You know how upsetting it is when your servants keep chipping all of your good china when they’re doing the dishes? The majority of us don’t, but because of one wealthy woman’s determination to put an end to her dishes being destroyed, we can all enjoy the luxury of the automatic dishwasher.

Josephine Cochrane was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio in 1839. When she was 19 years old she married a wealthy dry goods merchant and proceeded to live a life of luxury.

Her and her husband William lived in a mansion with servants and enjoyed a very active social life, much of it connected to William’s position in the Democratic party.

The day after the party’s, Josephine would often find her self getting upset at the fact that the servant’s had chipped some of her good china while washing it. Determined to put an end to the breaking of her dishes, Josephine decided to create a machine that would wash her china without breaking it.

While working on her invention, Josephine’s life took a drastic turn in 1883 when her husband died suddenly and she discovered that he had left her deeply in debt. This discovery strengthened her resolve to create the dishwashing machine in the hopes it would be the catalyst that propelled her out of debt.

She enlisted the help of a mechanic named George Butters, and they fastened dish holders out of wires that were placed inside the wheel of a copper boiler. A small motor turned the wheel and shot hot, soapy water over the dishes.

By 1886 she had a functioning model and was awarded her patent for the automatic dishwasher.

There was resistance when she tried to market the machine as the males running the companies didn’t think women would be interested in a machine that could wash their dishes for them. But Josephine knew she was on to something so she took her invention to hospitals and hotels, who saw the value in her product, and Josephine was able to dig herself out of debt.

She brought her invention to the World’s Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in 1893 and was awarded the top prize for best mechanical construction, durability and adaptation to its line of work.

Eventually she opened her own factory, which after changing hands several times over the decades is known today as the Whirlpool Corporation.

So the next time you’re loading your dishwasher, remember to thank a woman….thank Josephine Cochrane.