Water does not clean your glassware. The chemical does. That is the fact behind most of what goes wrong in a commercial glasswasher or dishwasher, and it is why the detergent you choose is worth more attention than it usually gets.
Running a successful bar or restaurant is a matter of attention to detail, and the choice of cleaning chemicals is one of the details most often overlooked.
What the wrong chemicals do to your machine
Commercial glasswashers and dishwashers are designed to work with specific chemicals. Poor quality detergent and rinse aid compromise how well the machine works. That shows up first as poor cleaning results and residue build-up, and eventually as damage to the machine itself.
Poor results before visible damage
The cleaning falls off before anything looks broken. Glasses come out poorly cleaned, with residue left behind, and the temptation is to blame the machine rather than what is going into it.
Corrosion, seals and component failure
Over a longer period, poor chemicals cause corrosion, deteriorate seals and contribute to the breakdown of vital components, shortening the working life of equipment that should last years. Just as a poor quality shampoo can damage your hair, a poor quality detergent damages the machine it runs through.
Chemicals are only half of it. How the machine is looked after matters just as much, which is covered separately in our guide to cleaning and maintaining your commercial glasswasher.
Why cheap detergent is a false economy
Cheaper detergent looks like an easy saving and rarely is. Low-cost chemicals may simply not be formulated for commercial equipment, and their composition may be unsuitable for the materials used in glasswashers and dishwashers.
The short-term saving is then wiped out by the long-term cost of repairs and maintenance. Quality cleaning agents designed for your specific equipment cost more per container and less per year. You would not use a poor-quality washing-up liquid on your own kitchen at home, and the commercial version of that risk is considerably more expensive.
What our engineers see on callouts
Andy Wainwright, Managing Director at Barcare Supreme, on why this comes up so often:
“Our core business is supplying glasswashing and dishwashing machines, so it’s vital we provide the best possible cleaning detergents to optimise performance and prevent machine damage.”
“It’s incredible how many callouts we receive each year that are attributed to customers using poor-quality chemicals. Not only can it result in a poor clean but can also cause damage to the machine. Internal components within the machine start to degrade and perish.”
Wainwright emphasises that hot water alone is not enough, and that it is the chemicals that do the cleaning:
“Glasswashers and dishwashers simply pump water over the basket contents. Water on its own isn’t going to degrade grease, yeast, fat, or proteins. It’s the chemical that does the cleaning. Too often, chemicals are undervalued, purchased based on convenience or price without considering their cleaning performance or impact on the machine.”
The same principle applies elsewhere behind the bar. It is why a dedicated product is the right answer for beer line cleaning too, rather than whatever general-purpose cleaner is nearest.
How to choose the right detergent and rinse aid
Match the chemical to the machine, not to the price list. Three questions settle most of it:
- Is it formulated for commercial warewashing? Domestic and general-purpose products are not, whatever the label suggests.
- Does it suit the materials in your machine? That is what decides whether you get corrosion and perished seals in two years’ time.
- Are you buying on performance, or on convenience and price?
For most bars this comes down to a matched pair: a glasswasher detergent and a dishwasher detergent chosen for the machines you actually run, rather than whatever the last delivery happened to include. Our own approach to that pairing is set out in a cleaning solution for excellence in every pint.
Get a recommendation for your machine
Your customers expect pristine glassware and crockery, and that depends on equipment that works properly for as long as it should.
If you are not certain what your machine should be running, ask us rather than guessing. Our team knows the specific requirements of the equipment we supply and can recommend the right detergent and rinse aid for it.
