I'm 84, grew up middle/upper middle income, and we never had a dishwasher. This was in rent controlled Manhattan, where Landlords predictably didn't upgrade electrical or water systems. The energy required for drying was much more than our slender wires could supply. So Mom cooked, sort of, when she came back from work, and Dad washed the dishes. My sister and I alternated drying/restacking duties with table setting and clearing. In this primitive setup we had a substantial dining room down a hallway from the kitchen. We thought ourselves oh so modern.
It is important to point out that dishwasher was only one of dozens of electric household appliances that radically reduced the number of hours per week that women had to devote to household work. This suite of technologies revolutionized women's workforce opportunities in the 20th Century far more than feminism or government legislation.
I'm 84, grew up middle/upper middle income, and we never had a dishwasher. This was in rent controlled Manhattan, where Landlords predictably didn't upgrade electrical or water systems. The energy required for drying was much more than our slender wires could supply. So Mom cooked, sort of, when she came back from work, and Dad washed the dishes. My sister and I alternated drying/restacking duties with table setting and clearing. In this primitive setup we had a substantial dining room down a hallway from the kitchen. We thought ourselves oh so modern.
Fascinating. Many thanks for sharing this.
This is a great and entertaining piece, thanks much.
Inspiring!
Great article.
It is important to point out that dishwasher was only one of dozens of electric household appliances that radically reduced the number of hours per week that women had to devote to household work. This suite of technologies revolutionized women's workforce opportunities in the 20th Century far more than feminism or government legislation.
I write more about the topic here:
https://frompovertytoprogress.substack.com/p/how-technological-innovations-liberated