Who Invented the Dishwasher?

Everyone loves a big holiday dinner, and who could resist a freshly baked dessert? But with all the cooking and baking many people do through the holidays, there are often an incredible number of dishes to clean at the end of the day. You might rely on the convenience of dishwashers to tackle these post-dinner messes — but have you ever heard the story behind the invention of the dishwasher? Read on to learn about the inventor who made the chore of dishwashing so much easier: National Inventors Hall of Fame^® Inductee Josephine Garis Cochran.

Creating Her Own Solution

Cochran was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, in 1841. She had a natural talent for problem solving and invention, and though she became interested in engineering, she did not have access to the resources needed to pursue higher education in the subject. Such opportunities rarely were afforded to women at the time.

While living in Shelbyville, Illinois, in the late 1850s, Cochran began to think about how she might make the task of dishwashing easier. She not only found dishwashing to be tedious, but she also became frustrated that it frequently resulted in chipped dishware.

According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Cochran said, “If nobody else is going to invent a [mechanical] dishwashing machine, I’ll do it myself.” In 1883, when Cochran’s husband passed away and she was left with many unpaid debts and little cash, she realized that if she could invent a successful dishwashing machine, it could become the solution she needed to achieve financial independence.

Developing a Better Design

As Cochran began working on a prototype of her dishwashing machine, she recruited some help from a young mechanic named George Butters. In 1885, she filed for her first patent under the name “J.G. Cochran.” Her patent was granted in 1886.

Though she first tried working with existing manufacturing firms to produce and sell her machine, Cochran eventually decided to open her own, and Butters would serve as the foreman. “I couldn’t get men to do the things I wanted in my way until they had tried and failed in their own. And that was costly for me,” Cochran explained. “They knew I knew nothing, academically, about mechanics, and they insisted on having their own way with my invention until they convinced themselves my way was the better, no matter how I had arrived at it.”

Cochran’s design for the first practical dishwasher involved a set of wire compartments, each created to fit plates, cups or saucers. The compartments were placed inside a wheel that lay flat inside a copper boiler, while a motor turned the wheel, pumping hot soapy water from the bottom of the boiler. Though other dishwashing machines had been developed before hers, Cochran’s was the first one with racks specifically designed to hold the dishes in place. It also was the first to use water pressure instead of scrubbers. Plus, Cochran’s design was far more convenient in comparison to previous machines that had required users to pour boiling water over the dishes.

Bringing Dishwashers Into Homes

To market her dishwashing machine, Cochran established the Garis-Cochran Dish-Washing Co. At first, she focused on selling to businesses like hotels and large restaurants. Her largest model could wash and dry an impressive 240 dishes in just two minutes, so it sold well to hospitals and colleges as well.

Cochran moved to Chicago in 1890, and a few years later, her machine was showcased in the World Columbian Exposition of 1893 — an excellent opportunity for publicity and sales. Cochran won a prize for her dishwasher, and she later exhibited it at fairs in Massachusetts, New York and Missouri.

While the Garis-Cochran dishwasher was a hit among businesses, it might surprise you that initially it was not popular with individual consumers. At the time, hot water heaters in homes could not supply the amount of hot water the dishwasher required. As a result, a soapy residue would be left on the dishes. It wasn’t until the 1950s that dishwasher sales picked up among consumers. As homes had more hot water available, more effective dishwashing detergents came to market and attitudes around housework began to change, dishwashers became much more popular with the general public.

Not only was Cochran an inventor, manufacturer and salesperson, but she even oversaw dishwasher installations, and she continued to develop and patent improvements on her invention. Cochran once said, “If I knew all I know today when I began to put the dishwasher on the market, I never would have had the courage to start. But then, I would have missed a very wonderful experience.”

The Garis-Cochran Manufacturing Co. became part of KitchenAid, and in 1949, the first KitchenAid dishwasher based on Cochran's design was introduced to the public. Today, the dishwasher is a standard appliance found in most American kitchens, and many of us have come to rely on the convenience of Cochran’s ingenious invention not only through the busy holiday season, but throughout the year.

Meet More World-Changing Inventors

Did you know that Cochran is one of more than 650 creators and innovators who have been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame? To learn more of these inventors’ unique and inspiring stories, keep exploring our website.