• Hygienic internal cleaning of tall vessels made from glass and plastic

• 16 bottles plus mixed crockery in every cycle

Hygiene is a key priority at the De Medemens St. Bavo retirement home in Antwerp, Belgium. At the same time, staff are keen to involve the residents in the day-to-day routine at the home. At the heart of each residential group is the kitchen, where help is always welcome – when emptying the dishwasher, for example. The machine is very similar to the sort of appliance that many of the residents will know from home, but this one can do more and is suitable for cleaning reusable bottles. Miele Professional has developed a special lower basket for this purpose, which can be inserted in just a few steps.

The manager of the home decided to stop buying in crates of bottled water some time ago and switched over completely to reusable bottles, which the staff fill with filtered water in the kitchens. Residents who find glass bottles too heavy can use plastic ones instead – no problem at all for the commercial MasterLine dishwashers from Miele Professional. Each machine can be equipped with a lower basket which holds 16 bottles and enables them to be cleaned thoroughly inside and out. Injector nozzles ensure that the water gets through the narrow bottlenecks and reaches the bottom of each bottle. “It even cleans the tricky areas that can’t be reached by hand,” says Cathi Bartsch, one of the nurses at the home. At the same time, the top level provides space for cutlery and mixed crockery such as glasses, cups and small plates.

“Miele really thinks things through,” explains Koen Lambrechts, who runs the home. In order to ensure compliance with all relevant hygiene regulations while also making work easier for the staff, it was clear to him that it was worth investing in modern technology. The APFD 210 lower basket from Miele Professional can be inserted in next to no time, allowing larger crockery or pans to be washed in the same machine – and under particularly hygienic conditions, as machines of this type supply fresh water after every wash phase. Within a short space of time, bottles and other vessels with a maximum height of 50 centimetres will be clean and ready for use again.

The new system has proven its worth to the De Medemens team. “We no longer have to get crates of bottled water delivered and hand them out to everyone in the home,” says Koen Lambrechts. Not only does this make things easier for the nursing staff, it also relieves the management of logistical tasks such as calculating quantities and placing regular orders. And last but not least, the lack of water deliveries is good for the environment as it cuts down on transport and the associated CO2 consumption.

Company profile: Miele is recognised as the world's leading supplier of Premium domestic appliances, with an inspiring portfolio for the kitchen, laundry and floor care. The company also offers machines, systems and services for use in hotels, offices, care and medical technology. Since its foundation in 1899, Miele has lived up to its brand promise of "Immer Besser" in terms of quality, innovation, performance and timeless elegance. With its durable and energy-saving appliances, Miele helps its customers to make their everyday lives as sustainable as possible. The company is still owned by the two founding families Miele and Zinkann and has 15 production plants, eight of which are in Germany. Around 22,700 people work for Miele worldwide and the company's most recent turnover was 4,96 billion Euro. The company has its headquarters in Gütersloh in Westphalia.