Systems and/or methods for the monitoring and/or control of thermal sanitization in automated cleaning machines are described. A cleaning machine controller may predict a number of heat unit equivalents that will be delivered during a cleaning process based on a sump temperature difference (i.e., a change in the temperature of the cleaning solution in the sump) experienced at or near the beginning of the cleaning process. One or more cleaning process parameters may be adjusted and/or controlled based on the sump temperature difference in order to ensure that a target number of heat unit equivalents are delivered in order to achieve thermal sanitization of the wares subjected to the cleaning process.

A dishwasher including a tub forming a washing chamber; a drying device disposed outside of the tub and including an inlet through which air from the washing chamber is introduceable, a flow channel in which air from the washing chamber introduced through the inlet flows, a fan that is operable to cause air from the washing chamber to be introduced through the inlet to flow in the flow channel, a heater in the flow channel to heat air in the flow channel, an outlet through which air in the flow channel is discharged to the washing chamber, and a temperature sensor between the heater and the outlet; and at least one processor configured to operate the fan based on a start of a drying cycle and to determine an initial operation time point of the heater during the drying cycle based on temperature detected by the temperature sensor.