History
America 1850 saw the birth of the first Dishwasher. A man named Joel Houghton patented a wooden machine. It had a wooden handle that when turned, water would splash onto plates. L.A. Alexander obtained a patent in 1865. It would spin a rack of dishes through the dishwater. This device used a hand crank and gearing system that really didn’t do much cleaning as with the earlier model. .
In 1893 Josephine Cochrane unveiled the first real dishwasher at the World’ Fair but, much to her surprise, only big restaurants and hotels took an interest. Work had begun on her model in 1886 so it had taken a while to get it there. All was not lost, considering that electricity was not wide spread at this time she eventually got her hand operated product out there and selling. It became known as the Kitchen Aid Company.
Steam operated dishwashers were soon to follow. They were aimed at caterers and restaurants and of course, eventually the electric washer was born. It was around the 1950’s when they really caught on. Due to the size and price but I suspect the level of actual cleaning played a major role too.
Makes
You can now buy a huge range of dishwashers. Some of the big competitors consist of companies like
- Bosh
- Hotpoint
- Indesit
- Whirlpool
- Zanussi
- Beko
They come in a range of power and sizes too. You can get slim line washers for small kitchen and power saving washers that are being made now to be more eco friendly.
Keeping it clean and in good working order
However given the fact that the dish washer washes your dishes, it to sometimes will need a clean. A bit like a bath towel, even though you rub yourself dry after cleaning yourself the towel still gets smelly. The dishwasher is no different. It will smell musty from time to time and not forgetting that old favorite, lime scale.
You can keep your dish washer clean by simply using a dish washer cleaner during a rinse. Check the filters are clean. You can get a buildup of waste food collecting in them even when you think you’ve rinsed it all off first. Also you should check any arms for damage and the rubber seals around the door. If any of these parts have become damaged you should replace them.
When the washer has just finished a cycle, empty it and give a good wipe out. Go in and under and round and about every nuck and cranny you can find. Some warm soapy water will be fine for this and a non abrasive cloth.
Use the washer on a regular basis to help keep it clean and fresh. You can buy products to pop in your washer to freshen up the smell but if you keep it clean, it won’t need this. Don’t forget, you can get lime scale removers for dishwashers too. If you invest in any products remember to read the instructions and follow them to the letter but as I said, regular use and a wipe over will keep it clean with having to use harsh chemicals too often.
Happy dish washing.