work flows from dirty to clean.
Use correct doses of detergent and sanitiser; never mix chemicals.
Wash the least soiled first: glasses, then cutlery, crockery, and greasy pots last.
Handle clean cutlery by the handles and glasses by the base.
Discard chipped or cracked crockery and glassware.
Workers wear gloves and aprons and wash hands before touching clean dishes.
Clean and descale machines daily; empty food strainers.

In food service

In a hospital, plates and cups returned from infectious wards must pass a proper hot-water or chemical sanitising step, so germs are not carried back to other patients on the next meal tray.

Exam angle

2 marks: “Name the three sinks used in manual dish washing.” Wash sink (hot water and detergent), rinse sink (clean warm water) and sanitising sink (very hot water or chemical sanitiser).

5 marks: “Describe the steps in manual dish washing.” Scrape and pre-rinse; wash with detergent; rinse; sanitise with very hot water or chemical; air-dry; store inverted; change water often.

10 marks: “Explain the methods of dish washing in a quantity food service unit.” Steps of the three-sink method; door, conveyor and flight machines; pot washing; manual vs machine; rules for hygienic dish washing.

Remember it

'Some People Wash Rice So Daily': Scrape, Pre-rinse, Wash, Rinse, Sanitise, Dry in air.