Josephine Cochrane

Cochrane made dishwashing a workable business, not just a clever mechanism. Her 1886 patent used water jets and racks to clean dishes, and she pursued manufacture, sales and installation with mechanical collaborators. Earlier dishwashing devices already existed; hotels and restaurants were important customers before household plumbing caught up. Her story connects a familiar kitchen chore with the less glamorous work needed to turn an invention into an appliance.