From hand-washing tableware with grated soap and a wooden brush to relaxing with a high-end semi integrated dishwasher that does it all for you, the evolution of the dishwasher has truly transformed the way that we handle dirty dishes. Let’s take a closer look.
The first early dishwashers were invented in the middle of the 1800s, but they were ineffective. A newly widowed socialite, Josephine Cochrane, invented hers out of necessity, growing tired of waiting for the market to provide a robust solution. Her first model used water pressure to clean china, and it was patented in 1886. Her design was a hit with restaurant and hotel owners when it was an exhibit at the World Fair in 1893. However, it didn’t catch on as a home appliance for another few decades.
Cochrane’s early dishwasher designs were too big for the home, but a new innovation in 1921 saw the dishwasher reduced to a size small enough for the home. The smaller and enhanced model was created in 1921 by a school teacher for his wife, and it was designed to be hooked up to a hot water tap. With water jets and a wire racking system, some elements of this early semi integrated dishwasher are still recognisable today, even if the design would be considered very rudimentary now.
General Electric began making commercially popular dishwashers after the Second World War, when an economic boom gave people money, and manufacturers were once again able to produce commercial products. These models looked akin to the types of dishwasher you’d find today from a provider such as Wellingtons Home Electrical.
So as you can see that the dishwasher is nothing new, and it’s been saving labour in the kitchen for over 150 years already! Today, homeowners can choose from integrated, free-standing and semi integrated dishwasher options that meet a variety of needs with increasingly effective, fast and environmentally friendly designs for a more sustainable future.
Do you use a dishwasher in your home today?