A control unit may automatically enable and/or disable a washing apparatus based on processing of an image of wares to be washed by the washing apparatus. In one example, a system includes a camera configured to capture an image of one or more wares to be washed by a washing apparatus, a computer-readable medium comprising a plurality of item profiles, each of the item profiles comprising a visual signature and one or more wash cycle characteristics, and a control unit configured to retrieve the image, detect one of the visual signatures of the plurality of item profiles in the image, select the one of the item profiles corresponding to the detected visual signature, enable the washing apparatus, and automatically disable the washing apparatus after the ware is determined to be clean in accordance with the selected one of the item profiles.