How to Record a Dishwasher Temperature Video for Your Food Safety Management System

Commercial dishwashers are critical equipment for food safety, but they only work if they reach the correct temperatures. The wash cycle needs to be hot enough for chemicals to work; the rinse cycle needs to be hot enough for thermal disinfection. This video will train your team to understand why these temperatures matter, how to verify them, and how to maintain the dishwasher to prevent the biofilm buildup that compromises cleaning effectiveness.

Step 1: Set the scene and context

Start your video by explaining why dishwasher temperatures are specifically regulated and what happens when they're not maintained. This context helps staff understand they're not just running a machine—they're achieving thermal disinfection.

Commercial dishwashers must attain a wash temperature of 55-60°c for the alkaline chemicals to be effective in the removal of tenacious soiling from items in the dishwasher. Below this temperature, the chemicals don't work properly—items come out looking clean but may still carry contamination.

The rinse cycle is even more critical: dishwashers must achieve a rinse temperature of between 82-88°c to ensure thermal disinfection of those items. This high temperature kills bacteria that survived the wash cycle. Without reaching 82°c minimum, items are washed but not disinfected.

Explain the biofilm risk that develops when dishwashers aren't maintained:

Dishwashers themselves will require thorough cleaning as food debris and residues can lead to the buildup of a tenacious salmon pink coloured biofilm that will hold bacteria. This is difficult to remove by itself with the chemicals used in the dishwasher unless it is manually scrubbed off parts within the dishwasher.

Film your opening at your dishwasher station, showing the machine, its temperature display, and the filters and arms that require daily cleaning.

Step 2: Plan what to record versus what to write down

Dishwasher management involves both visual demonstration of cleaning and temperature verification, plus documentation of daily checks. The video shows the techniques; the written documents provide the compliance evidence.

Record on video:

• Where to read wash and rinse temperatures on your dishwasher
• What the target temperatures are (55-60°c wash, 82-88°c rinse)
• How to remove and clean filters daily
• How to remove and clean wash and rinse arms daily
• What salmon pink biofilm looks like and where it builds up
• How to manually scrub biofilm from dishwasher components
• What calcium carbonate scaling looks like in hard water areas
• What to do when temperatures aren't reaching targets

Document in written procedures:

• Your dishwasher temperature record sheet format
• Target wash temperature (55-60°c)
• Target rinse temperature (82-88°c)
• Daily cleaning checklist for filters and arms
• Corrective actions for temperature failures
• Engineer contact details for scaling or temperature issues
• Training records

The video shows HOW to maintain and verify dishwasher performance. The written documents track daily temperatures and corrective actions.

Step 3: Core rules and requirements

Structure your video around the three critical elements of dishwasher food safety.

Temperature requirements

Commercial dishwashers must attain a wash temperature of 55-60°c for the alkaline chemicals to be effective in the removal of tenacious soiling from items in the dishwasher.

The wash cycle temperature enables the cleaning chemicals to work. Below 55°c, chemicals don't activate properly. Above 60°c wastes energy without improving cleaning.

Dishwashers must achieve a rinse temperature of between 82-88°c to ensure thermal disinfection of those items.

The rinse cycle provides thermal disinfection—killing bacteria through heat. This is why the rinse temperature is higher than the wash temperature. The 82°c minimum is the disinfection threshold.

Biofilm prevention

Dishwashers themselves will require thorough cleaning as food debris and residues can lead to the buildup of a tenacious salmon pink coloured biofilm that will hold bacteria.

This biofilm is distinctive—salmon pink in colour and slimy to touch. It develops in areas where food debris accumulates: around door seals, in filter housings, on spray arm joints, and inside the wash chamber.

This is difficult to remove by itself with the chemicals used in the dishwasher unless it is manually scrubbed off parts within the dishwasher. The dishwasher cannot clean itself adequately. Manual scrubbing is essential.

Scaling in hard water areas

Dishwashers can also build up deposits of calcium carbonate in hard water areas. This can act like a sponge encouraging biofilm growth.

Calcium carbonate scaling appears as white, chalky deposits. It's porous, which means it absorbs bacteria and provides a surface for biofilm to anchor to.

Some dishwashers will require salts to be added via the dosing system. Suppliers should be contacted if you experience problems with scaling.

Daily component cleaning

Filters and wash and rinse arms should be removed daily for manual scrubbing and cleaning.

This daily removal and cleaning prevents the food debris accumulation that leads to biofilm. It also ensures spray arms aren't blocked, which would reduce wash and rinse effectiveness.

Step 4: Demonstrate or walk through

This is where you show staff exactly what proper dishwasher operation and maintenance looks like. Use detailed narration throughout so staff can replicate exactly what you're showing.

Starting the shift—equipment checks

Before you run anything through:

"I've just arrived for my shift and I'm about to start using the dishwasher. Before any items go through, I need to check the machine is ready."

"First, I turn on the machine and wait for it to heat up. This takes a few minutes—the display will show the temperatures climbing. I'm not going to rush this and put items through before it's ready."

"While it heats, I'm checking the chemical levels. We use separate detergent and rinse aid—both canisters need to have sufficient product. If either is low, I'm refilling now, not when we run out mid-service."

"The water level in the tank—I can see through this inspection window. The tank should be full. Low water means the machine can't wash properly."

Temperature verification demonstration

Reading and recording temperatures:

"The machine has finished heating. Let me check the temperatures on the display."

"This first reading shows wash temperature: 58°c. Our target range is 55-60°c for the alkaline chemicals to work effectively. 58°c is right in that range—good."

"This second reading shows rinse temperature: 85°c. Our target for thermal disinfection is 82-88°c. 85°c will kill bacteria effectively—good."

"Now I record these on our dishwasher temperature sheet. I write: today's date, the time—it's 09:15—wash temp 58°c, rinse temp 85°c. Both are within range, so I tick the 'acceptable' column."

When temperatures are wrong:

"Let me show you what to do if temperatures aren't right. Imagine the wash showed 52°c—below our 55°c minimum."

"First, I wait and recheck. Sometimes temperatures fluctuate when the machine is heating. I give it five more minutes and check again."

"If it's still 52°c after five minutes, the machine isn't working correctly. I don't use it. Items washed at the wrong temperature aren't properly cleaned—the chemicals won't work below 55°c."

"I report this immediately: 'Dishwasher not reaching wash temperature, stuck at 52°c.' This might be a thermostat issue, a heating element problem, or a limescale issue. Either way, it needs attention before we can use the machine."

Correct loading demonstration

Loading technique matters:

"How you load the dishwasher affects how well items are cleaned. Watch my technique."

"I'm loading these plates into the rack. Notice I'm not stacking them flat on top of each other—that would prevent water reaching the inner surfaces. They go upright, spaced apart so water and chemicals can reach all surfaces."

"Cups and bowls go upside down. If they go right-side up, they fill with dirty water during the wash cycle and don't drain properly."

"This rack is now full—but not overfull. I can see gaps between items. If I cram more in, water can't circulate and items come out dirty."

"Heavy soiling gets pre-scraped. This plate has dried-on food—I'm scraping that off into the bin before it goes in the machine. The dishwasher cleans; it doesn't remove baked-on chunks of food."

Running a cycle—what to watch for

During the cycle:

"I'm pushing this rack into the machine and closing the door. The cycle starts automatically."

"The display shows the cycle is running. I can hear the water spraying—that's normal. If the machine was silent, I'd know something was wrong."

"Cycle time is shown here—this machine runs a 90-second cycle. I'm not opening the door mid-cycle. That stops the process and items won't be properly disinfected."

Unloading:

"The cycle has finished. I'm opening the door—watch the steam come out. That steam tells me the rinse temperature was hot enough. If there's no steam, I'd question whether we reached 82°c."

"These items are hot to touch. That's correct—they've just been through an 85°c rinse. Hot items air-dry quickly, which is more hygienic than towel drying."

"I'm checking as I unload: are these items clean? Yes—no visible soiling, no grease, surfaces are smooth and clean. These are ready for service."

Filter removal and cleaning demonstration

Daily filter maintenance:

"Filters and wash and rinse arms should be removed daily for manual scrubbing and cleaning. Let me show you the complete process."

"I'm removing the filter basket first. This sits at the bottom of the wash tank and catches food debris during cycles. Look at what's accumulated here—bits of food, grease, debris. All of this would have gone through the machine and potentially back onto items if the filter wasn't catching it."

"This filter needs scrubbing, not just rinsing. I'm taking it to the sink, running it under hot water, and using a brush to scrub every surface. See how more debris comes off when I scrub? A quick rinse wouldn't have removed this."

"I'm checking the filter mesh for damage. Any holes or tears mean debris gets through to the pump and spray arms. This filter is intact—good. If it was damaged, I'd replace it."

"Now I'm looking at where the filter sits in the machine. There's debris accumulated in this housing too. I'm wiping that out before I replace the clean filter."

Spray arm cleaning demonstration

Why spray arms matter:

"Now the wash and rinse arms. These spin during the cycle and spray water and chemicals over the items. If the holes are blocked, items don't get cleaned or rinsed properly."

"I'm removing the lower wash arm—on most machines it twists off anticlockwise. This is the arm that sprays upward at the lower rack."

"Look at these spray holes. They're small—maybe 2mm diameter—and they can get blocked with food debris or limescale. I'm checking each hole is clear by looking through it."

"This one here is partially blocked. I'm clearing it with a wooden cocktail stick—never metal, which could damage the hole and affect the spray pattern. The blockage comes out... now it's clear."

"I'm scrubbing the arm surface, especially around the joints and the central pivot where biofilm tends to develop. Then rinsing under hot water."

"Same process for the upper arm and the rinse arm if your machine has separate arms. All arms removed, inspected, cleared, scrubbed, and replaced every day."

Biofilm identification and removal

What biofilm looks like:

"Dishwashers can build up a tenacious salmon pink coloured biofilm that will hold bacteria. Let me show you where to look and what to do about it."

"First, around the door seal. I'm pulling the seal back gently—see this pinkish discolouration? That's early-stage biofilm. The seal is wet, warm, and often has food debris nearby—perfect conditions for biofilm."

"Inside the wash chamber, particularly in the corners. This corner here shows the same pink colour. The machine's own wash cycle doesn't reach these spots effectively."

"On spray arm joints and pivot points—anywhere water sits and doesn't drain completely."

"The critical point: this biofilm is difficult to remove by itself with the chemicals used in the dishwasher. You cannot rely on running a cycle to clean this. Manual scrubbing is required."

"I'm spraying sanitiser on this biofilm, then scrubbing with a brush. Watch how the pink colour comes off. I continue until the surface is the original colour—no pink remaining. This might take several minutes for established biofilm."

Scaling identification and management

Recognising scale:

"In hard water areas, dishwashers can build up deposits of calcium carbonate. Let me show you what this looks like and why it matters."

"This white, chalky residue on the heating element is limescale. Feel it—it's rough, not smooth like clean metal."

"Scale is a problem for two reasons. First, it can act like a sponge encouraging biofilm growth—bacteria hide in the rough surface. Second, a scaled heating element doesn't heat efficiently, so the dishwasher may not reach target temperatures."

"If I'm seeing significant scaling like this, I contact our supplier. Some dishwashers will require salts to be added via the dosing system to soften the water and prevent scale."

"For light scaling, we use a descaling product weekly—follow your machine's maintenance schedule."

Items not properly cleaned—troubleshooting

Identifying the problem:

"These plates have come out of the dishwasher but look at this—there's still grease film on this one, and this one has food residue in the pattern."

"Items not properly cleaned means something is wrong. Let me work through the troubleshooting."

"First check: temperatures. I look at the display—wash 57°c, rinse 84°c. Both in range, so that's not the problem."

"Second check: chemical levels. The detergent canister is nearly empty—there it is. The machine has been running with insufficient detergent. I'm refilling now."

"Third check: filters. I'm pulling out the filter—it's heavily clogged. This should have been cleaned earlier. Clogged filters mean dirty water recirculates."

"Fourth check: spray arms. One arm has several blocked holes. Water isn't reaching parts of the rack."

"Now I've identified and fixed the problems. But these items that came out dirty—they need recleaning. They go back through the machine now that it's working properly. Reclean and disinfect any items that have not been cleaned properly."

When to call an engineer:

"Sometimes the troubleshooting doesn't reveal an obvious cause. Temperatures are right, chemicals are topped up, filters are clean, arms are clear—but items still come out dirty."

"That's when I call for engineer attention. There might be a pump issue, a thermostat calibration problem, or something else that requires professional diagnosis. I don't keep running items through hoping the problem fixes itself."

Step 5: Common mistakes to avoid

Address the mistakes that compromise dishwasher effectiveness.

Mistake 1: Not checking temperatures before use. Running items through a dishwasher that hasn't reached temperature means they're not disinfected. Check temperatures at the start of every shift.

Mistake 2: Ignoring the rinse temperature. The wash might look fine, but thermal disinfection happens in the rinse at 82-88°c. If rinse temperature is low, items aren't disinfected regardless of how clean they look.

Mistake 3: Not removing filters and arms daily. Food debris accumulates and becomes biofilm. Filters and wash and rinse arms should be removed daily for manual scrubbing. A quick rinse isn't enough.

Mistake 4: Thinking the dishwasher cleans itself. The chemicals and heat can't remove established biofilm. Manual scrubbing is required. If you see salmon pink discolouration, it won't go away on its own.

Mistake 5: Ignoring scaling in hard water areas. Calcium carbonate deposits harbour bacteria and reduce heating efficiency. Report scaling problems and ensure salt dosing is maintained if your machine requires it.

Mistake 6: Overloading the dishwasher. Overloaded racks prevent proper water circulation. Items don't get washed or rinsed properly even if temperatures are correct.

Mistake 7: Pre-rinsing with items already clean. Conversely, some staff rinse items so thoroughly before loading that the dishwasher has nothing to detect, affecting cycle performance. Remove food debris but don't pre-wash.

Mistake 8: Not recording temperatures. Temperature logs prove your dishwasher is working correctly. Without records, you can't demonstrate compliance or identify when problems began.

Mistake 9: Using items that came out still dirty. If items aren't clean, they must go through again. Reclean and disinfect any items that have not been cleaned properly. Don't put dirty items into service.

Mistake 10: Not training porters on dishwasher maintenance. Kitchen porters need to understand why they're checking temperatures and cleaning components, not just doing it mechanically. Retrain kitchen porter in correct use and cleaning of dishwashers if standards slip.

Step 6: Key takeaways

End your video by reinforcing the core principles of dishwasher management.

Wash temperature 55-60°c. This temperature range enables the alkaline chemicals to be effective in removing soiling. Below this, chemicals don't work properly.

Rinse temperature 82-88°c. This achieves thermal disinfection—killing bacteria through heat. This is the critical food safety function of the dishwasher.

Check and record temperatures every shift. Temperature logs prove your dishwasher is functioning correctly. Don't use the dishwasher if temperatures aren't in range.

Remove and clean filters daily. Food debris accumulation leads to biofilm. Filters should be removed daily for manual scrubbing and cleaning.

Remove and clean spray arms daily. Blocked spray holes reduce wash and rinse effectiveness. Wash and rinse arms should be removed daily for inspection and cleaning.

Watch for salmon pink biofilm. This tenacious biofilm holds bacteria and won't be removed by normal dishwasher cycles. Manual scrubbing is required.

Watch for white calcium scale. In hard water areas, scaling encourages biofilm growth and reduces heating efficiency. Contact suppliers about salt dosing if scaling develops.

Reclean items that aren't properly washed. Don't put items into service if they still have visible soiling. Identify the cause and reclean them.

Retrain staff if standards slip. If porters aren't maintaining the dishwasher correctly, retrain them in correct use and cleaning until competency is demonstrated.

Chemicals must be correctly diluted and replenished. Running with empty or low chemical levels means items aren't cleaned properly. Check levels at the start of every shift.

Pre-scrape heavily soiled items before loading. The dishwasher cleans residue—it doesn't remove baked-on food chunks. Heavy debris should be scraped into the bin first.

Don't overload racks. Items need space for water to circulate. Overloaded racks mean items in the centre don't get washed or rinsed properly.

Hot items air-dry quickly and hygienically. The 82-88°c rinse means items come out hot enough to evaporate water rapidly. Don't towel-dry items—let them air-dry.

Report any faults immediately. Unusual noises, temperature failures, chemical dosing problems, or visible damage need reporting and fixing before the machine is used again.

Glasses and polished items need special attention. Water spots on glasses suggest rinse aid is low or water quality is poor. Streaks on polished items may indicate scaling.

Know when to wash by hand instead. Very delicate items, heavily soiled items that need pre-soaking, or items too large for the machine should be washed manually with proper technique.

End-of-day procedures matter. Run a rinse cycle at the end of service to flush chemicals. Empty and wipe out the tank. Leave the door slightly open to allow drying and prevent odours.

Weekly deep cleaning goes beyond daily maintenance. Remove and soak spray arms, deep clean the interior, and check for scale buildup in hard-to-reach areas.

Temperature records protect the business. If there's ever an incident, your records demonstrate the dishwasher was functioning correctly. Without records, you can't prove compliance.

Training kitchen porters on why procedures matter produces better compliance than just training them on what to do. Staff who understand the food safety reasons maintain standards more consistently.

Spare parts availability prevents extended downtime. Know where to get replacement filters, spray arms, and seals quickly. A dishwasher that's down for days because you're waiting for parts is a food safety problem.

Consider capacity when planning service. A dishwasher can only process so many racks per hour. Peak service periods may require manual washing as backup.

Drainage must be clear and functioning. Blocked drains mean dirty water doesn't empty, which affects the next cycle. Check drainage as part of daily maintenance.

Water hardness affects everything. Hard water causes scale, affects chemical effectiveness, and leaves residue on items. Know your water type and maintain accordingly.

Chemical suppliers can help optimise your setup. If you're having persistent problems with cleaning results or scaling, consult your chemical supplier for product recommendations.

Backup wash procedures must be documented. If the dishwasher fails completely, staff need to know the correct manual washing and sanitising procedure.

The dishwasher is a food safety tool, not just a convenience. Proper temperatures and maintenance ensure thermal disinfection of every item that goes through it. Every plate, every utensil, every piece of equipment that goes through a correctly functioning dishwasher comes out safe for food contact.