What do you enjoy most about your dishwasher career?

What do you enjoy most about being a dishwasher? What do you dislike the most? Is it challenging? Are there many opportunities to learn and advance?

What keeps you at your job?

i hate washing forks and knifes its long

joanna in Lachute, Quebec said: i hate washing forks and knifes its long

No doubt, silverware is an absolute pain in the ass

I've been washing dishes for 3 years now, and the thing I'd have to say I love the most is... being able to go upstairs and get crap faced every day so WASHING DISHES is actually fun! What do I dislike the most...? Uhhh.. washing SILVERWARE and running clean plates over to the cook every 15 minutes because his lazy ass can't do it himself. I stay at my job because I get free alcohol, I can skate on my breaks, and I get paid almost 400 dollars every week.. couldn't ask for much more while only washing dishes.

I work as a Dishwasher, and I think that silverware and serving plates are the easiest things to clean. It's those huge pots and pans, with God-knows-what glued onto them, that are a pain in the butt to clean. What do I like? Putting the clean dishes away. Knowing that, at least for another 5 minutes, I won't see it again. :D Plus, I get good pay for doing a simple chore.

i really dont giv a shii bout washing dishes, wat gets me through the day is thinkin that my bro is in iraq and washing dishes is nothing compared 2 that...also theres a lot of hot waitresses where i work at, so i get sumthin 2 look4 ward 2 at work...also, i get 2 hav a few brewskies from time 2 time, which gives me energy and i go through like 1million dishes in like an hour...the staff is iight, and i get free food...also i get paid really well and i dont hav 2 dress up or nething...thers a lot more reasons im sure other fellow dishwashers know them...

Stewart in Nashville, Tennessee said: I play God with eating utencils. I take them when they are at their lowest dirty state, and i blast them with happy steamy water and make them shimmer and whole again. They become usable, and i am responsible. I hate ramicans.

So you're not so much a dishwasher as you are a redeemer of dirty dishes. Not a missionary, certainly. The dishes have to come to YOU, and they have to want to be saved.

I like being a dishwashers at times cause i get to go at my pace an stay busy. But there are waitresses that throw there crap "dishes an stuff" on top of the rack that im loading that pisses me off an they know it. Or they come in with 1 cup with ice water in it an hand it to me instead of throwing the water away in the sink. There is alot of bs at my job. I hate doing silverware because when its time to sort it all out my dishwashing table is stacked with crap. None of the waitresses have the skill to clean there plates off witch helps me out. But they love me so i stay an put up with it. Plus i get to hear all the drama like getting little or no tips to 14 teeniboppers making a mess and they expect great service an in the end the check is $150 an leave a $12 tip.

I hate washing dishes. The waitresses abandoned all of their responsibilities, so now I'm the one returning all cups that they need, mopping the front area (normally a wait-staff job, but they leave early now), and sometimes also polishing, sorting, and wrapping silverware. Plus, sometimes my boss decides that I need to bus tables, because we are that busy. Problem is, when we are that busy, I have to time to bus, because I work alone! And the cooks have me do prep even when we are really busy so that the dirty dishes pile up and I am forced to contribute to the mess. They also lack the ability to get anything for themselves. Not just that, but the restaurant work at doesn't hire a janitor, so it's also my job to take out all trashes, crush and recycle everything, and clean anything else they ask. The waitresses don't even clean off their plates.

Mathematically speaking, I do way more work than anyone. Our store seats 50. There are 4 Waitresses at any given point, meaning that they all serve 17.5 people on average. There are also around 4 cooks, putting it at 17.5 again. There's only one of me. 50 plates of entres, plus 6 plates per appetizer, and drinks. Add that to whatever the kitchen uses to make the food (they are damn sloppy), and you've got 50people+5kitchen I have to clean up for.

That sounds bad enough, but after telling me that I could have about 25-30 hours/week (or at least saying "I'll do what I can"), my boss gives me 8 Freaking hours/week! She said that she has to take into consideration the people who have families to support. The guy who gets 5 days a week of work lives with his mom. I am trying to pay for an apartment.

I've also had to inform my employer of illegal policies before. They were going to make it so if you didn't clock in, you wouldn't get paid. When I told them that was illegal, they changed it to if you don't clock in you WILL be paid, but also fired.

The good: I eat one meal per shift for free. Good food.

I'm hate myjob recently but I must work for life! I hope another day after better today.. Thanks

I want to work dishwasher job, and i know working at a normal restaurant is nothing compared to cleaning dishes at the golf course when they had the du maurier classic for the lpga tour.

I feel like I'm being taken advantage of. I am a waitress and I am paid $2.50 an hour. Along with serving customers, and some food prep, I am expected to wash all of the dishes, pots and pans etc. I take out all of the trash and vacuum and sweep and mop. Some days there are very few customers. Yesterday I made $22 dollars in tips and did all of the other work I just mentioned. It does'nt seem right. I've never heard of a restaurant where the waitresses do all of that and still get paid $2.50 an hour. Am I a fool?

Sheila, if your tips do not bring you up to the minimum wage your employer MUST make up the difference. I think it is complete BS how restaurants pay their staff with this below min wage crap and then have customers make up for it with tips.

Fred, are you sure they are responsible to make up the difference?I made $22 in tips for 5 hours and that brings me far below the minimum wage. They keep saying business is too slow to hire a dishwasher but I just can't believe how much work the waitresses have to do for such little pay! It seems illegal.

Host said: What do you enjoy most about being a dishwasher? What do you dislike the most? Is it challenging? Are there many opportunities to learn and advance?

What keeps you at your job?

I like to put dish inside the dishwasher and I loved to play with the button

cheers sina sulusulu

ya ramkins suck u gotta spray em out good

oh ya wow! I would never believe in a million years that there was a forum 4 dishwashers...

NEGITIVES....

Dish washing, Long days, Wet, tired and sore.
Cold water, leaky faucets. No water pressure. A plastic sprayer that leaks water on your shirt. Servers who can't stack plates. Scrubbing crusted flour, Running silverware, cutting yourself with knives. Screaming hostile co-workers. Shiiti Minimum wage.... No tips. When it appears you do the most work.

Postives

Working completly hammer'd and stoned. Holding an occupation.

Yea, I have had a dishwashing job for 3 days now.
I make minimum wage and work from 5pm to 10:30pm.
I like the job because the other people that work with my are cool people. The things that tend to get annoying are probably the cooks cutting meat right next to where I wash dishes... or when a little girl wanders passed the ladies room into the room im in and I have to take her to her family. Yep, that ones annoying -.-

Anyone know where I can land a dishwashing gig?

hahah soo f***ing true!

I HATE BEING A DISHWASHER HOW CAN ANYONE ENJOY IT?!?!?!?!

anybody work at a restaurant where they serve ribs on those metal plates with the bbq sauce burnt on so you have to soak it in scalding hot water just to have to waste 10 minutes chipping it away with a fork?

i hate that.

Host said: What do you enjoy most about being a dishwasher? What do you dislike the most? Is it challenging? Are there many opportunities to learn and advance?

What keeps you at your job?

I sort of like being the dirty monster who goes to war with the dishes. If I had to do it sober, I'd probably quit, but luckily I go to work completely stoned *every* shift. And the bonus is I'm pretty sure everybody in the banquet hall knows I'm a total pothead, but they keep their mouths shut because I can kick some dish-ass. And whoever said ramicans suck is completely right. But the word ramican is awesome. I like saying it.

Sheila in Southampton, Pennsylvania said: I feel like I'm being taken advantage of. I am a waitress and I am paid $2.50 an hour. Along with serving customers, and some food prep, I am expected to wash all of the dishes, pots and pans etc. I take out all of the trash and vacuum and sweep and mop. Some days there are very few customers. Yesterday I made $22 dollars in tips and did all of the other work I just mentioned. It does'nt seem right. I've never heard of a restaurant where the waitresses do all of that and still get paid $2.50 an hour. Am I a fool?

um yes your a fool you should be getting paid atleast min-wage...

i am very interested to work dish washer

Joe in Ottawa, Ontario said: I HATE BEING A DISHWASHER HOW CAN ANYONE ENJOY IT?!?!?!?!

Joe in Ottawa, Ontario said: I HATE BEING A DISHWASHER HOW CAN ANYONE ENJOY IT?!?!?!?!

Kyle in Tallahassee, Florida said: I've been washing dishes for 3 years now, and the thing I'd have to say I love the most is... being able to go upstairs and get crap faced every day so WASHING DISHES is actually fun! What do I dislike the most...? Uhhh.. washing SILVERWARE and running clean plates over to the cook every 15 minutes because his lazy ass can't do it himself. I stay at my job because I get free alcohol, I can skate on my breaks, and I get paid almost 400 dollars every week.. couldn't ask for much more while only washing dishes.

Wow, that is good money.
You can't get that with a Master's degree where I live, no matter what you know how to do.
Plus $800/mo. rent for a ssshole apartment. A dishwasher might make $800/mo if you worked at two places.
Just don't cut yourself or ruin your hands and you have the makings of a career right there.
Yours truly,
Rob M.

QUIT NOW!!
There are better dishwashing jobs out there, believe me!
Just show up at the back door of a good gourmet restaurant on a Saturday night and let them know what you can do.
Good luck!

QUIT NOW YOU ARE BEING USED!!!!

iT ACTUALLY IS LEGAL, SO YOU SHOULD QUIT.
HAVING A GOOD BOSS MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
GO WORK SOMEWHERE THAT APPRECIATES WHAT YOU DO.
GOOD LUCK!
ROB M.

Need Work in Albany, New York said: Anyone know where I can land a dishwashing gig?

I just quit one at the Bri Marie Restaurant in Sayre, PA. Go get that one buddy it's yours.

man in my state, waiters/waitresses make $5.60/hour state minimum waiter/waitress wage. State minimum wage is $8.25

So being a dishwasher for $8.25-9.00/hr cant be that bad can it?

Mary Julia in Osage Beach, Missouri said: Willing to work flexible hrs/ weekends as steward/ busser for $8+/hr. Avilable, mature HELP ME!!!

8.00 huh. geez, set some higher standards for urself. should be making 10 an hour atleast to survive. than again your in the south where the cost of living is low

i work as a dishwasher at a hospital and i fine it pretty eazy its a huge dishwasher the runs on belt and all u do is put dirty dishes in them and the guy on the other side pulls them out farely easy and the pays 15$ da hr

i work as a dishwasher at a hospital and i fine it pretty eazy its a huge dishwasher the runs on belt and all u do is put dirty dishes in them and the guy on the other side pulls them out farely easy and the pays 15$ da hr

Been doing it for a few months. -Its cool because I have benefits, a daily meal, could be high or drunk and show up late without much reprimand. -It sucks working 4pm-1am, dealing with oblivious servers who cant stack like-things together, I hate silverwear, I hate ramicans, I hate finding silverwear in the ramicans and in reverse. I hate random high volume parties and being busy as funk possibly getting carpal tunnel, I hate finding shat hiding because nobody cares if I can see it. I hate the cook's disregard for any order I obviously have for where shat should go. I hate having to shut down, clean/drain the machine out twice a night while still getting dishes piling up. I hate needing to pick up hot pans and scrub them in a hurry to bring them right back to dirty every 25 mins. I hate when my partner wanders off to do the trash and funks off for 10-15 smoking a cigarette (I don't smoke). I hate the cooks pouring liquid in the trash "because it will clog the sink's pipes" because I hate to lift that shat and pray it won't burst. I hate getting steam in the face and grabbing hot dishes with cut fingers because there's only space for 3 racks or the machine turns off. I hate being wet, sore, soaked, burned, sleep deprived and picking up everybody's slack. Funk dishwashing for all that. Otherwise it's just fine.

Dish *itch that is basically what is comes down to bust your ass for little shifts of 5 hours and then screwed on tips and pay. Well others get to stand around and eat food. Then get pissed off as your not going fast enough as they need to close the store soon. Been doing this for a whole two weeks, never again. I hate this job with a passion.

Well dishwashing is not a terrible job but it is a less respectable job, although your to expect that, I enjoy my job because I can keep social with the kitchen staff, they bring stuff to me instead of me going to grab it from the kitchen which makes it easier on me, but although the shift drags on sometimes and you have to be in a groove most of the time if you stop for a minute or several minutes you could end up with more dishes than you would if you kept working 5 hours straight. Sometimes the waiters can be inconsiderate but whatever. I make a fair wage, but I love to work it right now, and it is not a bad job because no one tells me what to do, if something is dirty that I have put out they just bring it back and that is that, they don't put out dishes they feel are dirty so the customers can't complain I only have to maintain my section clean, I don't clean the kitchen that is the chef's jobs.

girum in Seattle, Washington said: i am very interested to work dish washer

trust me you dont want to!!!

Uhh that's what most of us do buddy. I bring everything up as well, take out the trashes, mop my area, sort silverware, etc etc because that's the job. I totally agree that it's hard work but I'm only sixteen (been working a full year) and I don't think it's that bad. And if you're only getting one shift a week try applying somewhere else (smaller???). You already have experience and owners love hiring people they don't have to spend time and money training. Or try learning the kitchen and move up! Or get a different job.

I work as a dishwasher, I get paid 10.25/hour ... theres two other guys that work with me, theres this one dude that tries to make everyone have a bit more fun by singing stupid songs when he walks around xD

Same man, my co workers make it fun! haha

I've been a dishwasher for 2 days and I absolutely HATE IT!! I have to scrub everything with soap and a scrub pad first, and then run it through the dishwasher twice because it doesn't actually clean the plates and crap if I don't. Where I work is secluded and in the back. I love standing there washing dishes for 6 hours without anyone to talk to, it's great! Plus, I have to stack the dishes into plastic crates and put them down in the dishwasher. The crate for the glasses is up high, so I can barely reach it. On my first night, I reached up to get it, dropped it and broke glasses. I was not expecting to have to be able to lift 45 lbs worth of glasses off of a high shelf. Needless to say, my muscles hurt. Another thing that I hate is that I have no air conditioning in the back, so I have to stand in front of a window to cool down. I hate opening the dishwasher to be met by a large cloud of steam when it's 95 degrees out. If anyone wants my job, they can have it. I plan on quitting as soon as I'm offered another one.

im the only dishwasher in a restaurant/best western & banquets gettin over 50 hrs a week i make more than 2 of the managers but i think the key is strong work ethic, respect and havin a good reputation...if u have that evrybody will love u and u will feel alot better at your job nowing u are appreciated. i do 200-300ppl weddings while maintaing regular dining on a seperate floor in the building dining sum nights i challenge any1 here to a dish-off lmao

I'll admit, I never thought that there'd be a forum for us dishwashers. I'm only paid $7.50 an hour so you guys getting paid $10 are lucky. I really like the staff and the managers are all awesome but my God is the work depressing. Theres just so much crap to clean and incompetent servers who can't stack or clean plates piss me off. Closing time is a nightmare because all the various tools and pots/pans that were used throughout the night are thrown at you all at once. Even worse is the incompetence of the other dishwashers. I work at a fair sized restaurant so there's usually 2-4 dishwashers at once. The problem is that they always show up HOURS late or not at all. All of them either quit or get fired because of their stupidity. I'm one of the two original dishwashers there because all of the others left. The new guys we're hiring now don't even last a week and the other vet guy I mentioned might quit also. The good thing is that we get a home-cooked lunch and I occasionally get free food from the chefs. All the the chefs like me and despite my short time working here, I've gained the respect of all the managers. I've only been working here 2 months so when can I ask for a raise?

Anyhow, I'd really like to hear the rest of you guys' stories

dishwashing is by the far the hardest job a teenager can get. Bussers just stand around and work occasionally. Bussers have no heavy lifting, they go home dry, they get to lean on tables/sit down and talk to other co workers, they make tips and are more respected. I know dishwashing is harder than bussing cuz ive done both jobs and i will always regret leaving my bussing job, i lovvvvvvvvvved slacking off and doing nothing. The best part about being a busser is when u see that u got 15 mins of work to do and your pissed, but than turning around and looking at what the dishwasher has to do (all the pots and dishes) it just makes your day.

I am a dishwasher and I work all of my weekend so I dont really have time to go out. I work the longest hours because the chefs leave as soon as there finished and so does the waitress which leaves me with all the pots, pans, plates and everything aswell as the bins to take out, t-towels to wash and dry, dishwasher to take apart and clean and put back together and sweep and mop the floor. I do all this for minimum wage and everyone gets paid tips apart from the dishwashers? How is this fair? Is it against law for potwashers not to be paid tips when the waitresses and chefs are, or is it managers decision? any info would be great :D

MrTaylor in United Kingdom said: I am a dishwasher and I work all of my weekend so I dont really have time to go out. I work the longest hours because the chefs leave as soon as there finished and so does the waitress which leaves me with all the pots, pans, plates and everything aswell as the bins to take out, t-towels to wash and dry, dishwasher to take apart and clean and put back together and sweep and mop the floor. I do all this for minimum wage and everyone gets paid tips apart from the dishwashers? How is this fair? Is it against law for potwashers not to be paid tips when the waitresses and chefs are, or is it managers decision? any info would be great :D

Sorry man but w/ minor exceptions, dishwashers never get paid tip. Like I said, dishwashing is a depressing job and if you can do that, hell, you can do anything. Welcome to the club.