No. The FDA Food Code says that after cleaning and sanitizing, equipment and utensils must be air dried, or used after adequate draining, before they touch food, and they may not be cloth dried. The only exception is that utensils that have already air dried may be polished with cloths that are kept clean and dry.
Shop the equipment in this article: three compartment sinks and dish tables. Freight is included on every order.
What the Food Code says
The rule is section 4-901.11, “Equipment and utensils, air-drying required.” In the wording adopted by states that follow the Food Code, cleaned and sanitized items shall be air dried or used after adequate draining before contact with food, and shall not be cloth dried, except that air-dried utensils may be polished with clean, dry cloths.
The point of the rule is that a towel can put soil back onto a surface you just sanitized. A towel also stays damp through a shift, and it usually touches more than one thing. Letting the sanitizer drain off and the ware dry in the open avoids both problems.
Your local health department has the final say on how this rule is applied in your kitchen, so ask them if you are unsure about a specific setup.
What “adequate draining” means
The Food Code ties the draining wording to the federal rule for sanitizing solutions used on food-contact surfaces (40 CFR 180.940). In practice this means the sanitizer label matters. Follow its directions for concentration, contact time and whether a rinse is needed, then let the item drain in a rack or on a drainboard.
If you wash by hand, the drying space comes right after the sanitize bowl. A compact drop-in unit such as our 36 in. drop-in commercial kitchen sink has three 10 x 14 x 10 in. bowls in a 36 x 18.5 in. footprint but no drainboards, so plan a separate drainboard, dish table or rack beside it.
Where clean dishes air dry
Section 4-301.13 asks for drainboards, utensil racks or tables large enough for all soiled and cleaned items that may build up during hours of operation. Section 4-903.11 then asks that clean equipment and utensils be stored in a self-draining position that allows air drying, covered or inverted, in a clean, dry place at least 6 inches above the floor.
Setups that do this well:
- A three compartment sink with a drainboard on each side. Our S3C-181812-RL-NF is 90 x 24 in. with three 18 x 18 x 12 in. bowls and drainboards left and right, so dirty ware lands on one side and clean ware drains on the other.
- A clean dish table next to a dish machine. The Prepline PCDT-48L is 48 x 30 in. in 16 gauge 304 stainless, and clean racks come out onto it to drain and air dry.
- A tubular wall shelf over the drying area. Our tubular shelves let air and water pass through the tubes; one version uses 1 5/8 in. 16 gauge tubing in 22, 42 and 62 in. lengths, and another is 18 in. deep in 48 or 60 in. lengths. See our glass and dish racks.
- An underbar drainboard at the bar. Ours has a corrugated 20 gauge 304 stainless top and comes in ten sizes from 18 x 12 to 22 x 48 in.
Common mistakes
- Wiping glasses dry with the bar towel at the end of the night.
- Stacking wet plates or nesting wet pans, which keeps water trapped and is not a self-draining position.
- Setting clean ware on a towel spread over the counter instead of a rack or drainboard.
- Putting ware away wet in a closed cabinet.
- Running out of drying space at the busiest hour, which is when people reach for a towel.
When a cloth is allowed
Two cloth uses are separate from drying. First, ware that has already air dried may be polished with a clean, dry cloth, which is how many restaurants finish glasses and flatware. Second, section 3-304.14 covers wiping cloths: cloths used for wiping food spills from tableware during service must be kept dry and used for nothing else, while cloths for wiping counters and equipment are held in sanitizer solution between uses.
What to buy
- A three compartment sink with drainboards on both sides, or a drainboard or dish table next to a drop-in sink.
- A clean dish table sized for the racks that come off your dish machine.
- Tubular wall shelves or racks for pans, containers and glasses to finish drying.
- Underbar drainboards at each bar station.
Freight to the 48 contiguous states is included in the price on every product page.