I keep a dish detergent dispenser on the sink. When I refill it, I fill it with about 1/3 water and the rest with soap. I shake a little to mix. I find it works just as well as full strength detergent. Half of the time my family uses too much anyway and the detergent is a little too thick for me. Saves quite a bit on soap.
By barbara czaczynski from Park Ridge, IL
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I did that with shampoo when my boys were young. They poured a HANDFUL so I mixed it with water and a handful didn't cost quite as much anymore!
I bought a pump type bottle and filled it with my dishsoap. Now I only pump once, get plenty of soap, and don't waste it.
I buy one bottle of good dish soap and one generic one and mix them 1/2 & 1/2.
Most are so concentrated now, that it's easy to use too much. I think that the companies rely on this to sell more of their products.
Sounds like a good idea. I have done this when my soap is getting real low, sort of to get all the rest out. I think I will try this tho in some sort of a a squirt or pump container. My little girl loves to wash dishes (she loves playing in the water) and she always uses too much soap.
Even with a dishwasher, there's always a certain amount of handwashing of stuff that I do....such as my T-Fal pots and pans. I think I will try this.
Most dish 'soaps' use sodium lauryl sulfate, a cheap, irritant detergent. I once read that 2% of that cleaned best-- more or less was less effective.
I'm not sure what the point of this is. Why not just use less detergent, i.e. one squirt instead of two squirts? Most dish detergent these days are 2x or 3x concentrated. The major advantage of concentration is that it saves space. Less plastic is needed to make the bottles, and since the bottles of detergent weigh less, less gas is necessary to transport and distribute them. That's good for the environment and the company's wallet. And stores like them because they take up less vertical shelf space. By diluting the detergent, you add volume which defeats the whole purpose of concentration. It makes more sense just to use less. Or if you insist on dilution, simply spend less money and buy the cheaper non-concentrated bottles.
As a medical researcher, I should add that you should NEVER dilute antibacterial detergents. By weakening the antibacterial ingredient, whether it be alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, iodine or triclosan (whose use is now questionable), you are encouraging bacteria to mutate and develop an immunity. It's similar to taking less antbiotics, i.e. pencillin, than prescribed, leading to the evolution of multi-drug resistant "superbugs."
For goodness sake! You can save empty bottles and fill them with the half water-half detergent mix. That way you are still saving money, and the environment, using less plastic etc.
I don't buy the triclosan anti-bacterial soaps anymore, because of the questions about germs mutating to resist them. If you do use them, they are going to be diluted in the dishwater anyway, so the point about them being less effective by being diluted in the bottle doesn't make any sense.
I agree that the manufacturers count on people using too much so they'll sell more of their product - that's why they say to rinse-and-repeat when shampooing your hair - totally unnecessary!
I have been diluting my shampoos and dish detergents for umpteen years, and my hair and my dishes are perfectly clean and shiny.
For years, I have poured less than 1/3rd dishwashing detergent into an empty bottle, add 1/3 cup vinegar, then fill with water. Vinegar is a degreaser and disinfectant...less bubbles and washes off quicker.
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