Dishwasher (occupation)

A dishwasher is a person who washes and dries dishware, cookware, and cutlery, often in a "back of house" restaurant or institutional setting. In the United Kingdom, this role is also referred to as kitchen porter, however in this case the role will often include additional cleaning and light food preparation duties.

Duties and functions
Most professional dishwashers work in a restaurant or institutional setting. Typically, dishwashers scrape food residue from dishes, pots and kitchen utensils, then sort and load racks of dirty dishes into a commercial dishwashing machine. They organize and place clean dishes and other smallwares back in their respective storage location. Additionally, they wash by hand larger items and utensils in large sinks that are usually designated for that task. Depending on the operation, they might have additional cleaning duties.

The job requirements are normally physically demanding and fast-paced. Dishwasher uniforms are sometimes covered with personal protective equipment to keep the user dry; these normally include a waterproof full-length apron, tall waterproof rubber boots, and long heavy-duty waterproof gloves.

The dishwasher in a commercial kitchen is frequently an entry-level job that can lead to a career in food preparation. That being said, many operations rely on the capabilities of an experienced dishwasher crew in the "dish pit".

A 2008 study by the Pew Hispanic Center reported that many illegal immigrants to the United States worked as dishwashers.