Washing dishes isn’t the most lucrative job in the world. The average dishwasher only brings in about $19,000 per year.
But working as a dishwasher is one of the most important jobs in any restaurant. Without dishwashers, restaurants wouldn’t be able to continue serving food to their customers, especially during the busier times of the day.
It’s also easy to break into the restaurant business as a professional dishwasher since restaurants are always looking for reliable people to wash dishes for them. It can help you learn a lot about the industry so that you can work your way up the ranks.
If you’re interested in giving it a go as a professional dishwasher, there are some steps you’ll have to take first to land a job. Check out how to go about becoming a professional dishwasher below.
Learn About the Duties That Come With Being a Professional Dishwasher
Before you decide that you want to become a professional dishwasher, it’s important for you to learn about all the different duties that you’ll need to take on when you’re on the clock.
As a dishwasher, you will, of course, be responsible for washing pots, pans, plates, bowls, cups, mugs, utensils, and so much more inside the kitchen of a restaurant. It’ll be up to you to make these things sparkle by the time you’re done washing them.
But that might not be all you’re asked to do. Many dishwashers also:
- Keep kitchen floors clean
- Sort waste and recyclable items
- Restock the kitchen
- Clear off tables
Are you up for the challenge of doing all these things during a typical shift?
If you’re not, dishwashing might not be the right career for you. But if you are, you’re going to be an invaluable resource at whichever restaurant chooses to hire you.
Find Out Which Tools You’ll Need to Use to Get Dishes Clean
To get all the dishes in a restaurant clean, you’re going to need to use more than just hot water and dish soap. You’re also going to need to arm yourself with a bunch of different tools.
For example, you’re going to have to use things like:
- Scrub brushes
- Scrubbing pads
- Steel wool
- Plastic scrapers
You’re probably at least a little bit familiar with most of these tools. But there are some great new gadgets like the kisskleen glass washer that have popped up on the scene in recent years.
It’s good to know about these tools, too, since they can help you clean specific types of dishes faster and better than you would be able to otherwise.
Practice the Proper Techniques for Washing Dishes
When you’re working as a professional dishwasher, you’re going to have tons of dishes thrown at you at once. You’ll have to use the proper techniques when cleaning them to work your way through dishes fast.
Generally speaking, you should take this approach to wash ordinary dishes:
- Fill your sink with hot water and a few drops of dishwashing soap
- Remove food particles from your dishes by scraping them into a trash can
- Place your dishes underwater and clean them with a sponge, working your way from the least dirty dishes to the dirtiest ones
- Rinse your dishes off with hot water to get them 100% clean
You should also learn how to clean larger pots and pans and dishes that have caked-on food stuck on them.
Bottom line: You should be able to get almost any dish clean in a matter of just a few moments once you get the right techniques down.
Improve Upon the Skills You’ll Have to Use to Be a Great Dishwasher
Some people think that the only thing you need to be able to do to work as a professional dishwasher is wash dishes. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Those who wash dishes for a living need to have a long list of skills that help them to do their job. For example, their time management skills have to be off the charts for them to wash dishes as quickly as they’ll be asked to do it.
Professional dishwashers also have to be:
- Excellent listeners
- Very organized
- Team players
- Critical thinkers
- Detail-oriented
- Flexible
Be mindful of the fact that you’ll need to have these skills to work as a professional dishwasher, and work to improve them over time. You’ll be so much better at your job when you have these skills in your back pocket.
Look for Places Interested in Hiring Dishwashers
At this point, you should be well on your way to becoming a professional dishwasher. The only thing left to do will be to find a place that’s hiring right now.
Look around online for dishwashing jobs in your area and apply for the ones that look the most appealing to you. Market yourself to potential employers by playing up the skills you have and by providing them with information on any experience you might have in the industry.
With a little luck, you should start hearing back from restaurants that are interested in hiring you in no time. Make a great first impression on them by arriving on time for your interview and show them that you have what it takes to work for them.
Use These Tips to Become a Professional Dishwasher Today
As we mentioned earlier, you’re not going to get rich overnight working as a professional dishwasher. But you are going to put yourself right in the middle of all the action inside of a restaurant.
Use the tips found here to develop the skills you’ll need to work as a dishwasher. With a little bit of effort on your part, you can make yourself an attractive candidate to any restaurant searching for help.
You can also jump on the fast track to success if you do a wonderful job while working as a dishwasher. You’ll put yourself in a position to take on other jobs within the restaurant industry in just a few years.
Check out our blog for more tips on landing jobs and making advancements in your career of choice.
