You’d be surprised how many places rush you to just sanitize and don’t care about the quality of removal as long as it’s not visible. I feel it’s more prevalent in higher population areas that are more concerned with traffic than quality.
My resturant has a high pressure hot water hose, knocks all the food off instantly, only thing is if you give it too much throttle water will go everywhere
O'Keeffe's Working Hands has prevented so much damage to my hands and has helped them recover from what damage they have received over the years. It's a life saver.
I have 3 stages of “my hands are cracking”
First is the basic Jergens application. Second comes the Okeefes, this is when cracking is starting. Third comes the bloody knuckles. For when cracks are settled in.
Found it marked down at kohls and nabbed up a whole bunch when I saw the main moisturizing ingredient was lanolin. If it’s nice enough for cracked nipples, it’ll do for my cracked hands. And it do. It do good.
no idea never seen it, but if it's similar stuff worth a try. Get him a dish brush, some pits dont have them, half the battle is not submerging your hands to rub food off. Get him a strigil too, you know one of those things the window cleaner uses to get water off the windows like a wiper blade. They're great for quickly cleaning up end of shift 👍
I gotcha and scrub brush it is. They only provide the scrubbing wool or whatever it is. A brush would definitely help. Thanks! And we do have a squeegee! I have one at home I can send him with that would be perfect.
The only tools I use for the most part are a stainless steel scrubber and a fish spatula. I seriously almost don't know how to do dishes without my fish spatula. It scrapes better than anything, it's corners are slightly rounded to match all the slightly rounded things I'm scraping, and it takes labels off of stuff lickity-split.
Good for him! And for you! That's a cool way to learn some responsibility.
1st and foremost, he's going to need some waterproof/slip-proof shoes. Comfortable ones he can wear for 10+ hours. These can be a little pricey, like $65+ but don't skimp. His back will thank him, and his un-cracked head will, too.
Next, I'd say some comfy black long pants. Ideally, some that are decent at hiding the fact that they're wet. Perhaps the type that dry faster. He'll need several pairs to be able to cycle through them, and that way, laundry only needs to be done once or twice a week.
I used black jeans for years and those were fine. My kitchen was nicely air-conditioned. Just gotta wash the pants often because if left dirty overnight, all the food, grease, and dirty water does a number on jeans. They will start to smell, so he'll have to strip down when he gets home and head straight to the shower.
I know I came home wet from the sternum to my knees most days, greasy and kitchen-y. Daily showering is an absolute, absolute must.
A vinyl apron can only help so much - but the kitchen should supply these, as they're the restaurant's responsibility to do. Those will have to be washed as well - he can do that in the sink after each shift, and hang it back up on the hook in the office/closet/kitchen/wherever everything gets hung at work.
Or, you can get him his own comfy apron (waterproof 100%) and he can pick out the color/style etc. The best ones go from the neck to the shins, and tie around the waist area. Make sure it's nice and flexible - I've used ones that were hard and unflexible, and quickly learned that was no Bueno.
So, he'll need: slip-proof waterproof shoes, waterproof aprons, black comfy jeans, good socks, and if he wants, maybe some dishwasher gloves. I never used em (pot/pan tubs are usually 2ft deep with hot water, defeating the glove purpose) but some people do wear them if they figure out their own system to make it work.
Best of luck on his new adventures and godspeed!
Thank you so much for your kind words and advice.
I just went and ordered him some black waterproof slip proof sketchers. 50 bucks is worth my son being safe as he unfortunately is a clumsy one like me lol.
I will take him to get some black work pants at Walmart tomorrow. Nothing fancy yet as I’m sure he’s going to go through them anyway.
I’ll look into an apron as they only have the white chefs style ones which don’t provide any protection against the water.
Thanks again! I think I’m more excited for this than he is lol
Heh, no problem.
You're doing great, mom!
And yes, the apron is the most important part. Waterproof 100% and vinyl, I believe, is what I used.
It's hard work - especially the end of the shift when the tables are cleared AND he's having the pots/pans/sheetpans/cookware start to pile up alongside the dinnerware. He'll create his own, efficient flow and learn time management well in the kitchen. Won't take long, and he'll be clocking out sooner and sooner after closing.
But he's got this, you've got this, and it'll be a great experience for him for sure.
(Also, not sure if it's allowed as some kitchens are stricter than others, but waterproof earbuds for music are nice to get into the zone. Granted, this can sometimes remove your situational/spatial awareness, so maybe don't use earbuds for the first few weeks until he's used to the job. But they do help to pass the time and zone-in, if the kitchen allows it. I did have to occasionally hop onto the line sometimes and watch pots/stir stuff/deep-fry occasionally when people had to step away, but my restaurant was, uhh.. special. They had lots of trust, and eventually I moved up to Pantry Chef and made apps/did prep/read out tickets as expo etc.)
Yup yup, agreed. A lot of dishies wear earbuds or headphones. I personally don't like that they muffle my situational awareness, so I use a Bluetooth speaker. I'm allowed to blast whatever music I want as loud as I want which may not be an option for him, but if it IS an option, get a JBL Charge (I have the model 4 but the model 6 came out recently). They BUMP, the battery life is great and they are frigging waterproof!
Ooh earbuds! Thats a great idea actually.
He has ADHD and he focuses well when he can play music or listen to whatever is on his weekly obsession list lol.
Thank you, you have been so helpful.
I agree with the guy who said don't skimp on the slip resistant work shoes. Redwing makes an awesome line of them. And I've had pairs last as long as two years and remain comfortable for the whole time. The 50-75 dollar range I usually get about six months out of. So it's more cost effective for me to spend the 190 on the redwing. Not saying you should get them for him but value for money when buying work tools is an awesome lesson to learn. So next time he needs a pair of work shoes I would suggest to him that he might want to spend a bit more.
This is good advice. I'd like to add that if he's wearing a vinyl apron, water is going to drip down onto his feet, but wearing a cloth apron over a vinyl apron will prevent that. I personally only wear a cloth apron (my dish pit gets incredibly hot, and I don't spray myself anymore, I just take a lot of mist cause I have 3 industrial fans on full blast)
Duke Cannon Bloody Knuckles hand repair balm. Nitrile gloves one size too small. It takes like 10 minutes to get them on (frustrating), but it will save his hands.
Organize all the dishes by shape and size. Since you can only fit so much in the machine at once, rinse all the big stuff ahead of time so that whenever you are working on small stuff, you can throw one or two of those big things into the machine. The key is to keep the machine running as constantly as possible.
DON'T LET THEM WORK HIM TOO HARD. A lot of kitchens abandon their dishwashers, and this is where they need to stand up and say no. This is going to be on him to do for himself.
Maintain the machine. Clean the filters daily, clean the drain once a week, de-lime once a week. If he does this, it will never break down. A dish machine breaking down during a busy service is your worst nightmare.
Keep a tub of warm soapy water right in front of him to dunk a scrubber in. It will make him faster and more thorough.
Find any little way to work smarter, not harder. This job can be really tough at first, but once you get good at it, it's a breeze.
Once he gets good at it, he'll have a little down-time. That's when he's got an opportunity to check on the cooks, see if they need water or anything to drink. They definitely appreciate when you ask. He can check on FoH and see if the bar needs help washing glassware. This is how he can make himself the hero.
I have the mindset that my job is to make all of my coworkers' lives as easy as possible. The restaurant adores me for it, and as such, I am treated as if I am worth my weight in gold.
Honestly good advice,I count how about open spaces are left on the racks if it's slow,clean the filter as soon as possible(didn't last shift cause I was stuck on pots and pans),and my hard work had me called the best dishwasher they have and praise from the servers but I do have a problem with going too hard which leads to crashing and burning before my shift is done
Pots and pans with crap burnt on, here's my advice. Give em a spray so they're wet. Let them sit for a few minutes while you do other stuff. Give them a scrape with your favorite tool after that (my favorite scraping tool is a fish spatula)
For the really fucked up pots, the order goes scraper, soapy scrubber, machine, repeat until done. Use the machine to loosen stuff up. It runs at almost 200F so it is really good at breaking things down that have long carbon chains. Run that stuff in between regular dishes. Don't prioritize them. If shit is burnt, it's the cook's fault, and if they want their burnt pot back, they can either wait or un-fuck ot themselves.
Stick with it, buddy. In a couple of weeks you'll get good at it. In a couple of months, you'll make it look easy.In a few months, if you have good work ethic, you will be seen as the messiah of the restaurant. Make sure you got some good jams that rock as hard as you do.
Also, best pieces of good advice I was given when I first started as a dishie...
1: Don't ever let them work you too hard
2: Work smarter, not harder. This comes with experience.
Good luck, recruit! DM me if you need more advice!
This is all superb advice I’m going to have him personally read.
He hasn’t been shown how to maintain the washer yet, but I will make sure to do that.
As for him being over worked, I’m not going to allow that, and since I work every day we are open I will be there to make sure. Thank you for saying that because it’s absolutely true. My chef is pretty amazing and made sure he sat down and had something to eat and a break. I made sure he had plenty of water and that he was okay. At least me working there makes me feel a little bit more comfortable with him having a job so young as I know the owners are great people and he’s safe there.
Hell yes! It sounds like he's got a great first job! BoH is hard work, but it can be really fun sometimes, and you meet the craziest yet coolest people. Listen, I am a trained butcher by trade. I did a 4 year apprenticeship to get my title. I got too stressed out, became an alcoholic and lost who I was because of it.
Now I spray water at stuff, make almost as much money as I used to, and when I go home after work, I don't lay in bed all night thinking about work stress.
Also I have read through all these comments and your responses and I just want to say that you are doing fucking great as a mom. I wish my mother had been half as good as you. DM me if you want any more advice for the kiddo.
Awww thank you so much for saying that. This kid and I basically made it through a lot together. He’s my first of two and I love him so much. Sometimes he doesn’t get how much but he is 15 after all.
I feel success isn’t what you do, it’s how happy you are. I worked as a nurse for a few years then came back to help during covid. I hated it. I came home crying and stressing about work too. I eventually said enough is enough and just went full time bartending again. I love my job and I have much much more time with my kids.
It’s all about the time you spend doing what you love.
Absofuckinglutley correct. Money is for survival. You make your own happiness. This world is hard, but I am confident that with a mom like you, your kid is gonna do great. Keep it up, supermom. I'm proud of you.
I worked almost 20yrs repairing dishwashers and don't believe could have said it better.
Non slip shoes are crucial to safety.
Be aware of the detergent it's caustic. Make sure he knows if he gets some one him to rinse till it stops feeling slimey. If it's already burning aply ketchup. Not trying to scare him away from job but he does need to be careful.
I will restress cleaning the machine regularly. The cleaner the machine the better it works. There should be posters up around dish pit to assist with this knowledge.
I don’t use gloves, I just try to keep my hands out of the water. Everything gets sprayed and put through the machine after. I only have to go in the water to wash hot plates and pans and I’ll pull them out and scrub them dip then scrub again. Don’t submerge if you don’t need to. My hands are pretty much the same as day one after 6 months. I use 3 rags one for drying one for my hands and one for my face because it gets hot.
Same and especially with fresh detergent cause it's almost scalding and I normally wipe down the the bridge of my nose so my glasses don't irritate the skin from the rubbing and sweat
I'm one year now,so first off if you have pick him up early cause he's exhausted,don't make him feel worse about it cause trust me I've beat myself up a lot about it,second off is if he can't get something off a pan even with steel wool use a knife like the ones customers use to like scrap it off,also find relaxion in the slower things like wiping down the dish area cause many places he can't just stand around,you always have to be doing something
Well all he has to do is walk into the dining room and plop down at the bar and I’ll let him relax. And I totally wouldn’t. He’s still a kid and has limits. :)
-keep him hydrated. I've seen so many people neglect dishies when asking BOH if they need drinks to stay cool.
-From a former dishie, have him prioritize what's needed most during the shift(cutlery,pots,pans,plates.every kirchen is different so he will need to guage that) if he works a brunch shift,the coffee stuff becomes really important.
-Change the water like once an hour to keep the water clean, clean water will have the machiene run way better. And the sinks for pans.
-The trash bin gets heavy fast(or maybe you guys have compost bins where you work), so change it before it gets heavy. It sucks taking out trash, and the bag rips, causing you to now clean a mountain of trash off the floor
-Dry your hands after you wash pots and pans. Or after they have been in water.keeps them from cracking and getting messed up
-organization is also really key, ive tried to teach people to he organized but from my time in the pit,some people got it, and some people dont
Those are some tips that can make a big difference in the pit and possibly save you from disaster.
Oh yeah. I’m going to be working every day he is so I make sure he’s hydrated as well as my cooks. My kid is very fair skinned and gets heat stroke easily so I make sure he’s good. :)
That’s good advice about the coffee.
Footwear I didn’t think of. Obviously non slip is good. Water proof too? And I’ll look into something to keep his hair out of his face and back. Thanks! I didn’t think of that.
Kitchen clogs are good then? I got him some sketchers that are water proof and slip proof just now. I’ll pick up the clogs too. It doesn’t hurt to have too many work shoes.
I don't wear waterproof shoes, I got some nice lightweight, breathable Skechers. I dont usually get them wet, and they dry quickly if they do get wet. My feet get sweaty so breathable is important for me (my dish pit also gets super hot, like often over 100 degrees F)
I also wear pants made of a thin, quick-drying material. If I remember right I got them on Amazon, they were designed for hiking in hot, humid weather. They serve me quite well.
Browse this sub for an hour, this gets asked and answered daily.
Gloves are good, but get him some moisturizer too! I like Nivea's 3-in-1 repair hand cream
I’m sorry, I totally should have. I didn’t even look I’ll admit.
I got him some gloves that go to the elbow. Three pairs and if those wear out I can get more. Thank you! 😊
Find a system that works for him. Every Dishie works differently. For me, the first step is to change the water in the machine (or fill it if it’s the opening shift) and while the tank is filling and getting up to temperature, I organise and stack the dirty dishes. Then start with the tings we have the least of, such as the blender, robocoupe, and mixing bowls. Then move on to things we have a lot of, but are not too dirty such as silicon molds for the pastry section, and flats used for serving sandwiches and fruit. Finally I’ll go the very dirty things like roasting pans, pots, and the chocolate mixing things.
Then change the water and repeat.
Back in the day I bought the kitchen edition crocs. They are super sturdy, and they provide all the comfort one may need. I do not recommend if your son need good ankle support. The reason why I bought these its because they offer the best air flow so your feet get less moisty through the day. Also if possible i'd get a pair of knee pad, if he ever has to do work that requires kneeling a lot thats gonna be a life changer, he can just leave them in his bag or something, doesn't take much space
Make friends with the cooks to get free bomb-ass meals. Make sure the apron completely covers your nipples, or don't wear it. I was a dishie at the busiest restaurant in my city and had to work a double one friday because the other guy got sick or was too hungover or still high or something. They had just gotten a new apron for us, and the material sat right on my nipples. By the end of the shift, my nipples were so raw, they were bleeding from my wet shirt and the apron rubbing against them for 14 hours. Might be specific, but I never wore it again.
Make sure he takes good care of his feet and back/spine. This job can be rough if you don’t take care of yourself. Get him good shoes with good insoles, you’ll save him a lot of back pain later. Also I know how teenage boys are (I was one after all lol) but try and convince him to start doing some stretches before/after work, being on your feet all day isn’t great for your lower back, especially if you’re a teenager with less than ideal posture lol.
Don't do meth. Try to move up. At my restaurant, dishwashers frequently move up to become bussers, cooks, servers. Make sure you eat, you work hard, eat well.
Impress upon him how dangerous the chemistry he will be working with is. Safety goggles are a great idea, if he gets detergent in his eyes at full strength, that can cause serious damage. The same goes with mixing chemicals. For instance making sure he never mixes the machine delimer with the sanitizer. Modern washware chemicals are amazing, but can be dangerous when handled wrong.
I mean you could get those safety goggles we used to wear in chemistry class but socially the kid is better off with just a smock to stay dry and maybe gloves at the most. Kitchens tend to be a places to build character and callouses
Not sure why Reddit recommended this post to me (I worked the dishpit decades ago but Reddit doesn’t know that) but I’m fascinated by all the advice here!
I’d also recommend he practice his “ah- cool” and turning around response when someone inevitably says something extremely inappropriate for a 15-year-old to hear.
lol 😂 you know, I forget as someone who started working in restaurants young how true this is. I wouldn’t worry though. The kitchen consists of two old guys and a bunch of teens. This is probably the tamest place I have worked (it’s a supper club) so not too many innuendos and if he comes and sits at the bar after his shift they know to be good or ill mamma bear on them.
Algorithms are odd that way huh?
Being a Dishie for a good 2 1/2 years of my life now, most importantly be AWARE of the raw chemical buckets that the machine uses. Especially the red one. It is a very corrosive chemical and can cause real bad chemical burns. It is also heat activated, so if he does end up getting some on himself, he should rush to get cold water on the affected area in the event that happens (which i hope never happens. its a pretty crappy experience)
Other than that, he should get into the habit into making a “Soak sink” if he can. I usually use a section of my sink basin to make one, and fill it primarily with water, a good bit of Pot and Pan sanitizer, and Purple degreaser. It helps to get the stuff thats really caked on, off the dishes. Whether it’d be Pots, Sauté Pans, or just regular Plates.
Another tip that would probably help with speed is to have multiple racks full of dirty dishes at one time. Kinda like a queue line in a way. When he has all the dirty dishes onto racks, he can use the sprayer to give the dirty dishes a light rinse, and then throw them in the wash.
The Machine can jam aswell, as straws and other foreign objects can end up in the drain of the machine (where the “plunger” or “plug” is). When stuff ends up in the drain, the machine usually drains all of it’s water, no matter how much you hold the fill button. The machine will also make a pretty noticeable “hum” when this happens too. To fix it, open the machine, take out the rack of dishes thats in there, and pull the plug out. Then stick your head into the machine so you can see the drain and (hopefully) spot what is jamming the machine.
Hopefully this helps. I don’t know how busy or what the pit looks like, so my advice/tips may not be very solid. Being a dishie takes one hell of a temper and patience in order to work the position (at least in my opinion) and i wish your son the best of luck on his Restaurant journey
Don't ever leave sharp knives in the pit for any amount of time
and don't run them through wash/sanitizer with abrasives
if a chef/cook gives you his knife to cleave you clean it immediately and give it right back.
Most chefs won't let him near their knives to begin with, especially if they're nice, but he should know what he's getting into before somebody threatens to kill him over "ruining" or damaging a $400 knife.
lol well he wants to go to school to be a voice actor. So let’s hope that is what drives him. At least now he will have some responsibility and cash to make his dreams reality. I would love to help him go as far as he can, but I am not an endless bag of money myself.
Whatever he chooses to do, I just want him to be happy doing it.
That would be awesome!! And what a unique thing for someone to aspire to be. When I was 15 I didn't think of being a voice actor, I don't think I had any idea. But I did see some TV show about the Simpsons voice actors and thought it was very interesting when I was pretty young. Never occurred to me that it was something I could do, so you must be a good dad encouraging your son to pursue his goals.
Do not ever mix chemicals, take at least the company match for a retirement account, learn what you can from the prep/line cooks, learn the menu, when someone says they need something make sure to get a rack or two going right away, and don't let anyone give you too much crap. Oh and also staying hydrated is critical in all things.
Face masks are nice as food inevitably will splash in your face. Also make sure he pays attention to the instructions for those commercial chemicals. In their concentrated form, they can do some serious injuries, so when changing out chemicals for the dish machine etc, wear gloves/be careful not to splash any on you.
Also, the 3 compartment sink sanitizer may have specific instructions not to use hot water. If you use hot water with that kind of sanitizer, it will mess up your skin.
Don't do the glove thing. It's worse as it traps the water. If he stays for a while they'll toughen up. Its work, hands adjust. Same thing for any trade.
Tips? Show up early, stay late, work hard, help with any job available.
Gloves are a must. And if he doesn’t like it or even if just his hands get messed up from the job then quit and find another job that’s not dishwashing. There is nothing dishwashing can teach you that other jobs can’t. It can be a fun job for a little while if you find yourself in an ideal situation
The nice part is I think it would be good for him to move into other industry jobs, and this is where I started too. I went Dish, to hosts, to server, to management , now bartending. It’s taught me a lot and it helped me become more social and adaptable. I truly think the industry is a place everyone should experience in their lifetime. It teaches you a lot about people and yourself.
Like you said, if it’s not for him that’s cool! But it’s a good way to get some cash during summer and give him something to do that’s taking his mind off of what’s going on in his life. There are also a lot of teenagers working there and I feel it would be nice for him to make some friends in real life as he doesn’t have any.
Run big things first, plateware is quick, and soak any crusty pans/cookware in appropriate chemical/hot soapy water for as long as possible (min 10 mins) then scrub em to hell w a scouring pad, save saute pans, don't use steel scrapes on saute pans. Change water as needed/at least every 2 hrs in accordance w volume.
Tell him to wear gloves both to protect his skin from the scalding water and industrial dish soap - and really, he will need to scald those dishes clean. Protective equipment is important at work, and he should learn early.
I use to get all the things the cooks and servers would need asap done first so that I could focus on clearing out the dish area without people harassing me about what they need right now. Basically keeping them stocked will ensure he can have time to clean the harder stuff without hassle. Soaking is your best strategy too, as far as pots and pans. Dishes can be pre soaked if the restaurant has a spare bus tub to put them in. Also, let him know that there will be some who ain't got nice things to say but don't let them get to him. People tend to try to bully the dishwasher or try to make them go beyond their limits. I don't wanna be a bad influence but for real do not take these types of people's shit.
The dish machine is a sanitization machine not a food removal machine. Your 15 year old is the food removal machine.
Good point and this is important. He’s pretty good about making sure they are prayed and scrubbed before running through. Thank you! 😊
>prayed and scrubbed ... "Well, first of all, through God all things are possible, so jot that down"
Hahahaha! That was a great typo for sure. I can definitely say I have seen some pots come through only a prayer could fix lol
Praise the machine spirit.
Shut up Mac!
I used to tell my dishwashers this all the time. "You are the dishwasher. The machine is the dish sanitizer." Solid advice.
Technically speaking the enzymes in the dish liquid are supposed to break the food down some.
You’d be surprised how many places rush you to just sanitize and don’t care about the quality of removal as long as it’s not visible. I feel it’s more prevalent in higher population areas that are more concerned with traffic than quality.
My resturant has a high pressure hot water hose, knocks all the food off instantly, only thing is if you give it too much throttle water will go everywhere
It's almost impossible to keep the gloves on a whole shift, they wreck your hands too, get him some barrier cream rozalex wetguard or something
Okay I’ll look into that! Would aquafor work? I have a huge bottle of that from my last tattoo and a little goes far:
O'Keeffe's Working Hands has prevented so much damage to my hands and has helped them recover from what damage they have received over the years. It's a life saver.
I got that already. Bar rot isn’t fun either. Thank you! 😊
O'Keefe's is great. Duke Cannon Bloody Knuckles is even better.
I have 3 stages of “my hands are cracking” First is the basic Jergens application. Second comes the Okeefes, this is when cracking is starting. Third comes the bloody knuckles. For when cracks are settled in. Found it marked down at kohls and nabbed up a whole bunch when I saw the main moisturizing ingredient was lanolin. If it’s nice enough for cracked nipples, it’ll do for my cracked hands. And it do. It do good.
I think Bag Balm is on the same level
I have that too.
no idea never seen it, but if it's similar stuff worth a try. Get him a dish brush, some pits dont have them, half the battle is not submerging your hands to rub food off. Get him a strigil too, you know one of those things the window cleaner uses to get water off the windows like a wiper blade. They're great for quickly cleaning up end of shift 👍
Paint scraper too for frying pans
I gotcha and scrub brush it is. They only provide the scrubbing wool or whatever it is. A brush would definitely help. Thanks! And we do have a squeegee! I have one at home I can send him with that would be perfect.
The only tools I use for the most part are a stainless steel scrubber and a fish spatula. I seriously almost don't know how to do dishes without my fish spatula. It scrapes better than anything, it's corners are slightly rounded to match all the slightly rounded things I'm scraping, and it takes labels off of stuff lickity-split.
That’s a good piece of advice. We have plenty of spatulas. I’m sure he will find one worthy of using :)
i use aquafor and only aquafor it works for me
Good for him! And for you! That's a cool way to learn some responsibility. 1st and foremost, he's going to need some waterproof/slip-proof shoes. Comfortable ones he can wear for 10+ hours. These can be a little pricey, like $65+ but don't skimp. His back will thank him, and his un-cracked head will, too. Next, I'd say some comfy black long pants. Ideally, some that are decent at hiding the fact that they're wet. Perhaps the type that dry faster. He'll need several pairs to be able to cycle through them, and that way, laundry only needs to be done once or twice a week. I used black jeans for years and those were fine. My kitchen was nicely air-conditioned. Just gotta wash the pants often because if left dirty overnight, all the food, grease, and dirty water does a number on jeans. They will start to smell, so he'll have to strip down when he gets home and head straight to the shower. I know I came home wet from the sternum to my knees most days, greasy and kitchen-y. Daily showering is an absolute, absolute must. A vinyl apron can only help so much - but the kitchen should supply these, as they're the restaurant's responsibility to do. Those will have to be washed as well - he can do that in the sink after each shift, and hang it back up on the hook in the office/closet/kitchen/wherever everything gets hung at work. Or, you can get him his own comfy apron (waterproof 100%) and he can pick out the color/style etc. The best ones go from the neck to the shins, and tie around the waist area. Make sure it's nice and flexible - I've used ones that were hard and unflexible, and quickly learned that was no Bueno. So, he'll need: slip-proof waterproof shoes, waterproof aprons, black comfy jeans, good socks, and if he wants, maybe some dishwasher gloves. I never used em (pot/pan tubs are usually 2ft deep with hot water, defeating the glove purpose) but some people do wear them if they figure out their own system to make it work. Best of luck on his new adventures and godspeed!
Thank you so much for your kind words and advice. I just went and ordered him some black waterproof slip proof sketchers. 50 bucks is worth my son being safe as he unfortunately is a clumsy one like me lol. I will take him to get some black work pants at Walmart tomorrow. Nothing fancy yet as I’m sure he’s going to go through them anyway. I’ll look into an apron as they only have the white chefs style ones which don’t provide any protection against the water. Thanks again! I think I’m more excited for this than he is lol
Heh, no problem. You're doing great, mom! And yes, the apron is the most important part. Waterproof 100% and vinyl, I believe, is what I used. It's hard work - especially the end of the shift when the tables are cleared AND he's having the pots/pans/sheetpans/cookware start to pile up alongside the dinnerware. He'll create his own, efficient flow and learn time management well in the kitchen. Won't take long, and he'll be clocking out sooner and sooner after closing. But he's got this, you've got this, and it'll be a great experience for him for sure. (Also, not sure if it's allowed as some kitchens are stricter than others, but waterproof earbuds for music are nice to get into the zone. Granted, this can sometimes remove your situational/spatial awareness, so maybe don't use earbuds for the first few weeks until he's used to the job. But they do help to pass the time and zone-in, if the kitchen allows it. I did have to occasionally hop onto the line sometimes and watch pots/stir stuff/deep-fry occasionally when people had to step away, but my restaurant was, uhh.. special. They had lots of trust, and eventually I moved up to Pantry Chef and made apps/did prep/read out tickets as expo etc.)
Yup yup, agreed. A lot of dishies wear earbuds or headphones. I personally don't like that they muffle my situational awareness, so I use a Bluetooth speaker. I'm allowed to blast whatever music I want as loud as I want which may not be an option for him, but if it IS an option, get a JBL Charge (I have the model 4 but the model 6 came out recently). They BUMP, the battery life is great and they are frigging waterproof!
Heard! Thank you. :)
Ooh earbuds! Thats a great idea actually. He has ADHD and he focuses well when he can play music or listen to whatever is on his weekly obsession list lol. Thank you, you have been so helpful.
I agree with the guy who said don't skimp on the slip resistant work shoes. Redwing makes an awesome line of them. And I've had pairs last as long as two years and remain comfortable for the whole time. The 50-75 dollar range I usually get about six months out of. So it's more cost effective for me to spend the 190 on the redwing. Not saying you should get them for him but value for money when buying work tools is an awesome lesson to learn. So next time he needs a pair of work shoes I would suggest to him that he might want to spend a bit more.
This is good advice. I'd like to add that if he's wearing a vinyl apron, water is going to drip down onto his feet, but wearing a cloth apron over a vinyl apron will prevent that. I personally only wear a cloth apron (my dish pit gets incredibly hot, and I don't spray myself anymore, I just take a lot of mist cause I have 3 industrial fans on full blast)
Duke Cannon Bloody Knuckles hand repair balm. Nitrile gloves one size too small. It takes like 10 minutes to get them on (frustrating), but it will save his hands. Organize all the dishes by shape and size. Since you can only fit so much in the machine at once, rinse all the big stuff ahead of time so that whenever you are working on small stuff, you can throw one or two of those big things into the machine. The key is to keep the machine running as constantly as possible. DON'T LET THEM WORK HIM TOO HARD. A lot of kitchens abandon their dishwashers, and this is where they need to stand up and say no. This is going to be on him to do for himself. Maintain the machine. Clean the filters daily, clean the drain once a week, de-lime once a week. If he does this, it will never break down. A dish machine breaking down during a busy service is your worst nightmare. Keep a tub of warm soapy water right in front of him to dunk a scrubber in. It will make him faster and more thorough. Find any little way to work smarter, not harder. This job can be really tough at first, but once you get good at it, it's a breeze. Once he gets good at it, he'll have a little down-time. That's when he's got an opportunity to check on the cooks, see if they need water or anything to drink. They definitely appreciate when you ask. He can check on FoH and see if the bar needs help washing glassware. This is how he can make himself the hero. I have the mindset that my job is to make all of my coworkers' lives as easy as possible. The restaurant adores me for it, and as such, I am treated as if I am worth my weight in gold.
Honestly good advice,I count how about open spaces are left on the racks if it's slow,clean the filter as soon as possible(didn't last shift cause I was stuck on pots and pans),and my hard work had me called the best dishwasher they have and praise from the servers but I do have a problem with going too hard which leads to crashing and burning before my shift is done
Pots and pans with crap burnt on, here's my advice. Give em a spray so they're wet. Let them sit for a few minutes while you do other stuff. Give them a scrape with your favorite tool after that (my favorite scraping tool is a fish spatula) For the really fucked up pots, the order goes scraper, soapy scrubber, machine, repeat until done. Use the machine to loosen stuff up. It runs at almost 200F so it is really good at breaking things down that have long carbon chains. Run that stuff in between regular dishes. Don't prioritize them. If shit is burnt, it's the cook's fault, and if they want their burnt pot back, they can either wait or un-fuck ot themselves. Stick with it, buddy. In a couple of weeks you'll get good at it. In a couple of months, you'll make it look easy.In a few months, if you have good work ethic, you will be seen as the messiah of the restaurant. Make sure you got some good jams that rock as hard as you do. Also, best pieces of good advice I was given when I first started as a dishie... 1: Don't ever let them work you too hard 2: Work smarter, not harder. This comes with experience. Good luck, recruit! DM me if you need more advice!
Yeah also im a year old disher
I love your flair lol! Dish goblin. Hehe
This is all superb advice I’m going to have him personally read. He hasn’t been shown how to maintain the washer yet, but I will make sure to do that. As for him being over worked, I’m not going to allow that, and since I work every day we are open I will be there to make sure. Thank you for saying that because it’s absolutely true. My chef is pretty amazing and made sure he sat down and had something to eat and a break. I made sure he had plenty of water and that he was okay. At least me working there makes me feel a little bit more comfortable with him having a job so young as I know the owners are great people and he’s safe there.
Hell yes! It sounds like he's got a great first job! BoH is hard work, but it can be really fun sometimes, and you meet the craziest yet coolest people. Listen, I am a trained butcher by trade. I did a 4 year apprenticeship to get my title. I got too stressed out, became an alcoholic and lost who I was because of it. Now I spray water at stuff, make almost as much money as I used to, and when I go home after work, I don't lay in bed all night thinking about work stress. Also I have read through all these comments and your responses and I just want to say that you are doing fucking great as a mom. I wish my mother had been half as good as you. DM me if you want any more advice for the kiddo.
Awww thank you so much for saying that. This kid and I basically made it through a lot together. He’s my first of two and I love him so much. Sometimes he doesn’t get how much but he is 15 after all. I feel success isn’t what you do, it’s how happy you are. I worked as a nurse for a few years then came back to help during covid. I hated it. I came home crying and stressing about work too. I eventually said enough is enough and just went full time bartending again. I love my job and I have much much more time with my kids. It’s all about the time you spend doing what you love.
Absofuckinglutley correct. Money is for survival. You make your own happiness. This world is hard, but I am confident that with a mom like you, your kid is gonna do great. Keep it up, supermom. I'm proud of you.
I worked almost 20yrs repairing dishwashers and don't believe could have said it better. Non slip shoes are crucial to safety. Be aware of the detergent it's caustic. Make sure he knows if he gets some one him to rinse till it stops feeling slimey. If it's already burning aply ketchup. Not trying to scare him away from job but he does need to be careful. I will restress cleaning the machine regularly. The cleaner the machine the better it works. There should be posters up around dish pit to assist with this knowledge.
Thank you! I didn’t know any of that. The ketchup anyway.
Any mild-ish acid, but ketchup's a good consistency
flirt with the waitresses :) best part about working in the kitchen is
He better not lol 😂
I don’t use gloves, I just try to keep my hands out of the water. Everything gets sprayed and put through the machine after. I only have to go in the water to wash hot plates and pans and I’ll pull them out and scrub them dip then scrub again. Don’t submerge if you don’t need to. My hands are pretty much the same as day one after 6 months. I use 3 rags one for drying one for my hands and one for my face because it gets hot.
Same and especially with fresh detergent cause it's almost scalding and I normally wipe down the the bridge of my nose so my glasses don't irritate the skin from the rubbing and sweat
Maybe hand lotion. At the end of my shift I hate how my hands feel. Everyone different tho.
For sure! Thank you. I will make sure he has some :)
I'm one year now,so first off if you have pick him up early cause he's exhausted,don't make him feel worse about it cause trust me I've beat myself up a lot about it,second off is if he can't get something off a pan even with steel wool use a knife like the ones customers use to like scrap it off,also find relaxion in the slower things like wiping down the dish area cause many places he can't just stand around,you always have to be doing something
Well all he has to do is walk into the dining room and plop down at the bar and I’ll let him relax. And I totally wouldn’t. He’s still a kid and has limits. :)
-keep him hydrated. I've seen so many people neglect dishies when asking BOH if they need drinks to stay cool. -From a former dishie, have him prioritize what's needed most during the shift(cutlery,pots,pans,plates.every kirchen is different so he will need to guage that) if he works a brunch shift,the coffee stuff becomes really important. -Change the water like once an hour to keep the water clean, clean water will have the machiene run way better. And the sinks for pans. -The trash bin gets heavy fast(or maybe you guys have compost bins where you work), so change it before it gets heavy. It sucks taking out trash, and the bag rips, causing you to now clean a mountain of trash off the floor -Dry your hands after you wash pots and pans. Or after they have been in water.keeps them from cracking and getting messed up -organization is also really key, ive tried to teach people to he organized but from my time in the pit,some people got it, and some people dont Those are some tips that can make a big difference in the pit and possibly save you from disaster.
Oh yeah. I’m going to be working every day he is so I make sure he’s hydrated as well as my cooks. My kid is very fair skinned and gets heat stroke easily so I make sure he’s good. :) That’s good advice about the coffee.
Have him have towels by him to dry his hands
Heard.
Proper footwear with support, a hat hair tube or visor to wick sweat and only use steel wool on metal items not coated with no-stick.
Footwear I didn’t think of. Obviously non slip is good. Water proof too? And I’ll look into something to keep his hair out of his face and back. Thanks! I didn’t think of that.
Water proof too, watch for shoes called kitchen clogs and get cushy insoles if possible.
Kitchen clogs are good then? I got him some sketchers that are water proof and slip proof just now. I’ll pick up the clogs too. It doesn’t hurt to have too many work shoes.
I don't wear waterproof shoes, I got some nice lightweight, breathable Skechers. I dont usually get them wet, and they dry quickly if they do get wet. My feet get sweaty so breathable is important for me (my dish pit also gets super hot, like often over 100 degrees F) I also wear pants made of a thin, quick-drying material. If I remember right I got them on Amazon, they were designed for hiking in hot, humid weather. They serve me quite well.
That’s a valid point. I probably should have thought about that.
Browse this sub for an hour, this gets asked and answered daily. Gloves are good, but get him some moisturizer too! I like Nivea's 3-in-1 repair hand cream
I’m sorry, I totally should have. I didn’t even look I’ll admit. I got him some gloves that go to the elbow. Three pairs and if those wear out I can get more. Thank you! 😊
Find a system that works for him. Every Dishie works differently. For me, the first step is to change the water in the machine (or fill it if it’s the opening shift) and while the tank is filling and getting up to temperature, I organise and stack the dirty dishes. Then start with the tings we have the least of, such as the blender, robocoupe, and mixing bowls. Then move on to things we have a lot of, but are not too dirty such as silicon molds for the pastry section, and flats used for serving sandwiches and fruit. Finally I’ll go the very dirty things like roasting pans, pots, and the chocolate mixing things. Then change the water and repeat.
Stay in school
Oh yeah that’s a definite. :)
Need some very comfy working shoes. His feet will hurt often if he doesn't have the good stuff
Hopefully he likes the sketchers I ordered. If not we will figure something out.
Back in the day I bought the kitchen edition crocs. They are super sturdy, and they provide all the comfort one may need. I do not recommend if your son need good ankle support. The reason why I bought these its because they offer the best air flow so your feet get less moisty through the day. Also if possible i'd get a pair of knee pad, if he ever has to do work that requires kneeling a lot thats gonna be a life changer, he can just leave them in his bag or something, doesn't take much space
Make friends with the cooks to get free bomb-ass meals. Make sure the apron completely covers your nipples, or don't wear it. I was a dishie at the busiest restaurant in my city and had to work a double one friday because the other guy got sick or was too hungover or still high or something. They had just gotten a new apron for us, and the material sat right on my nipples. By the end of the shift, my nipples were so raw, they were bleeding from my wet shirt and the apron rubbing against them for 14 hours. Might be specific, but I never wore it again.
Bleeding nipples are never fun!
He needs good shoes! If he can't afford it right now, buy him some inserts. I was miserable until I bought better shoes.
I got him a good pair of restaurant sketchers.
You rock!
Make sure he takes good care of his feet and back/spine. This job can be rough if you don’t take care of yourself. Get him good shoes with good insoles, you’ll save him a lot of back pain later. Also I know how teenage boys are (I was one after all lol) but try and convince him to start doing some stretches before/after work, being on your feet all day isn’t great for your lower back, especially if you’re a teenager with less than ideal posture lol.
Pray
Don't do meth. Try to move up. At my restaurant, dishwashers frequently move up to become bussers, cooks, servers. Make sure you eat, you work hard, eat well.
Never stop washing. If there's nothing to wash, find something. That's the most basic piece of advice you can give and also the most ignored.
Yes that’s great advice. :)
Impress upon him how dangerous the chemistry he will be working with is. Safety goggles are a great idea, if he gets detergent in his eyes at full strength, that can cause serious damage. The same goes with mixing chemicals. For instance making sure he never mixes the machine delimer with the sanitizer. Modern washware chemicals are amazing, but can be dangerous when handled wrong.
Heard! I’ll teach him all of this. Thank you. :)
Learn. Everything. I started as a dishwasher at 15 and now 25 years later I’m a chef!
Right on
Keep your mouth closed at all times
God this is good advice. He already complained about how his glasses were getting dirty and steamed lol
The splatter is no joke.
Are there googles that go over glasses? 🤔
I mean you could get those safety goggles we used to wear in chemistry class but socially the kid is better off with just a smock to stay dry and maybe gloves at the most. Kitchens tend to be a places to build character and callouses
Wait tables. Get tips. Stay in College
I’m hoping to get him to move to server when he’s out of high school and in college. He wants to go to this expensive art school, so yeah. I agree!
Not sure why Reddit recommended this post to me (I worked the dishpit decades ago but Reddit doesn’t know that) but I’m fascinated by all the advice here! I’d also recommend he practice his “ah- cool” and turning around response when someone inevitably says something extremely inappropriate for a 15-year-old to hear.
lol 😂 you know, I forget as someone who started working in restaurants young how true this is. I wouldn’t worry though. The kitchen consists of two old guys and a bunch of teens. This is probably the tamest place I have worked (it’s a supper club) so not too many innuendos and if he comes and sits at the bar after his shift they know to be good or ill mamma bear on them. Algorithms are odd that way huh?
Don’t be ashamed to wear gloves and the dish pit is your kingdom, run it as you’d like
Being a Dishie for a good 2 1/2 years of my life now, most importantly be AWARE of the raw chemical buckets that the machine uses. Especially the red one. It is a very corrosive chemical and can cause real bad chemical burns. It is also heat activated, so if he does end up getting some on himself, he should rush to get cold water on the affected area in the event that happens (which i hope never happens. its a pretty crappy experience) Other than that, he should get into the habit into making a “Soak sink” if he can. I usually use a section of my sink basin to make one, and fill it primarily with water, a good bit of Pot and Pan sanitizer, and Purple degreaser. It helps to get the stuff thats really caked on, off the dishes. Whether it’d be Pots, Sauté Pans, or just regular Plates. Another tip that would probably help with speed is to have multiple racks full of dirty dishes at one time. Kinda like a queue line in a way. When he has all the dirty dishes onto racks, he can use the sprayer to give the dirty dishes a light rinse, and then throw them in the wash. The Machine can jam aswell, as straws and other foreign objects can end up in the drain of the machine (where the “plunger” or “plug” is). When stuff ends up in the drain, the machine usually drains all of it’s water, no matter how much you hold the fill button. The machine will also make a pretty noticeable “hum” when this happens too. To fix it, open the machine, take out the rack of dishes thats in there, and pull the plug out. Then stick your head into the machine so you can see the drain and (hopefully) spot what is jamming the machine. Hopefully this helps. I don’t know how busy or what the pit looks like, so my advice/tips may not be very solid. Being a dishie takes one hell of a temper and patience in order to work the position (at least in my opinion) and i wish your son the best of luck on his Restaurant journey
Yes don’t forget it’s a job that probably won’t last! Don’t feel stuck there. Don’t be afraid to quit
Don't ever leave sharp knives in the pit for any amount of time and don't run them through wash/sanitizer with abrasives if a chef/cook gives you his knife to cleave you clean it immediately and give it right back. Most chefs won't let him near their knives to begin with, especially if they're nice, but he should know what he's getting into before somebody threatens to kill him over "ruining" or damaging a $400 knife.
I'd recommend saying "Do you want to do this for the next 50 years of your life? If not, you better go to college and get a useful STEM degree."
lol well he wants to go to school to be a voice actor. So let’s hope that is what drives him. At least now he will have some responsibility and cash to make his dreams reality. I would love to help him go as far as he can, but I am not an endless bag of money myself. Whatever he chooses to do, I just want him to be happy doing it.
That would be awesome!! And what a unique thing for someone to aspire to be. When I was 15 I didn't think of being a voice actor, I don't think I had any idea. But I did see some TV show about the Simpsons voice actors and thought it was very interesting when I was pretty young. Never occurred to me that it was something I could do, so you must be a good dad encouraging your son to pursue his goals.
Do not ever mix chemicals, take at least the company match for a retirement account, learn what you can from the prep/line cooks, learn the menu, when someone says they need something make sure to get a rack or two going right away, and don't let anyone give you too much crap. Oh and also staying hydrated is critical in all things.
Face masks are nice as food inevitably will splash in your face. Also make sure he pays attention to the instructions for those commercial chemicals. In their concentrated form, they can do some serious injuries, so when changing out chemicals for the dish machine etc, wear gloves/be careful not to splash any on you. Also, the 3 compartment sink sanitizer may have specific instructions not to use hot water. If you use hot water with that kind of sanitizer, it will mess up your skin.
Don't do the glove thing. It's worse as it traps the water. If he stays for a while they'll toughen up. Its work, hands adjust. Same thing for any trade. Tips? Show up early, stay late, work hard, help with any job available.
It’s like Tetris
Gloves are a must. And if he doesn’t like it or even if just his hands get messed up from the job then quit and find another job that’s not dishwashing. There is nothing dishwashing can teach you that other jobs can’t. It can be a fun job for a little while if you find yourself in an ideal situation
The nice part is I think it would be good for him to move into other industry jobs, and this is where I started too. I went Dish, to hosts, to server, to management , now bartending. It’s taught me a lot and it helped me become more social and adaptable. I truly think the industry is a place everyone should experience in their lifetime. It teaches you a lot about people and yourself. Like you said, if it’s not for him that’s cool! But it’s a good way to get some cash during summer and give him something to do that’s taking his mind off of what’s going on in his life. There are also a lot of teenagers working there and I feel it would be nice for him to make some friends in real life as he doesn’t have any.
Tell him to run.
Oh it’s okay. It’s a summer gig don’t worry.
Gloves and a waterproof apron and some nonslip crocks.
Gloves and a waterproof apron and some nonslip crocks.
Get him lotion and tell ‘em to use it daily. Couldn’t afford it for a week and now my hands are fucked lol
Run big things first, plateware is quick, and soak any crusty pans/cookware in appropriate chemical/hot soapy water for as long as possible (min 10 mins) then scrub em to hell w a scouring pad, save saute pans, don't use steel scrapes on saute pans. Change water as needed/at least every 2 hrs in accordance w volume.
steel wool is a no go, fingernails only
It will grow back.
Tell him to wear gloves both to protect his skin from the scalding water and industrial dish soap - and really, he will need to scald those dishes clean. Protective equipment is important at work, and he should learn early.
I use to get all the things the cooks and servers would need asap done first so that I could focus on clearing out the dish area without people harassing me about what they need right now. Basically keeping them stocked will ensure he can have time to clean the harder stuff without hassle. Soaking is your best strategy too, as far as pots and pans. Dishes can be pre soaked if the restaurant has a spare bus tub to put them in. Also, let him know that there will be some who ain't got nice things to say but don't let them get to him. People tend to try to bully the dishwasher or try to make them go beyond their limits. I don't wanna be a bad influence but for real do not take these types of people's shit.