Families with small children know the problem very well, but soon many businesses are going to have to deal with it too: plastic dishes. In particular, the new SUP (Single Use Plastics) directive is going to cause us to have to be more sustainable with our plastics. Recycling responsibly is an option, but why recycle when you can also reuse? But how do you properly clean and dry plastic?
Manual vs automatic washing
Manual washing of plastic dishes is an option, for example, in a sink. But that takes a relatively long time and is not optimal hygienically due to the lack of thermal disinfection with hot water at the rinse stage. Partly because of this, manual drying also requires extra attention. Therefore, we recommend automatic dishwashing.
Dishwashing detergents for plastics
Most plastics can take a lot. In any case, Spectro’s professional dishwashing detergents are well suited for washing plastics. However, it is important to determine in advance what the (hygienic) contamination is and how long the waiting time is of the dirty dishes before washing. This is because both factors are highly dependent for the choice of dishwashing agents.
Drying plastic
The biggest challenge with washing plastic dishes is drying. This is because plastic is much more “water repellent” (technically called hydrophobic) than, say, glass or ceramic. This causes droplets to form on the surface instead of an easily rinseable film of water. In addition, plastic dishes absorb temperature much more difficult compared to traditional dishes, so traditional dishes dry more easily. Especially for this application, Spectro has developed Spectro Rinse Aid Extra. This ensures perfect drying of plastic but can also be used for regular dishes.
Dosage and set-up
However using the right dishwashing products is just part of the solution. Using the right dosage and set-up on your professional dishwasher related to your (plastic) dishes is just as important. Luckily Spectro has also a lot of experiences on this field. For example we produce en instal hightech dosage equipment on your professional dishwasher to make sure you have always the right dosage and we also monitor the washing proces.
Want to know more or custom advice?
All in all professional dishwashing, especially plastic dishes, requires a customized solution. For example, polycarbonate (PC) or polypropylene (PE) cups have a different drying process than, for example, polypropylene (PP) trays. Check out our dishwashing products and concepts here.
If you want to know more please contact us.