Dishwasher
In 1886, Josephine Garis Cochran patented a dishwasher after mounting irritation at how long it took to wash the dishes after her dinner parties. As she put it, “If nobody else is going to invent a washing machine, I’ll do it myself.” Dishes were placed in a basket. A hand-turned wheel would splash soap and water on them while scrubbers removed the grime. She displayed the machine publicly at the 1893 World’s Fair. The success at the Fair allowed her to open a factory in 1898, which later became part of the KitchenAid company. Hotels, colleges, and restaurants were early adopters of her machine to help with the high volume of dishes they need to clean each day. Her invention became a common household appliance starting in the 1950s.