Why would I check the temperature of my dishwasher?

EHO Story 📩

When  I  worked in local government, there was a time that I used to ask businesses whether they checked their dishwasher temperatures.

And one question that often came back:

“Why would I check the temperature of my dishwasher?”

It was a fair question.

Because there’s no point checking a temperature if you don’t understand what you’re trying to verify.

Whether you need to check your dishwasher temperature is something I still get asked by a lot of food businesses today. So I wanted to unpack this as there’s slightly more to it…

Commercial dishwashers are designed to wash and disinfect equipment using heat.

If they’re working properly and being used correctly, they should reach temperatures high enough to reduce harmful bacteria to a safe level. This is known as disinfection using heat.

So when businesses check dishwasher temperatures, what are they actually trying to prove?

They’re trying to verify that the dishwasher is achieving effective disinfection.

That’s why temperature checks can be useful:

• When a new dishwasher is installed
• After repairs or maintenance work
• If you’re concerned the dishwasher isn’t performing properly
• As part of your food safety management procedures
• To provide additional confidence that the dishwasher is achieving effective disinfection

But temperature checks are only one part of the picture.

A dishwasher that’s not being cleaned, maintained or used properly may still cause problems.

Food Safety Tip ✅

When it comes to dishwashers, I’d focus on these checks too:

• Make sure the dishwasher is in good working order
• Don’t overload the dishwasher
• Pre-rinse items to remove food debris
• Don’t overlap items so water can circulate properly
• Clean the dishwasher regularly. This will normally include removing food debris and limescale from the water jets, filters and drains.
• Maintain and service it in line with the manufacturer’s instructions

The Serious Lesson

Food safety checks should always have a purpose.

Before carrying out any check, ask yourself:

“What am I trying to verify?”

In the case of dishwasher temperatures, you’re trying to verify that the dishwasher is achieving disinfection.

Understanding why you’re carrying out a check is just as important as doing the check itself.