The Dishwasher

A dishwasher is a machine that cleans dishes for you. You put dirty dishes, cups, and forks inside. Then the machine sprays them with hot water and soap. It saves people a lot of time. The dishwasher was invented by a woman named Josephine Cochrane in 1886.

Who Invented It

Josephine Cochrane was a wealthy woman who often had parties. She was upset when her servants chipped her nice dishes while washing them. So she decided to make a machine to do the job. Her dishwasher used water pressure to clean the dishes. She showed it at the 1893 World's Fair, and people loved it.

How It Works

A dishwasher has racks to hold dishes inside. When you turn it on, it fills with water and heats it up. Spinning arms shoot hot soapy water onto the dishes. After washing, it rinses with clean water and dries them with heat. A whole load of dishes can be cleaned in about an hour.

Fun Facts

• The dishwasher was invented by Josephine Cochrane in 1886.
• A dishwasher uses less water than washing dishes by hand.
• Some dishwashers are so quiet you can barely hear them run.

Did You Know?

Josephine Cochrane's dishwasher company later became KitchenAid, which still makes kitchen machines today.