JourneyCareersDishwasher
Global Career Guide (EN)From Cleaning & Facilities β†’

Dishwasher

AI

A dishwasher, or kitchen porter, keeps a kitchen's plates, pots and utensils clean and the workspace tidy so the chefs can keep cooking. It is busy, physical work that is easy to start and suits people who don't mind hard graft and being part of a fast-moving team.

The role

What a dishwasher actually does, day to day.

The job is washing dishes by hand and machine, scrubbing pots and pans, clearing and cleaning surfaces, taking out rubbish and helping with basic prep when needed. Speed, stamina and reliability matter, since the whole kitchen depends on clean equipment coming back fast during a busy service.

The work is hot, wet, on your feet and often includes evenings and weekends, with pay usually around the minimum wage. It can be tiring and repetitive, but it is a genuine way into a kitchen and many chefs started exactly here.

No qualifications are needed and you learn on the job in your first shift. Following basic food hygiene rules is part of the role, and showing willing can lead to kitchen assistant and then chef roles over time.

A typical week

Day to day

1Wash dishes, glasses and cutlery
2Scrub pots, pans and kitchen equipment
3Load and run the dishwashing machine
4Clean surfaces, floors and bins
5Help with basic food prep when asked
6Put clean items back where they belong
7Follow food hygiene and safety rules