Which inventor patented the first successful mechanical dishwasher in 1886?

Josephine Cochrane patented the first successful mechanical dishwasher in 1886.

Cochrane designed a machine in which water jets sprayed dishes held securely in wire compartments. Her mechanism protected delicate china better than hand scrubbing or earlier washing devices. She received a United States patent for the design on December 28, 1886.

The invention was motivated partly by the desire to protect valuable dinnerware and reduce breakage during washing. Cochrane displayed the machine at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where it won an award. Hotels and restaurants became important early customers because they needed to wash large quantities of dishes.

Joel Houghton had patented an earlier hand-powered dishwashing device in 1850, but it was not a successful modern machine. Cochrane’s design was practical, commercially promoted, and influential in the development of later dishwashers.