The Automatic Dishwasher
Inspired by Joel Houghton's 1850 machine that simply splashed water on dishes, Josephine Cochran decided to invent something more efficient for dishwashing (34). In 1886, she invented the first practical dishwashing machine that was a hand operated, mechanical dishwashing machine. Wire compartments held dishes which were sprayed with hot soapy water(35). The wheel was turned by using a hand crank on the outside the machine (36). Though it worked, only hotels and large restaurants bought her dishwashers and it was not until the 1950s that the dishwasher was sold to the general public (37).
Cochran went on to produce dishwashers with her own company, a company that later became KitchenAid (38). KitchenAid produces all sorts of products for the kitchen, including dishwashers, cleaning supplies, refrigerators and cooking supplies.
Click here to view a picture and read more about the woman who invented the machine we use daily.
The Inventor of The Automatic Dishwasher