Dishwasher: The Socialite's China CrisisA wealthy widow built a machine to save her plates

From the show

The Secret Life of Objects

Josephine Cochrane didn't invent the dishwasher to save time; she did it to stop her servants from chipping her heirloom china. Frustrated by the lack of existing options, this wealthy socialite retreated to her shed to build a pressurized water wheel herself. Her stubbornness launched a household revolution.