Dish Duty
Share:
Welcome to Thomas Insights — every day, we publish the latest news and analysis to keep our readers up to date on what’s happening in industry. Sign up here to get the day’s top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
Frustrated by damage to her fine china while washing dishes by hand led Josephine Cochrane to experiment with — and eventually invent — the first successful automatic dishwasher.
A descendant of John Fitch, one of the innovators of the steamboat decades earlier, Cochrane also used steam to power her new invention. She devised wire compartments for dishes and cups that were mounted on a wheel inside of a copper boiler. The motor powered the spinning wheels, while water mixed with soap would be squirted onto the dinnerware. Patented in 1886, the dishwasher later won an award at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The new appliance soon became very popular in hotels and large restaurants.
However, the dishwasher did not become commonplace in homes until the 1950s, as most homes didn’t have the necessary hot water supplies until that time. Dishwashing detergent also progressed, cutting down on the dreaded soapy film residue.
The dishwasher company that Cochrane founded went on to become one of the nation’s foremost appliance brands: KitchenAid.
Image Credit: Cicero Castro / Shutterstock.com
