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Rare 1961 dishwashing-wand kitchen faucet from National Rubber Machinery Co. — another Dishmaster competitor

Pam Kueber - Updated: August 7, 2020

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

vintage national rubber machinery detergent brush dishwasher 1961Adding to my online collection of vintage kitchen faucets that mimicked the famous and still-made-today Dishmaster, here’s what I presume is a very rare dishwashing-wand faucet that appears to have been launched in 1961 by National Rubber Machinery Co., of Medina, Ohio.  

This ’61 model looks very sleek and modern and was made of stainless steel — a very interesting design. I would LOVE to see one in the wild, for sure! Another wonderful oddity aka woddity! 

I now count four manufacturers — Dishmaster, Magic Queen, National, and Electro-Sink (see links to stories, below) — that made this type of kitchen-faucet-dishwasher. You can still get Dishmasters today — including with cool vintage design faceplates.

How these dishwashing-wand faucets work:

  • Dishwashing liquid is poured into a capped reservoir behind the spout. 
  • The spray wand can be used as a simply sprayer. But also, once it’s turned on and running…
  • … Push the diverter button on the wand, and the wand then pulls in a mix of dishwashing liquid and water — so that you can wash your dishes with the brush on the wand.
  • There are or were several types of brushes available.

Video that show how the Dishmaster and other dishwashing-wand kitchen faucets work:

The National Rubber Co. Detergent Brush Dishwasher could be ordered as either a deck-mount or wall-mount model. I like how it sits on eschutcheon/legs. Note, in my travels I bought an old Dishmaster specifically for its escutcheon-legs. One day, I will get my plumber back in, and we’ll retrofit them onto my faucet, which I’ve already hacked with circa 1948 handles and a vintage faceplace (also now available reproduced!).

More stories about rare vintage kitchen faucets in this mode: 

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  1. Calif Phil says

    We bought a new Dishmaster two years ago and absolutely love it.
    It works and looks perfect.

  2. carolyn says

    Do you think these were targeted at the average housewife? Or for the maid (Hazel) in the fancier upscale homes? Didn’t Laura Petrie have something like this?
    Funny, your blog opens our eyes to “new” old things so when we watch vintage sitcoms, our eyes are drawn to the background. I wonder how much fun the set designers had for that recent show about the astronauts wives and “Mad Men”?

    • Pam Kueber says

      Hi Carolyn, see the link to the Electro-Sink Center — Laura Petrie had one indeed.