Dishwashing products

What is dishwashing? All the pieces, bowls, plates, dishes, cutlery, etc. that are used for eating… So the meal is at the origin of dishwashing.

Dishwashing has existed for a very long time, and it seems that it was the Chinese, around 8000 years BC, who invented the first dishes. They were made of terracotta, wood… and have evolved over the centuries since there were dishes made of iron, ceramic, tin, silver, cardboard and today plastic… But these dishes have to be washed!

Two ways to wash these dishes: by hand or with a machine called a dishwasher.

What product is used for hand washing? Centuries ago, people made their own washing products with plants and more precisely with their roots that make the water foam, the soapwort. Later, the Gauls invented a soap made from beech ash and goat fat, and Marseille had a reputation for making the best soaps for the Roman Empire. To date, there are a good twenty liquid products from different brands.

When did the dishwasher first appear?

Its origins date back to 1850, but semi-automatic dishwashers date back to 1886 thanks to the American Joséphine Cochrane who did not want to chip her dishes. In 1920, electrical elements were added and this appliance has become commonplace in Europe since 1980, since half of households have a dishwasher. In 2020, nearly 3 million were sold in France.

But be careful, the hand washing product is not compatible with dishwashers, because it produces too much foam. Special products have therefore been invented and are available in different forms, in liquid, powder, tablets or capsules. Here too, there are around twenty products.

The market for dishwashing products continues to expand. The 2024 forecasts give a market value of 24.6 billion dollars, and for 2029 a figure of around 33.2 billion dollars. This increase is due to Covid 19 in the years 2022/2023 following the behavior of users concerning household hygiene, and especially washing products.

In the Asia and Pacific regions, the increase has been very significant, both in the field of washing and in home maintenance, leading brands to offer very good quality products.

In 2023, the French market for detergents (cleaning products, products for hand and machine dishwashing, etc.) amounted to more than 5 billion euros. This market remains in constant evolution, a challenge even, given the regulations which are becoming increasingly strict and the rigorous standards imposed by the European Union.