How The Dishwasher Evolved
As we move through the second decade of the 21st century, something like three-quarters of U.S. homes include at least one dishwasher. This is an impressive statistic, but when compared to how many householders own a refrigerator and a microwave it still lags behind this kitchen appliance duo’s ninety-five-plus percent each.
Even so, dishwashers are a big part of American home life. So when did the modern dishwasher come about, and when did it enter the American consciousness and find its place as a major kitchen appliance? A DiChristopher takes a look at how our modern dishwasher came to be.
The History Of The Automatic Dishwasher
The boom times that followed World War II ushered in a time of amazing home appliance invention and innovation. Prior to that, the increase in homes that had electricity was a must before all this upward domestic mobility could be achieved. The first decade of the 19th century saw only eight percent of U.S. home equipped with electricity, compared to over fifty percent by the mid 1920’s. And while refrigerators and clothes washing machines were being manufactured in the 1930’s, it wasn’t until the middle class began to come into full bloom after World War II that kitchen appliance mania took hold and truly revolutionized our kitchens.
Prior to World War II, when someone said the word “dishwasher” they would have most likely had in mind an image of someone standing over a sink, scrubbing away at pots and pans. A mechanically run dishwasher was available during the early 20th century, followed by one that ran on electricity as the 1930’s approached. But the practicality of a non-electrical dishwasher clearly left something to be desired, and the electrical forerunner of our modern dishwasher had a price tag that was beyond most of early 20th century homeowners.
It wasn’t until well into the 1970’s that our modern dishwasher came into its own as a common kitchen appliance. The price of automatic dishwashers had a lot to do with this. After all, when families had budgets that forced them to choose between a refrigerator and a dishwasher the choice would have been clear. That’s still true today, of course. Still, both technology and pricing through the decades have at last brought the modern dishwasher into the common family of kitchen appliances. Now approximately three out of four households include an automatic dishwasher.
While a dishwasher may not yet be thought of as an absolutely essential kitchen appliance compared to refrigerators or microwaves, the dishwasher has nonetheless come a long way from when it was considered strictly a luxury. And until the day when every household might have its very own robot to scrub those pots and pans, a la The Jestsons, the modern automatic dishwasher is here to stay.
Need Dishwasher Or Other Home Appliance Repair? Call DiChristopher!
Doug and Alison DiChristopher have run A DiChristopher Appliance Service since 1992. We’re proud of our reputation as a locally owned and locally caring Tampa Bay area business. Whether you need repair on your dishwasher, refrigerator, stove repair or clothes washer/dryer, A DiChristopher does that and more. We have been an Angie’s List Super Service Award Winner Since 2004. A reputation for honesty and reliability is our recipe for success.
Call (813) 961-1188 or use our Contact Us Page.