††††The first dishwasher was invented in America as long ago as 1850. As this was before electricity was widespread, it was powered by steam. The early dishwashers were designed for restaurants and caterers. They usually worked by passing the dirty dishes under jets of hot water by means of a conveyor belt or a revolving basket. They were generally inefficient. Modern dishwashers have reversed this early procedure; the stationary dishes are washed by revolving jets above and below the basket. The cleaning procedure is aided by the use of powerful detergents.
