Small Invention Hall of Fame: The Dishwasher

The 20th century saw some amazing technological leaps that contributed greatly to societal evolution. From the computer to the motor car, the aeroplane to the life-support machine.

There can be no doubt about how much some of these inventions have changed our lives and advanced our development. However there are smaller, less lauded inventions that go under the radar of our attention, and therefore their importance is often overlooked.

Today I'd like to start a series of articles that looks at some of the products and technologies that have changed our lives for the better, but for some reason are not celebrated as much as they should be.

First up is the humble dishwasher. By no means as ubiquitous as the computer or mobile phone, however in my opinion, no less important. The dishwasher is one of the hidden stitches that holds together the fabric of society.

If you would indulge me for a couple of minutes, I'll explain my bold claims below.

A History of Servitude

Before we go any further, let us take a quick glimpse at the history of our little metal friend.

The first dishwasher as we would recognise it, was actually invented in the 19th century, in 1885 by Josephine Cochran and was operated using a hand crank.

Cochran's invention was borne out of frustration. She was a wealthy woman who could afford nice china plates and servants to wash them. However her exasperation at how her clumsy servants were always breaking her dishes, led Cochran to invent the modern dishwasher.

It took until the 1970s before they were cheap enough for the average household to afford. Arguably it took until about the 1990s before they could actually wash your dishes better than you could.

However there is very little argument now as to how effective they are. The dishwasher is here to stay!

Washing Away Arguments

So why do I believe the dishwasher should be inducted into the small inventions hall of fame? The first reason is that one of the unforeseen benefits of the dishwasher, is the social harmony it promotes.

I remember living with various friends in my late teens and early twenties, and one of the most common arguments was always about the dirty dishes in the sink. I know that I or my friends were not particularly unique in this respect. The washing up argument happens in homes all over the globe. Whether it's young adults sharing a house, or couples that move in together, the washing up is often a massive bone of contention.

All of those arguments evaporate in the face of a new dishwasher. Sure you can argue about it being filled or emptied, however these aren't real conflicts, nobody can be that resentful about putting away dishes that have been cleaned by methods other than their own hand.

Thus I would say that the dishwasher is the biggest and best tool that marriage guidance never knew it had.

You may leave your spouse for many reasons, however with a dishwasher, not doing the dishes will not be one of those reasons.

Giving Back Time

If you tot up the amount of hours you spend doing mundane, yet necessary tasks, you end up with a lot of hours. From brushing your teeth to hoovering the carpet, these tasks are boring yet important enough not to neglect.

Washing dishes is just such one of these mundane activities which you no longer have to do if you have a dishwasher.

Would Larry Page have had the time to invent Google if he didn't have a machine to do his dishes?

I very much doubt it.

Or what about the team that pioneered keyhole surgery; do you think they could have done that with a sink pilled high with plates bearing the previous night's lasagne?

Of course not!

Lest us not we forget how tidy the dishwasher keeps our kitchens. Before their arrival the kitchen only looked tidy once we had washed and cleared away the dishes. Now though, we simply have to stuff them in the machine after a dinner party and voila! The place looks like nothing has happened at all.

Thanks

So my first nomination to go into the Small Inventions Hall of Fame, is the dishwasher, for services to humanity. It has healed broken relationships, and allowed our greatest minds the time to invent and develop the bigger things.

Dishwasher, I thank you.

DO YOU HAVE A DISHWASHER, DO YOU CHERISH IT LIKE A MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY? WHAT SMALL INVENTIONS WOULD YOU PUT INTO THE 'HALL OF FAME' AND WHY? OR MAYBE THERE IS A SMALL INVENTION THAT NEEDS TO BE INVENTED SO IT CAN BE INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME?

AS EVER, LET ME KNOW BELOW!

Cryptogee