Last year,
during Thanksgiving week, hubbs and I were watching television when an ad came
on for Cascade dishwasher soap. The ad claimed Cascade dishwasher soap dated
back over 50 years, which prompted me to ask hubbs how long the dishwasher had
been around. (Mom didn’t have one in the 70’s & I really don’t remember if any
of my friends’ moms had one.) Hubbs guessed the dishwasher came on scene in the
50’s, maybe a bit earlier. A quick inquiry on Google left me stunned.
The 1st
dishwasher was built in 1850 by Joel Hoghton. Constructed of wood, Hoghton’s
dishwasher had a crank on one side of the barrel, that, when turned, would
spray water across the dishes. Though having to turn a crank wasn’t the best
way to wash dishes, Houghton was awarded a patent for his invention. L.A.
Alexander crafted his own dishwasher in 1860. Based off of Hoghton’s model,
Alexander’s dishwasher rotated dishes through a tub of water using a gear
mechanism. Like Hoghton, this dishwasher was also not successful.
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| Josephine's model |
In 1889, another
hand-operated model was introduced. Invented by Josephine Cochrane and George
Butters, this dishwasher was named Lavaplatos and appeared in the 1893 World’s
Fair in Chicago. Married to wealthy business man, William Cochran, and living
in Illinois, Josephine shared her ideas regarding a dishwasher with her friend George,
who was a mechanic. Working together, the duo crafted a model in Josephine’s shed
in 1886, with George going on to become one of Josephine’s employees. He formed
Garis-Cochrane dishwashing manufacturing company, received a patent for their
dishwasher in December 1886, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall
of Fame in 2006.
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| 1959 Hobart Kd12 KitchenAid |
Josephine’s
and George’s model required the use of a crank outside the washer. Dishes and silverware
were held in place by use of wire compartments that were placed on a wheel that
was then placed inside the unit. Pressurized hot water from a spray arm inside
the unit washed the dishes; the water boiled from a copper kettle also inside
the unit. The dishwasher’s handle was used to disperse hot soapy water onto the
dishes, while another mechanism sprayed hot water to rinse them. At this time,
only hotels, restaurants, and the wealthy had use for a dishwasher. George’s company was eventually incorporated
into Hobart Manufacturing under the KitchenAid brand. In 1949, KitchenAid
crafted a dishwasher based off of Josephine and George’s model, and the 1950’s
ushered in the use of dishwashers in the average person’s home. Today, most
homes have a dishwasher, and KitchenAid is now part of Whirlpool Corporation.
