The beans must be washed with clean water as soon as fermentation is completed, otherwise unwelcome bacteria begin to affect the taste and smell of the beans.

The parchment is washed 3-4 times in water. Many washing stations do not have a clean piped water source, and the water has to be carried from a stream or river.

There is a risk of pollution that has to be guarded against: the wastewater (honey water) is transferred to a pool where it is filtered into the ground to prevent pollution of streams and rivers. See the section on waste.

The next stage of processing is drying the washed parchment coffee.