-
Early methods of cleaning dishes was by hand. The depended on location, resources, and social customs.
Before soap, ancient civilizations used natural, readily available materials for cleaning:
-Sand and silt to scour cookware and dishes.
-Ash and lye: to cut through grease.
Washing in waterways: In many early societies, dishwashing was a communal task performed in rivers, streams, or large basins. -
The first soap was made from a mixture of animal fat and ash.
-
Created by Joel Houghton. He received the first U.S. patent for a mechanical dishwashing device, it featured a hand-cranked wheel that splashed water onto dishes. -
L.A. Alexander improved upon Houghton's design, creating a hand-powered mechanism with geared racks that would spin dishes through a tub of water.
-
Invented by Josephine Cochran; she patented and built the first successful automatic dishwasher. From a family of engineers and owners of the Crescent Washing Machine Company. Her design was the first to use water pressure, instead of scrubbers, making it more efficient, a principle that remains fundamental to modern dishwashers. George Butters, a mechanic, assisted her to create a copper boiler with a motorized wheel that sprayed hot, soapy water onto dishes held in wire compartments. -
Won 1st place at the Worlds Fair in Chicago. Began selling to restaurants and hotels due to size and cost. -
Key innovations began developing permanent plumbing to move from commercial to eventually domestic installation.
-
British inventor, William Howard Livens, invented a small, non-electric dishwasher suitable for domestic use. It was the first dishwasher that incorporated most of the design elements that are featured in the models of today such as, front load door, wire racks and the rotating sprayer.
Williams version was most suitable, and the first, for domestic use. It came at a time when permanent plumbing and running water in the house was becoming increasingly common. -
Hobart Manufacturing Company, later KitchenAid, acquired Cochran's company. Her design formed the foundation for KitchenAid dishwashers and thus "Whirlpool".
-
German company, Miele, manufactured the first domestic, fully electric and plumb connected dishwasher. The Great Depression limited sales in the U.S. -
The 1940's ushered in the addition of electric drying elements; as connectivity and technology improved.
-
The dishwasher began as a luxury item in homes from the early 1950's to then transitioning to a common household appliance by the late 1960's. The advances in indoor plumbing and technology as well as the boom in home ownership after WWII led to these modernizations.
-
1970's marks the decade where the appliance became mainstream and "expected". Industry manufacturing costs lowered as did consumer price. -
1990 to 2025 has ushered in many technological advances:
Improved water and energy efficiency
Specialized wash cycles
Noise reduction(s)
Advanced Filtration and soil sensing tech
Fold down tines and 3rd racks
Smart features / WiFi and App integrations