How Long Have Dishwashers Been Around?

In a modern kitchen, a dishwasher like this fully integrated dishwasher Erith model https://www.wellingtonshomeelectrical.co.uk/dishwashers/fullsize-dishwashers/fully-integrated.html is a fairly common appliance nowadays. Dishwashers help to save time that would otherwise be spent on washing up, so are particularly handy if you have a large family.

It might surprise you, but although they are considered a fairly modern appliance and something that was certainly not commonplace in the UK before the 90s, they have actually been around much longer.

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The first dishwasher was created in 1850 by Joe Houghton, an American inventor. However, this was before plug in appliances, so it had to be operated by tuning a handle to spray the contents with water.

It was not until 1924 that English inventor William Howard Livens created the first dishwasher powered by electricity. This was a departure from his usual work, which was creating chemical weapons for use in war! At this time, it was not a commercial success, and the vast majority of people were not able to afford such a machine. Having space for it in the kitchen was another issue.

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It wasn’t until after the second world war, when dishwashers, alongside a lot of other home appliances, really started to become known to the average consumer. However, even then, it was not something that many people had. Through the decades however, dishwashers became smaller and more efficient, and also started to add features that made them more appealing, and so their popularity steadily grew.

Nowadays, a dishwasher comes in a variety of sizes and has an abundance of features, making it a great time saver for modern life.