Or Should I Dishwash...?

September 20, 2015 3:52 PM

In my still desperate quest for gainful employment, this is an another option I am pondering... Once again, I have absolutely zero experience here. Tell me about the life of a dishwasher!

I had recently made a post asking about trying to get a job as a barback...so far I've had no success. In the meantime I desperately need a steady income. Often, including here on metafilter, it has been suggested that I could get a job as a dishwasher. But I have always been scared off because I have no idea what the job entails or if I could do it. As I have said before, I have no experience at all in the service industry.
Basically I don't know how it's done. By hand? Machines? I feel so stupid that I don't know...
Also I'm scared that break the dishes or not get them clean enough.

I see many, MANY ads for this position, so I know the jobs are out there. They almost always indicate that previous experience is required. Since I have none, how do I deal with this?

A few more questions:
1. Can one make a decent living doing this? Not that I have a choice, at this point I'm a beggar, not a chooser. But it would be reassuring to know that I would be able to live a reasonably normal life
instead of the miserable poverty I have now.
2. Is there any chance for advancement? Could I first get a job as a dishwasher and work my way up to barback?
3. And again, I'm worried about my age. I'm always worried about that...I tend to think why hire some 42 year old loser who obviously never made it in life when you get your choice of bright and energetic younger people. It's a sad, bad attitude and I hate it, but I can't shake it.

So should I try this? Nothing else is working. I'm living way below the poverty line and my life is on hold. My confidence in myself is so shaken and I'm losing self-worth daily...I really need a win here.

posted by Soap D. Spencer to Work & Money (25 answers total)

It sounds to me like you have not a whole lot to lose here. I would try it.
I have been a dishwasher before, and it's not that hard; if you pay attention to what you're doing, you're already ahead of the game. And you may get free food on the job. The days may be long, but you won't be alone. Try to be a good co-worker; be friendly and helpful.
Where I live, dishwashers wear their own clothes plus Swedish clogs. These are good for long days on your feet, don't get wet or dirty easily, and keep your feet dry if there is water on the floor. I don't know if that is common where you are.

f they're being difficult about your lack of experience, offer them a try-out night for free. Just the one, mind you. Do your best, and see what happens.
There will probably a machine; listen closely when they explain how it works. It's okay that you don't know; just say 'I'm not familiar with the way things are done around here, and I'd like to avoid making mistakes.' Then do as you're told.

Don't worry about your age. They're either going to hire you or not. Nothing worse than that will happen, so again, you are not going to lose anything. If you come across as motivated, reliable and sensible, you're going to make a good impression. The most important thing is showing up when you say you're going to show up.

I'm sorry, I can't answer your other questions. All I know is that it's usually easier to get from one job to another, than from no job to a job. In that sense, you will always have better chances of advancement than you do now.

Good luck!
posted by Too-Ticky at 4:17 PM on September 20, 2015 [2 favorites]

I worked as a dishwasher for a little while. I wasn't crazy about it and was thrilled when I got to do food prep instead, but it sure beats living below the poverty line. In my experience (limited), nobody cared about age or experience, only your ability to show up and do the job. You don't get a lot of downtime but the work isn't terrible and the dishes do get clean, especially with those giant industrial dishwashers. If your job doesn't come with shoes, buy non-skid ones (you can get them at hospital supply stores) because everything gets wet.
posted by thetortoise at 4:21 PM on September 20, 2015 [1 favorite]

There are decent YouTube videos about commercial dishwashing machines that might assuage some of your fears. It's mostly about being able to load and stack racks, although obviously the specifics are going to depend on the particular restaurant.
posted by bcwinters at 4:22 PM on September 20, 2015

So should I try this?

Yes.
I was unemployed and living with my elderly parent in my home town for awhile in my early 40s. I schlepped my resume around the town and got a job as a dishwasher in a small cafe. With three weeks I was kitchen-handing on weekends and waiting on some week nights.

In other words, the only thing holding you back is your fear of failing. I get this, I really do. But the truth is, the only failure is in not trying. So try it. What's the worst that could happen?

Washing dishes is not easy work - it's hot, messy, and fast. But that's what makes it kinda fun. It is also VERY EASY TO LEARN.
posted by Thella at 4:23 PM on September 20, 2015 [6 favorites]

Dishwashing in restaurants, cafeterias etc. is mostly done with equipment that combines manual and machine washing to get stuff done as quickly as possible. It's hot and sticky and fairly physically tiring, but it's not highly skilled work and they can train you to do it.

As far as actually getting the jobs goes, it's luck and determination that count. No one will think you're a loser for applying for a useful job at the age of 42, or that you're not going to have the energy for it. To be honest, from my experience in the catering/bar sector, you sound like a good age. 30-50 is the sweet spot for actually getting work done, I reckon. Common (and often unfair) stereotypes are that younger people will have hangovers and older people will coast.

Just keep applying for things, even if you don't think you have the experience. No one is going to hold it against you.

And listen...I've been where you are in your life right now. It's fucking horrible. But it doesn't make you a loser and it doesn't make you a failure. You're clearly intelligent and engaging, and the work situation will get better. No one who isn't a total fucking knobhead will judge you for not having much money right now.
posted by howfar at 4:26 PM on September 20, 2015 [6 favorites]

I see no reason not to at least try. If it can get you to a point where you can afford to live, you can always start applying to different things once you are in less dire straits. Unless you have some health issue that prevents being able to wash dishes, I am certain you have the capability to do it, even if it's not easy + is stressful.
posted by hejrat at 4:28 PM on September 20, 2015

From this link: it seems like it would land you around your target of $2000/month you mentioned in your previous post.

http://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Dishwasher/Hourly_Rate
posted by hejrat at 4:31 PM on September 20, 2015

I'll chime in saying that when I was a dishwasher, I was offered a chance to learn kitchen prep or waiting tables (my choice) after not that long of working there. (Weirdly, what I ended up doing was their record keeping of suppliers.) So I think it's fairly common that if they like your ability to work, they will be happy to train you upwards as they need those jobs done. I was able to put most things in the dishwasher: the types I'm familiar with, you load trays (which are separate from the dishwasher and you can have any number of), and put them through the dishwasher. Some things you'll wash by hand (bacon trays, I remember, just needed a ton of hand scrubbing), and things like wine glasses will need some hand drying to remove all drying spots. The pay was minimum wage, but I always got a free meal every shift I worked, even four hour ones. I'd recommend doing it and keep sending out resumes for anything else that pays better or you would like better.
posted by Margalo Epps at 4:35 PM on September 20, 2015 [2 favorites]

There is usually a sprayer to spray off most of the food. I wouldn't pick an Italian restaurant because I picture a lot of baked on cheese...You'd have to scrub some stuff but mostly it just goes in the machine. The most important thing is to be efficient and organized, keep up with the silverware. You'll probably have to sweep and mop some too, not hard though, think of it as your exercise for the day! Where I work the dishwasher eats very well. If you get hired in a restaurant where there is a lot of yelling and disrespect quit and find another job. Age is really not a problem as long as you are physically able to handle the job. Once you learn the job and get really good at it, prep cook is the next step, then maybe cook, or busboy if you want to work front of the house. Restaurants can be crazy and hard work, but also a lot of fun.
posted by starfish at 4:50 PM on September 20, 2015

I enjoyed washing dishes. It's been awhile, but it was fun to figure out the systems and upward mobility was a given, either pointing to food prep or serving. The place I worked had soaking tubs for the pans, a spray rig for the dishes and several styles of racks for cookie sheets, pans/baking dishes, serving plates, glasses and silverware. A few suggestions... 1) ask the staff what runs out and pay attention; it'll be silverware and easily breakable stemware. Avoid slamming ice-filled glasses into hot water; they'll break. 3) Try to mop whenever you have a spare moment to keep the floor from getting too gross and wet; it's a tripping hazard. 4) Wear gloves. 5) Adjust your skincare and haircare regimes as needed given the good (steam) and bad (grease) it will be exposed to. 6) If they offer you a uniform or jump suit, take it; your clothes will get destroyed. 7) Invest in good shoes (clogs with rubber soles or maybe Crocs) as soon as possible to avoid slipping. These shoes will be disgusting very soon.

Or should I dishwash? posted by Soap D. Spencer - Eponysterical
posted by carmicha at 4:58 PM on September 20, 2015 [2 favorites]

I was a dishwasher in my teens. Hot, sticky, tiring until your body is use to the work and being in your feet all the time. Not at all difficult. You soon realise what will not come off easily and needs scrubbing. Key was to realise that the machine should always be running, ie the next tray of dishes is prepped before the previous cycle is done. And you soon learn how to do that. Atleast that was key where I was. Just go for it and see how it goes.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:00 PM on September 20, 2015 [2 favorites]

Go for it!

I've worked in hospitality for around ten years. I was a barista at a particular cafe/restaurant for a year or so when they suddenly needed a new dish pig, so I picked up some extra shifts doing that for a few months. I'd never done dishes at work before but I found that it was something that you can pick up pretty quickly.

I've seen a lot of dishwashing stations and they were all very similar. Here's an example I found in Google: dish washing station. The station is designed so that you can slide the commercial dish rack over the sink, hose it down, slide it into the dishwasher, and then slide it out the other side. The hose and washer are usually sufficient for cleaning cups, plates etc. Pots and pans will need to be scrubbed first, but you usually have access to really good gloves, very effective scourers etc, so that's easier than you'd think.

It's hard work and you will get messy, but I found something really satisfying in working my way through a mountain of dishes. And I think there is definitely the possibility that you could work your way up, because by working there you can prove that you're reliable and a hard worker. And you'll hear directly of any openings.

Good luck!
posted by kinddieserzeit at 5:01 PM on September 20, 2015

Also, just wanted to add, hugs to you. Any job you get will feel better than the emotional beat-down you're going through right now. Honestly, reading your question, I can't help thinking what a great coworker you'd make, especially in the service industry where steadfastness is everything. A 42-year-old who is this keen to work as a dishwasher and as practical as your questions reveal is somebody who is motivated and not stuck up on themselves and is down to earth. Someone will notice that you make the ideal employee and give you that job. Good luck.
posted by thetortoise at 5:02 PM on September 20, 2015 [5 favorites]

It's hot, wet, dirty work that I wouldn't recommend if you faint easily.
posted by bq at 5:10 PM on September 20, 2015

I would go for it. My only experience is in the industrial kitchen of a camp/dormitory place (for girl & boy scouts) and the adults had to take turns doing various chores too. I had no training, I just had to follow along with the others but it was fine, you can pick it up quickly and it is pretty fun and quite satisfying turning a billion piles of dirty dishes into shiny hot clean dishes. It's one of those menial jobs that makes sense and gives you the satisfaction of a job well done.

And I totally agree with thetortoise. Your age won't matter and you'll be highly valued as a good co-worker. In jobs like this being reliable, steady and getting along with everyone is worth so much. I don't want to generalise as there are a tonne of hardworking young'uns but in my experience in a service environment, the energy of youth is often offset by a tendency to drop everything in search of fun. When spring sprung we tended to lose our students to the beach (amazing how many people get sick suddenly on the first nice day in months and return from their terrible colds with a nice tan) while the adults looked beyond the nice day to the longer term value of being a reliable worker. Being reliable and offering to take extra shifts as they come up goes a long way to making you the person people want to roster and then promote.

All the best to you. It sounds like things have been really tough and I hope this works out for you.
posted by kitten magic at 5:53 PM on September 20, 2015

I think your age might be of benefit. Being more mature, you will put more importance on showing up on time and focus on doing the job. In the restaurant industry, that is of high value, as turnover is huge, and a huge pain in the butt for managers and other staff. I'm guessing the job will be easy to get, and if you are timely, show up, and get along with others, advancement will be available to you.
posted by Vaike at 7:26 PM on September 20, 2015

If you can show up on time you run good odds of being promoted. If you can show up on time and speak English you run good odds of landing a front of house job; you can dishpig (as it is sometimes called) and run with that all the way to tending bar.

Years ago I had friends and roommates who started out in the restaurant industry this way; some were roommates. (Women started as hostesses or busgirls.) You come home tired and dirty but sometimes with a big pail of the leftover soup of the day -- for a while, I worked in a bagel-themed restaurant and my roommate worked at a place with a cream of X soup daily, and that bagel-and-cream-of combo still brings me back; we lived off what we brought home from work. We ate other meals at work and were kind of too tired to think of cooking, so the ever-present soups and bagels were not as monotonous as they sound, and living on low wages and not having to buy much besides coffee and beer works out nicely.

Once you are in the restaurant industry you tend to make a lot of friends with others in the industry (in part because these are the only people with similar weird hours, in part because of tendencies to take advantage of proximity to booze) and this opens up a new world of being able to hop from one restaurant to another because you hear about openings before anybody scanning the ads. Don't be fussy about what restaurant you fetch up at; just get in.

I had the best luck showing up in between lunch and dinner and asking to talk to the manager; it can take a bit of shoe leather to find the right place on the right day.
posted by kmennie at 7:51 PM on September 20, 2015 [1 favorite]

Long days on your feet, you basically don't stop moving, and you'll likely have cleaning duties on top of actual washing of dishes. And a lot of places will pay dishwashers under the table, which can help in a cash crunch.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:42 PM on September 20, 2015

I'll ask around and see if anyone's hiring--if not, Craigslist is your go-to. Might also be able to pick up gigs being a cater waiter, depending.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:43 PM on September 20, 2015

I've worked a bunch of jobs like dishwashing and have done some dishwashing myself. You'll have things figured out largely by your second day. Ask the other dishwashers what they've discerned in terms of optimal ways to go about the job. At worse you'll flatter them by suggesting they have some expertise. At best, and more likely, you'll get some handy tips.

So, go for it! It'll give you some income while you plan your next move, and may allow some room for advancement to waitstaff or kitchen help. Good luck!!!
posted by persona au gratin at 12:04 AM on September 21, 2015

If this thread wasn't enough, try "Dishwasher: One Man's Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States" by Pete Jordan.
posted by aniola at 12:53 AM on September 21, 2015

It's hot, steamy, wet work. You're lowest on the totem pole in the restaurant. When a rush hits -- and rushes hit, they can be like rogue waves -- in a rush you will not stop moving, wait staff will be in looking for glasses or plates or whatever it is and you're over there in your zen-like state of whirling the trays of dirty dishes into and removing them from and stacking the trays where the wait staff waits on you. The dishes will be steaming hot when they come out of the machine. If I recall correctly, the wait staff bussed the tables and brought everything in to me.

After two weeks you know everyone and you eat whatever you want -- we'd make these absolutely killer roast beef sandwiches, I want one right now. I ended up a cook, and that was fun, though I was all the time burned. You learn to pick up two eggs in each hand and crack them into hot grease -- that was cool. I couldn't do it today unless I went back behind the line for a few weeks. I was not a chef, for sure, a cook in a place that was maybe like a Denny's, maybe a bit higher on the chain than a Denny's but that was the basic idea, like a Denny's that also served some nicer food, too. Lots of people eating eggs and coffee all hours. The restaurant I was in was not 24 hours, it was not a chain, it closed at 11, I was gone at midnight or earlier.

I did it in high school, after a fall on a construction site kept me sidelined till the summer. I think it's comical that they are asking for experience as a dishwasher. You'll know all you need to know by the end of your first shift.
posted by dancestoblue at 5:24 AM on September 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I'm worried about my age.

Your age is a strength. In my experience most managers see people your age as a chance to have a mature, responsible person work for them; as opposed to younger people who are more likely to flake out or just may not have lived long enough to develop common sense.

Most managers I have met in the service industry know lots of people in the course of their careers and tend to not make assumptions about people's past or whether they are "losers" or not.

And please add me to the chorus of people saying you aren't a loser. Being unemployed can be horrible because it makes you hyper aware of all your perceived shortcomings. Remember to be kind to yourself and tell your inner voice to calm down. "Loser" is such a horrible word and we all use it so easily. You are not a loser.
posted by Tarumba at 9:32 AM on September 21, 2015 [2 favorites]

I just wanted to back up the blunt but true "And listen...I've been where you are in your life right now. It's fucking horrible. But it doesn't make you a loser and it doesn't make you a failure. You're clearly intelligent and engaging, and the work situation will get better. No one who isn't a total fucking knobhead will judge you for not having much money right now."

Only thing I'd recommend is to lose the "I'm a loser" attitude, and I know it's easier said than done, but the difference between success and failure often comes down to confidence - go in there with an attitude to make friends and see what interesting work you can move on to once you've impressed everyone.
posted by DancingYear at 1:23 PM on September 21, 2015

I worked at a restaurant in front-of-house for ages, and we had a series of terrible horrible teenage dishwashers who failed to show up for work constantly and it was just a constant struggle.

And then we hired this 40ish year old guy who was always there on time and if we were busy would quickly change aprons and help the servers clear off tables and did other helpful things around the place when he saw they needed to be done. And the boss started paying him more because it was nice to have someone who actually showed up sober and on time for shifts. Then all of us added in extra tips for him too because it's helpful to have someone around who isn't terrible, because it's actually a really important position to help everything else run smoothly. It really screws up the flow of things when the kitchen is out of ramekins and you have to pull a manager or waitress to catch up dishes. Then he started doing our prep and expo instead and we went back to terrible teenagers who didn't show up. Such is life I guess.

It's hot work, and wet, and messy, but working in a restaurant is often fun and social. I've worked at a few smaller restaurants where dishes were done by whoever could manage the time, and I don't think it's particularly skilled work, you just spray em off, stack em and send them through the machine. If you're fast and focused you'll do fine.

this varies by restaurant, but there's a chance you'll get a free meal out of this job each shift too.
posted by euphoria066 at 4:06 PM on September 21, 2015 [2 favorites]