ops #ecolab #sanitation #all-staff
The 3-compartment sink is the manual sanitation system. We use it for any item too big for the dishwasher, and as backup if the dishwasher is down.
The three compartments
- Wash — hot water + Dish Solid detergent. Scrub.
- Rinse — clean hot water. Rinse off detergent.
- Sanitize — cool water + QSan concentrate at 150-400 ppm. Submerge for 30 seconds minimum.
Setup (every shift, every change of water)
- [ ] Fill compartment 1 with hot water (110-130°F)
- [ ] Add Dish Solid per dispenser (usually 1 pump per fill)
- [ ] Fill compartment 2 with clean hot water
- [ ] Fill compartment 3 with cool water
- [ ] Add QSan from the wall dispenser — 1 pump per 3-gallon fill
- [ ] Test concentration — must read 150-400 ppm
- [ ] If below 150 ppm: add another pump, retest
- [ ] If above 400 ppm: drain some water, refill, retest
During use
- [ ] Test compartment 3 every 2 hours of active use OR after washing any heavy load
- [ ] Replace water in compartment 1 (wash) when visibly dirty
- [ ] Replace water in compartment 3 (sanitize) when concentration drops below 150 ppm after re-dosing
Air-dry only
- [ ] Items removed from compartment 3 go straight to the drying rack
- [ ] DO NOT towel-dry (defeats the sanitation)
- [ ] Allow at least 30 minutes to air dry before stacking
Why this matters
The sanitizer kills pathogens that scrubbing can't remove. Cold-water QSan at correct concentration is FDA-approved for food contact surfaces. Hot water alone is NOT sanitation; it's cleaning. Both steps are required.
Log
Concentration readings logged on the food safety log at open, after every 2 hours of use, and at close. DOH will check this log.