Josephine Cochrane

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Josephine Cochrane

Josephine Cochrane was the woman who invented the dishwasher. She lived in Shelbyville, Illinois, U.S.A and she would always use her family china for dinner parties. It was after one of these that she noticed that some of her good china had become chipped. It happened when the servants washed it up.
She decided that she would wash it herself instead of letting the servants do it. She soon realised it was time consuming as she not only had to wash but dry too. It wasn't really a job for her and she pondered why someone hadn't invented a machine to do it. She then thought of herself and began to think of an idea for a machine.
Josephine Cochrane's father John Garis had been a civil engineer and her grandfather was John Fitch who designed a steamboat in 1786. So perhaps it is no surprise she managed to invent her own dishwasher.
But as soon as she hit upon the idea her husband William Cochran (she was the one that added the e to their name) died leaving huge debts and very little money.
Josephine Cochrane was determined her invention would work and began to put together the basic model in her shed in the garden. She took on George Butters, a mechanic to help her make it.
The first dishwasher was a great success Josephine Cochrane used it in her kitchen. Her friends and neighbours were very impressed. A businessman thought it ideal for hotels.
So Josephine Cochrane got a patent for her dishwasher and called it the Garis-Cochran Dish - washing machine.
she then had to sell her dishwasher and as it was so expensive it was mostly sold to hotels and other businesses. Hospitals and colleges used them as the dishwasher was more hygienic. She would travel all over the country to advertise and sell her dishwasher.
She died in 1913 at the age of 74 of nervous exhaustion. The business then changed it's name several times and was taken over by another business. It is now part of Whirlpool.
It's not amazing that a woman invented the dishwasher. But what is amazing is it was during the 1800's that she did so.

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