Dishwasher temperature log: wash, rinse and sanitizer checks to record
A dishwasher temperature log records that your warewashing machine washed and sanitized at the temperatures or sanitizer strength it is rated for. For a high-temperature machine that means the wash and final-rinse readings on the gauges, plus a check that dishes reach 160°F at the surface. For a chemical machine it means a test strip showing the right sanitizer concentration. Each row needs the date, the machine, the readings, who took them and what you did if they were low. This page covers both types, a filled-in sheet and the three-compartment sink.
If you want a blank sheet to print, the free sheets are on the logs page. Read on for how to take the readings and what to write.
Why log the dishwasher at all
Clean dishes are the last control in the kitchen. A pan that comes out of the machine without being sanitized can put bacteria back on food you cooked and cooled correctly. Health inspectors check warewashing on almost every visit: they read the gauges, dip a test strip and watch a rack go through. A written log shows that the check is a habit, not a show on inspection day.
The FDA Food Code sets the numbers for each type of machine. The machine's data plate, the metal tag on the side, gives the exact values for your model, and those win over a general table [1].
High-temperature machines
A high-temperature (hot water) machine sanitizes with heat. Food Code figures for the wash temperature depend on the machine type, and the final rinse has its own limits [1]:
| Machine type | Minimum wash temperature |
|---|---|
| Stationary rack, single temperature | 165°F (74°C) |
| Stationary rack, dual temperature | 150°F (66°C) |
| Single-tank conveyor | 160°F (71°C) |
| Multi-tank conveyor | 150°F (66°C) |
The final sanitizing rinse is what actually sanitizes. The Food Code asks for the utensil surface to reach 160°F (71°C) during the final rinse, and the manifold (the pipe feeding the spray arms) usually needs to read around 180°F on the gauge to achieve that, within the maker's limits [1]. On the data plate you will see the exact required rinse temperature and often the flow pressure, 15 to 25 psi. Low pressure is a hidden failure: the water is hot but the spray does not cover the dishes.
The gauge reads the pipe, not the plate. To prove the surface reached 160°F, use one of these:
- Temperature-sensitive tape or labels. A strip that turns black at 160°F goes through the machine on a plate or a glass. You see the result and can stick it on the log.
- A maximum-registering thermometer. A glass or digital unit that holds the highest temperature it saw during a cycle, and goes through the machine on a rack.
- Thermal-sensitive paper, sold in books for this purpose.
Do this check at least once a week, and after any repair, any change of water heater, or any day the gauge looks low.
Chemical sanitizing machines
A low-temperature machine sanitizes with a chemical, usually chlorine, in the final rinse. The wash water is lower, often 120°F or as the data plate says, and the final rinse carries the sanitizer. The record is a test-strip reading [1]:
- Run a rack so the machine is at working conditions.
- Hold a test strip in the final rinse, in the spray or collected in a clean cup, for the time on the strip's label.
- Compare the color to the chart on the container, for the right chemical. A chlorine strip does not read quat.
- Write the number in ppm (parts per million).
The right range depends on the chemical and the machine. The Food Code ties the chlorine strength to the water temperature and pH, so take the target ppm from your machine's data plate and the sanitizer label [1]; the filled-in log below uses 50 ppm as an example. If the reading is low, the chemical supply is empty, the feed line is blocked or the dispenser needs priming. If it is high, the dispenser is over-feeding and residue is left on dishes.
The three-compartment sink
If you wash by hand, the sink is your dishwasher and gets its own line in the log. Three steps: wash, rinse, sanitize [1]:
- Wash at 110°F or higher, or as the detergent label says.
- Rinse in clean water.
- Sanitize either with hot water at 171°F (77°C) for 30 seconds of immersion, which needs a heater and a thermometer in the sink, or with a chemical sanitizer at label strength, tested with a strip. Common chemical ranges are chlorine at 50 to 100 ppm and quaternary ammonium (quat) at 200 to 400 ppm, but read the label on your product because the range varies and a strip made for one chemical does not read another [1].
- Air dry. Do not towel dry.
Sanitizer buckets used to wipe counters are the same kind of check. Test them at the start of each shift and whenever you change the solution; a bucket full of dirty water loses strength quickly.
A filled-in dishwasher log
Keep the columns to what you can read in a few seconds. Here are rows for two machines on one day:
| Date, time | Machine | Wash | Final rinse | Test | Initials | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 11/2, 7:00 a.m. | Hot-water conveyor | 158°F | 182°F | Tape: black at 160°F | MR | None |
| Mon 11/2, 2:00 p.m. | Hot-water conveyor | 152°F | 174°F | - | JT | Rinse low at lunch peak. Waited 10 minutes for the tank to recover, retook: 181°F. Plates washed in between rewashed. |
| Mon 11/2, 7:00 a.m. | Bar glass machine (chemical) | 124°F | - | Chlorine 50 ppm | DK | None |
| Tue 11/3, 7:00 a.m. | Bar glass machine (chemical) | 124°F | - | Chlorine 0 ppm | DK | Sanitizer jug empty. Replaced and primed, retested 50 ppm. Glasses from last night's close rewashed. |
| Tue 11/3, 8:00 a.m. | 3-compartment sink | 115°F | - | Quat 300 ppm | MR | None |
The second and fourth rows are what an inspector wants to see: a problem found, items re-done and a restart. A log of perfect readings every day is not believable.
What to do when the machine runs cold
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Final rinse under the rated temperature | Water heater too small, booster heater failing, heavy use at the peak | Stop the machine, wait for the tank to recover, retest. If it stays low, call service and wash by hand in the sink until fixed. |
| Wash temperature low | Heating element scaled, thermostat off, cold fill | Same: stop, retest, service if repeated. |
| Rinse pressure low | Clogged spray nozzles, a closed valve, a weak pump | Clean the nozzles; check the valve; service. |
| Chemical reading low or zero | Empty jug, blocked feed line, wrong dilution | Replace the supply, prime the line, retest before the next rack. |
| Chemical reading too high | Over-feeding pump | Adjust the pump, rinse the items, retest. |
Whatever happened, the dishes run since the last good reading are suspect. Re-wash them. If the problem is found at the start of the shift, the question is easy: nothing has used the machine. If found at the end, you must go back to the last passing check and decide what to rewash. That is the reason to check more than once a day on a busy line.
How often to check
- Gauges and test strip: at the start of each shift, and once or twice more in a long service.
- Surface temperature (tape or max thermometer): weekly and after any service.
- Sink sanitizer: every time you make up a new solution, and every 2 hours in use if your plan says so.
- Machine descaling and nozzle cleaning: weekly or per the manual. Hard water scale is the usual cause of a low rinse.
Keep the log with your other temperature records for at least 90 days, longer if your health department asks [1]. A thermometer that reads wrong makes the whole log wrong, so keep your probes honest with the thermometer calibration log. Warewashing is normally a prerequisite program in a HACCP plan rather than a critical control point; the critical control points guide explains the difference, and the temperature log sheet guide shows the daily sheet this one sits beside.
Questions
What temperature should a commercial dishwasher final rinse be?
About 180°F at the manifold on most high-temperature machines, so the dish surface reaches 160°F. The data plate gives your machine's exact figure.
Do I need a dishwasher log?
The Food Code requires the machine to run at its rated temperature or strength. A log is how you show it, and many plans ask for one.
How do I test a chemical dishwasher?
Run a rack, hold a test strip in the final rinse for the label's time and compare the color. Write the ppm.
How do I check that dishes reach 160°F?
Send temperature-sensitive tape or a maximum-registering thermometer through a cycle on a plate or glass.
What is the sanitizer level for a three-compartment sink?
Depends on the product: commonly chlorine at 50 to 100 ppm or quat at 200 to 400 ppm. Follow the label and use the matching strip.
What if the rinse temperature is low?
Stop, let the tank recover, retest, re-wash what ran, and call service if it repeats.
Where do I get a dishwasher log?
Use the columns above or the free sheets on our logs page. More in our food safety guides.
Sources
Related: all food safety guides.