To prevent breakage and damage of tableware during a washing process and put no restrictions on the use for lacquer ware, pottery or tableware made of a synthetic resin by loading a special purpose pallet pith tableware by each classification depending on the material quality of tableware to perform each washing process.

Used tableware is transfer-loaded from a truck 12 as it is on a personal tray 13 onto a sorting table 1, and the trays 13 are sequentially moved to load a predetermined special purpose pallet 3 of the special purpose pallets 3 with the tableware in order while being sorted. After that, the pallet 3 is soaked automatically in a preliminary soaking tank 4 to perform a soaking preliminary washing process, and the special purpose pallet 3 is transfer-loaded on a washing conveyer 5 to be carried in a finishing washing device 6. In the finishing washing device 6, a detergent jet washing process, a hot-water jet washing process and a rinsing agent jet washing process are performed, the special purpose pallet 3 is transfer-loaded onto a piling and sorting conveyer 7 and further transfer-loaded on a piling sorting table 8 to pile the tableware by sorts in a storage box by hand.