How To Get Your Flatware Sparkling

Posted by Tara Webber

Some things were just meant to sparkle and shine — diamonds, gold, BMWs and of course flatware. Whether it’s plated silver or chrome, the flatware in your restaurant should sparkle when placed before a guest.

Understanding that most operations have neither the time nor the resources for polishing silver or buffing each piece separately, here are four tips to get that sparkle your guests will remember.

Pre-soak for at least 15 minutes – When the dirty dishes come in from the dining room, the dishwasher should immediately separate the flatware and place it in a soaking tub filled with water and a pre-soak chemical. No matter what you do, don’t use normal pot-and-pan soap to soak your restaurant flatware — the soap can cling to the utensils. When they go into the dishwasher, this can create an unruly amount of suds and a real mess!
Wash your flatware on a flat rack – You don’t need to sort them yet; just lay them out and put the rack through the machine. When it comes out, give it a strong shake to get the excess water off.
Go vertical for the second wash – Next, you want to stand your flatware up by placing it in a standing rack or a perforated metal cup. Again, don’t sort anything. The reason you want to keep everything mixed is that similar types of flatware can nest with one another, preventing an adequate soaping or rinse. The last thing you want is for customers to get a bitter taste of soap when they bite into an otherwise delicious meal.
Separate – Now you’ll finally be able to separate out all the different types of flatware to properly sort everything. Make sure your employees wear gloves when they do this, as gloves will both prevent germs from spreading and keep pesky fingerprints from smudging and smearing on the flatware. Gloves are especially important if additional silver cleaning is required.

This method of soaking, washing twice and then sorting may seem a bit much, but after a few cycles it will become second nature for your employees. And as a result, your flatware will look better and be more sanitary than ever.

And, if you haven't done so already, be sure to download our complete guide to flatware, for more helpful information.