Since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, the world has almost come to a standstill as restaurants, malls, airports, and other businesses all closed for lockdown. But after what felt like an eternity, on 17 June, the president addressed, informing South Africans that sit-down restaurants (amongst other businesses like hair salons) can open for the public.
Now that restaurants are open, and everything seems to be returning to the new normal; new concerns are brought to light. Customers, although excited, are worried about returning to their favourite food services. After all, nothing will be the same.
Plates, glasses, and cutlery are, in most cases, essential, and they need to be thoroughly cleansed to avoid infecting customers and staff.
How do you ensure your serving equipment is clean and safe? By ensuring you have the correct kitchen equipment, of course!
To ensure your plates, glasses, and cutlery is safe to be served to the next customer, you need to invest in a high-quality commercial dishwasher.
Does Your Commercial Dishwasher Kill Coronavirus?
Commercial dishwashers use strong cleaning agents and scalding hot water, which makes it effective to eliminate any traces of the virus.
Dishwasher Requirements in Order to Kill the Virus
Before we discuss the requirements, let’s understand the Coronavirus first.
The infamous virus was first discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Now the virus lives in multiple countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are over eight million confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally, with over 70 thousand cases in South Africa.
And unlike bacteria, a virus isn’t a living organism; it only behaves as a living organism once inside the body of a host.
COVID-19 is spread via respiratory droplets from one person to the next. According to the World Health Organization, “It is highly unlikely that people can contract COVID-19 from food or food packaging.” At the moment, people can also become infected after touching a surface or object that came into contact with the virus, then touching their mouth, eyes, and nose.
According to CNN Health, “Under the microscope, coronaviruses appear to be covered with pointy spires, giving them the appearance of having a crown or “corona” — hence the name. Beneath the crown is the outer layer of the virus, which is made up of lipids, or what you and I would call fat.”
When you’re using soap or alcohol to clean your hands or other items, it can help dissolve the lipids coating the virus. When the outer layer of the germ is destroyed, it physically eliminates the virus.
Dishwasher Requirements
According to the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, “Due to the delicate nature of the viral envelope, coronaviruses are relatively sensitive to both heat and detergents (including soap).”
In order for your dishwasher to effectively eliminate the Coronavirus, it needs to wash and dry dishes at 60°C or higher.
All Hobart commercial dishwashers are certified to NSF standard 3 for Commercial Warewashing Equipment. This means that after the application of cumulative heat or chemicals on contact surfaces, there is a reduction of 5 logs, or 99.999%, of representative disease microorganisms of public health importance.
What does 5 log mean?
According to Wikipedia, “Log reduction is a measure of how thoroughly a decontamination process reduces the concentration of a contaminant.”
Cleaning Chemicals
In order for the virus to be killed, the right chemicals should be used when cleaning dishes and cutlery in the warewasher.
Alkaline cleaners with high-emulsifying capabilities and high detergent solutions are effective in inactivating the Coronavirus.
According to the World Health Organization, factors that influence the disinfecting process include the disinfectant concentration, contact time, temperature, and pH.
Keep in Mind
Whether you’re making use of a HOBART dishwasher, or others from brands like Elettrobar or DIHR, maintenance and use of your commercial dishwasher must be used as intended according to the washer brand’s specifications.
Are You Looking for a High-Quality, Durable Commercial Dishwasher?
If you’re a busy kitchen, you’ll understand the benefits of owning a good commercial dishwasher. Keep your dishes and cutlery clean (and safe from the Coronavirus) with our range of industrial dishwashing equipment.
Caterware Connection provides both under-counter and hood-type dishwashers from brands including HOBART, Elettrobar, and DIHR for food establishments in South Africa. Get in touch with our specialists to discuss the best option for your kitchen.
