One of the best things about my Bosch dishwasher is its sound- or lack of it. My previous dishwasher could be heard throughout our house so we really appreciate the quiet.

Newer houses have open floor plans and consumers are looking for quieter appliances that allow families to work, talk and play without the noise older appliances make.

But building a quieter dishwasher is more about decibels than marketing. In the past 18 months, appliance makers have come together to create an industry standard for monitoring dishwasher sound levels after years of using their own criteria for measuring sound.

Older dishwashers — those 10 years old or more — have earsplitting decibels of 65 or higher. (The lower the decibel level, the quieter the machine.) Less expensive dishwashers crank out decibel levels above 60 decibels, while top-end models are comparatively whisper-quiet at 45 decibels.

The two main sources of dishwasher noise are the pump and water sloshing against the tub walls. To combat noise, manufacturers surround the noisemakers with a thick layer of mastic, a stiff insulator that muffles lower noise frequencies. The mastic is wrapped around the tub and pump compartments, then encased in a fluffy blanket of insulation to dampen higher frequencies.

Our Bosch is so quiet, I have mistakenly opened it mid-cycle, completely surprised it was running even though I was standing in front of it. Bosch has became aware of this happening in many households and added an”on” light that shines on the floor when the washer is running.

A dishwasher so quiet, you don’t know it’s on…you gotta love it.