One of my pet hates is the word ‘concentrated’ or even worse, ‘highly-concentrated’ because I know that the manufacturer of ‘concentrated whatever’ fully expects people to use exactly the same amount as they would normally, and therefore they’re back to repurchasing just as quickly. Plus, paying more.
It’s a marketing thing of course. Rant over!
Because we are all humans, I’m going to show you how you can use far less of that expensive ‘concentrated’ dish soap on autopilot.
There is no need to make yourself think every time because it will be automatic.
So let’s get started!
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Dilute your dish soap
Let’s start with the obvious one, diluting your dish soap.
When I get to the bottom of the bottle, I like to pour some water in, so that I can use every last bit. I found that when I do that, the dishes came out just as clean.
So why not do this every time?
If you are the type of washer-upper who likes to fill the bowl with water and do the whole job at once, this is for you.
All you need to do is to find an old squeezy bottle and fill it with 1 part dish soap and 4 parts water. Swirl it around to mix, and you are good to go.
For extra grease-busting cleaning power, add some distilled white vinegar to the mix.
The ratio would then be 1 part dish soap, 1 part distilled white vinegar, and 3 parts water.
Now simply squeeze some into some hot water, as you would normally, and you will find the dishes come out just as sparkling and your dish soap will last at least four times longer.
Use less of it
As I said, using less dish soap is difficult to do automatically. That’s why I prefer to dilute my dish soap rather than remember to use less.
Try experimenting until you find the amount you actually need to get your dishes clean.
In theory, you should be able to use a quarter of the amount.
If you are having trouble dispensing that amount every time, I recommend diluting the bottle, and you won’t have to think about it again.
Put your dish soap in a spray bottle
This is a favorite one of mine. I love to make my own cleaning sprays, and dish soap makes a great cleaner on its own.
All you need to do is add a couple of tablespoons of your favorite dish soap to a spray bottle, and top up with water. Then give it a gentle swirl. Not too much, as bubbles will take over!
Now you can spray it directly onto dirty dishes.
Diluted dish soap also makes a great surface cleaner for your kitchen.
You may also like this:
Make your own homemade foaming dish soap
This option is perfect if you are the type of washer-upper who likes to wash one thing at a time. You can simply pump out some dish soap foam directly onto your sponge, and you have suds in a flash!
There is actually nothing magical about a foaming soap dispenser. All it does is mix air into the soap as you push down on the pump, giving you instant lather.
Of course, you can buy ready-made dish soap foaming pumps, but it is so easy to make your own.
All you need is a foaming pump like this one:
Put a couple of tablespoons of dish soap in the bottom and top up with water.
Then give it a swirl to mix, and that’s it! Such an easy way to save money and plastic too.
How you wash up matters
If you want to make your dish soap last longer, the most economical way of washing-up is to do it all in one go.
Add dish soap to the water (not the sponge). This way, you don’t have to keep using more on the sponge, and everything can be done in one hit.
If you do wash up this way, also think about the order you wash in.
Start with the cleanest items, and then work your way down to the dirtiest. That way you won’t have to replace the water, and thus you can use less washing-up detergent!
Make your own dish soap
If you are fed up with regular dish soap, along with all the plastic it comes in, why not make your own? Here’s how - how to make your own natural dish soap.
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