Did You Know? Fascinating Facts About Dishwashers

In today’s fast-paced world, the dishwasher stands as one of the most treasured appliances in our kitchens. Whether you’re a busy homeowner or a housemate juggling multiple responsibilities, the dishwasher is a modern marvel that saves time, conserves water, and ensures sparkling clean dishes with minimal effort. But how much do you really know about your dishwasher? From its historical origins to innovative technologies, there’s a wealth of fascinating facts that might surprise you.

In this blog, we uncover some fascinating facts about dishwashers, like its historical origins, innovative technologies, environmental benefits, and tips for maximising their performance. Get ready to appreciate your dishwasher like never before!

Dishwasher Fun Facts

• Historical Origins: the dishwasher isn’t as modern as you might think. The first patent for a dishwasher was filed in 1850 by Joel Houghton. This initial device was hand-cranked and made of wood, using a wheel to splash water onto dishes. While it wasn’t widely adopted, it laid the groundwork for future innovations.
• The First Dishwasher: was invented in 1886 by Josephine Cochrane, a socialite frustrated with her servants chipping her fine china. She invented the first practical dishwasher that used water pressure rather than scrubbers to clean dishes. Her invention debuted at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, marking a significant milestone in the history of dishwashers.

Above: Josephine (Garis) Cochrane, the inventor of the modern day dishwasher. The second patent for her dishwasher was established in 1917.

• Commercial Adoption of Dishwashers: dishwashers were originally designed for primary use within commercial settings (mainly hotels and restaurants) due to their size and cost.
• Dishwashers in the Home: residential use of dishwashers didn’t occur until the 1950s when they became more compact and affordable for residential use. The post-World War II economic boom and the rise of suburban living contributed to their widespread popularity in homes.

Above: Early domestic designs of dishwashers. The first was an electric dishwasher manufactured by Josephine Cochran’s Crescent Washing Machine Company in the early 1900s. In 1949 KitchenAid released its first dishwasher model available in Pink & White. Later in 1959, Electrolux launched its first dishwasher, the countertop model D10. 

Dishwashers Today

Modern dishwashers of today are widely available with many brands, models, installation types and colours to choose from. Dishwashers you either have or are considering would feature a range of specifications and functions like smart sensors and energy-saving modes that help enhance their operation and overall efficiency.

Below, we outline some of the common features and functions of many dishwashers available in the market today.

Greater Flexibility

Dishwashers offer a variety of stacking options to accommodate different dish sizes and shapes, as well as other specific items such as glasses, cookware or cutlery and utensils. Common dishwasher builds and accessories essential to the dishwashing experience include:

• Height-adjustable baskets allow you to customise the interior space, while foldable racks and tines provide flexibility for larger items.
• Wine glass supports ensure delicate glassware are securely washed.
• Additionally, the choice between a cutlery basket or cutlery drawer depends on your preference and the size of your cutlery load. A basket offers a more traditional approach, while a drawer can provide easier access and loading/unloading, especially if the tray is removable.

Below: A cutlery tray/drawer differs from a cutlery basket, each offering their own ways to load and unload cutlery and utensils. Wine glass supports, found in most dishwashers, ensure safer washing.

Advanced Cleaning Mechanisms

Modern dishwashers are equipped with sophisticated cleaning mechanisms that ensure every dish is spotless. Features like multi-level spray arms, powerful jets, and targeted wash zones tackle even the toughest grime, making manual pre-rinsing a thing of the past.

Smart Dishwashers

With the advent of smart home technology, dishwashers have also evolved. Wi-Fi-enabled dishwasher models allow users to control and monitor their dishwasher remotely through smartphone apps. Features like cycle notifications, diagnostics, and voice control integration with smart home assistants add convenience and efficiency to daily washing.

Customisable Wash Cycles

Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all wash cycles. Today’s dishwashers offer a range of customisable settings tailored to different types of loads. From delicate glassware to heavily soiled pots and pans, users can choose cycles that optimise water and energy usage for their load type, all the while ensuring optimal cleaning performance.

In addition to the many wash programs or cycles available, most dishwashers of today also boast wash options or modifiers that help target specific needs. For example, dishwashing modifiers such as ‘extra dry’, ‘hygiene’ or ‘quiet’ will assist in producing cupboard ready, hygienically clean and peaceful results.

Dishwasher Environmental Benefits

Dishwashers offer significant environmental benefits. Compared to handwashing, dishwashers use less water, especially when fully loaded. They also operate at higher temperatures, which can kill bacteria more effectively, reducing the need for harsh chemicals. Furthermore, modern dishwashers often incorporate energy-efficient features like low-water consumption settings and drying cycles that minimise energy usage. By choosing a dishwasher, individuals and households can contribute to water conservation and reduce overall environmental impact.

Tips for Maximising Dishwasher Performance

• Run full loads: Whenever possible, wait until the dishwasher is full before running a cycle. This saves water and energy.
• Load properly: Ensure dishes are not stacked too tightly. Allow space between items for water to reach all surfaces.
• Scrape food particles: Remove large food debris before loading. This prevents clogging and ensures efficient cleaning.
• Avoid rinsing dishes before loading: Modern dishwashers are designed to handle food residue. Excessive rinsing wastes water.
• Use the right detergent: Select a dishwasher detergent formulated for your machine. Avoid using excessive detergent, as it can leave residue.
• Check & clean filters regularly: Clean the filter to prevent clogs and ensure optimal water flow. Clean filters will also reduce odours in the dishwasher.
• Check for leaks: Regularly inspect the dishwasher for any signs of leaks, which can lead to water damage and waste.
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions: Refer to your dishwasher’s manual for specific care and maintenance guidelines.

Our Top 4 Dishwashers

In this next section, we’ll share our top 4 dishwasher models. These selections are based on their performance, features, and energy efficiency. Whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly option or a high-end model with all the bells and whistles, we’ve got you covered.

Smarter Washing with QuadWash® Technology: LG’s 60cm Freestanding Dishwasher – Matte Black (XD3A15MB)

This unique LG dishwasher is designed to deliver sparkling clean dishes thanks to its QuadWash® cleaning technology. QuadWash® uses four rotating blades on the bottom spray arm to get into every corner of your dishes, making sure no mess gets missed. Its auto open door after a completed wash cycle enhances drying, naturally. Users can choose from 14 wash programs, whilst the Dual Zone Wash option provides independent control of the water spray intensity of the upper and lower racks based on items in it. For example gentle intensity for wine glasses in the top rack and heavy intensity for pots & pans in the bottom. Smart enabled, this LG dishwasher can be remotely managed via the LG ThinQ® app to download new wash cycles, diagnose problems and receive notifications ¹.

Washes Two Loads at Once: Fisher & Paykel’s 60cm Built-under Double DishDrawer™ Dishwasher – Black Stainless Steel (DD60D4NB9)

Enjoy the best of both worlds when you wash with this double drawer dishwasher from Fisher & Paykel. This dishwasher’s two drawers can operate independently, so two wash cycles can run simultaneously to allow for varying loads, perfect for large families, entertainers and home chefs. Run a heavy cycle in the bottom for cookware while the top delicately washes plates and glassware. Maybe sanitising baby bottles in one drawer and running an eco cycle on daily dishes in the other might sound familiar to your household? Whatever the washing lifestyle, this Double DishDrawer™ Dishwasher is designed to meet every need. Both drawers feature 7 place settings for a total of 14 place settings across the whole unit, with 6 wash cycles to choose from, and 3 wash modifiers to target changing needs. A knock to pause function and SmartHQ™app remote control and monitoring makes this dishwasher one to consider!

Washed, Dried and Ready to Go: Westinghouse’s 60cm Freestanding Dishwasher – Stainless Steel (WSF6606XB)

For those moments when you need dishes dried and ready to store away or use, this Westinghouse 60cm Freestanding Dishwasher will do the trick! With its generous family-friendly 15-place setting, this dishwasher delivers on ultra-fast and dried results thanks to its FastDry system, which swiftly removes humid air for sparkling, dry dishes. The AutoDoor opening at the end of the wash cycle also enhances drying for spotless and eco-friendly washing. Designed to please, this dishwasher also operates with 6 wash programs and a range of flexible loading options, with a total of three baskets to choose from: a lower basket, height adjustable upper basket and third removable cutlery tray.

Loading and Washing Flexibility: Bosch’s 60cm Freestanding Dishwasher – Black (SMS6HCB01A)

With every load, enjoy greater loading and unloading flexibility so that all your dishes, cookware, cutlery and glasses can be washed. Providing easy customisation is this Bosch dishwasher’s various baskets which includes a bottom basket, a middle adjustable Rackmatic basket with three levels to choose from, as well as top (third) VarioDrawer full-width tray that’s the ideal place for cutlery and utensils. The inclusion of the cutlery basket means you can wash more cutlery/utensils or completely remove the basket to fit more items in the bottom rack. Washing flexibility aside, this Bosch 60cm Freestanding Dishwasher also features 8 wash programs and an Extra Clean Zone in the centre of the middle basket which provides an intensive wash, perfect for heavily soiled items. Smart control compatible with the Home Connect app, dishwashing can be remotely managed via your smart devices.

Dishwashers: Final Thoughts

Dishwashers are full of surprises! From its early origins to the now smart integrated and environmentally friendly models, dishwashers are truly a blessing in the kitchen, saving time, effort and resources. And now widely available with a growing range of innovative features and functions, there’s always something to discover about dishwashers whether you’re getting your first or fifth! We hope these dishwasher facts, tips and shared popular models have given you a new appreciation for this household hero.

Keep your kitchen washing experiences running smoothly! Check out all featured dishwashers in the links below.

DISCLAIMERS 

¹ LG ThinQ® app available on compatible Android or iOS smartphones. Phone and Home Wi-Fi Data connection and product registration with LG ThinQ® required. Visit lg.com/au/lg-thinq for features, system compatibility and service availability which may vary by country and model. Google and Google Home are trademarks of Google LLC. Voice-enabled smart speaker device is not included.