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How to hire a kitchen cleaner

Kitchen cleaner hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring kitchen cleaners in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a kitchen cleaner is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new kitchen cleaner to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a kitchen cleaner, step by step

To hire a kitchen cleaner, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a kitchen cleaner:

Here's a step-by-step kitchen cleaner hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a kitchen cleaner job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new kitchen cleaner
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your kitchen cleaner job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a kitchen cleaner for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a kitchen cleaner to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a kitchen cleaner that fits the bill.

    The following list breaks down different types of kitchen cleaners and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Kitchen CleanerDescriptionHourly rate
    Kitchen CleanerJanitors and building cleaners keep many types of buildings clean, orderly, and in good condition.$11-17
    Floor StaffThe duties of floor staff depend on their line of work or industry of employment. In restaurants and similar establishments, floor staff is in charge of performing support tasks for the wait staff... Show more$10-24
    Day PorterDay porters are skilled employees who are responsible for conducting daily building maintenance at a facility to ensure it looks neat and presentable to the public. These porters are required to clean all common room areas such as the kitchen, cafeteria, and lobby as well as prepare conference rooms before and after meetings... Show more$10-17
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Dishes
    • Cleanliness
    • Exhaust Fans
    • Clean Kitchen
    • Food Service
    • Kitchen Surfaces
    • Dishwashers
    • Safety Hazards
    • Fryers
    • Kitchen Floors
    • Stoves
    • Stainless Steel
    • Clean Environment
    • Food Products
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Operate a POS system and manage cash and credit card sales.
    • Clean all kitchen areas, stoves, ovens, refrigerators, cookers, counter tops, cans and mats.
    • Maintain cleanliness of all food services areas and equipment.
    • Operate trash compactor and dishwasher, clean, wash and store pots, pans and dishes.
    • Clean multiple commercial building using industrialize buffers, scrubbers and/or vacuum equipment.
    • Operate trash compactor and dishwasher.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your kitchen cleaner job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A kitchen cleaner can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, kitchen cleaners' average salary in louisiana is 55% less than in washington.
    • Seniority. Entry-level kitchen cleaners 38% less than senior-level kitchen cleaners.
    • Certifications. A kitchen cleaner with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a kitchen cleaner's salary.

    Average kitchen cleaner salary

    $14.30hourly

    $29,748 yearly

    Entry-level kitchen cleaner salary
    $23,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 19, 2025
  4. Writing a kitchen cleaner job description

    A job description for a kitchen cleaner role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a kitchen cleaner job description:

    Kitchen cleaner job description example

    80% Cleaning of ovens, walls, filters, stoves and any other assignments designated by you supervisor

    15% Performs general cleaning in order to stay in compliance with the Health department

    5% Removes the trash from all containers, taking it to the dumpster located on the loading

    dock.

    SUPPORTIVE FUNCTIONS

    In addition to performance of the essential functions, this position may be required to perform a combination of the following supportive functions, with the percentage of time performing each function to be solely determined by the supervisor based upon the particular requirements of the company.

    • Perform general/routine cleaning tasks using standard hotel cleaning products as assigned to adhere to health standards.

    • Perform other duties as requested, such as cleaning up unexpected spills or executing special guest requests.

    Qualifications

    PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

    Physical Activity Frequency

    Sitting Rare

    Walking Constant

    Climbing stairs Frequent

    Crouching/Bending/Stooping Frequent

    Reaching Frequent

    Grasping Frequent

    Pushing/Pulling Frequent

    Near Vision Constant

    Far Vision Constant

    Hearing Constant

    Talking Occasional

    Smell Occasional

    Lifting/Carrying(# lbs) Frequent, up to 50+ lbs

    Travel Never

    OTHER DUTIES

    Regular attendance in conformance with the standards is essential to the successful performance of this position.

    SAFETY REQUIREMENTS

    OSHA laws require the use of the following Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when performing work duties that have the potential of risk to your health or safety:

    • Eye goggles
    • Plastic gloves
    • Apron

    Ambassadors will be trained in the proper use and care of assigned PPE. The hotel provides the required PPE. It is your responsibility to report defective, damaged or lost PPE, or equipment that does not fit properly, to your Manager.

    ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

    Positions directly reports to Executive Chef and Hotel, F&B Leadership

    SPECIFIC JOB KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

    The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.

    • Good working knowledge of accepted standards of sanitation.
    • Knowledge of operating a dishwasher
    • Ability to read, write and speak the English language in order to read labels to put food and dry goods in the proper place, and communicate with other team members.
    • Ability to work in an unsupervised manner
    • Ability to perform duties within extreme temperature ranges.
    • Sufficient manual dexterity of hand in order to load and unload the dishwasher, handle all sorts of kitchen equipment, knives, slicing blades, etc.

    EDUCATION

    High School graduate or equivalent preferred

    EXPERIENCE

    Some work experience in related field preferred. Some hospitality experience preferred.

    LICENSES OR CERTIFICATES

    Ability to obtain any government required license or certificate.

    GROOMING
    All team members must maintain a neat, clean and well-groomed appearance (specific standards available).

    OTHER

    NOTICE:

    The hospitality business functions seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day. In addition, this is a hospitality business and a hospitable service atmosphere must be projected at all times.

    Upon employment, all employees are required to fully comply with Greenwood Hospitality Group’s rules and regulations for the safe and efficient operation of hotel facilities. Employees who violate hotel rules and regulations will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

  5. Post your job

    There are a few common ways to find kitchen cleaners for your business:

    • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your kitchen cleaner job on Zippia to find and recruit kitchen cleaner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    To successfully recruit kitchen cleaners, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new kitchen cleaner

    Once you've found the kitchen cleaner candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a kitchen cleaner?

Before you start to hire kitchen cleaners, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire kitchen cleaners pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

Kitchen cleaners earn a median yearly salary is $29,748 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find kitchen cleaners for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $11 and $17.

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