Again with those titles - but it got your attention.
Turns out I only buy dishwashing detergent once or twice a year. I buy the best there is, in my opinion that honor befalls on Seventh Generation free & clear Natural Dish Liquid, which costs $4.39. Ouch - that is not cheap - but it is not petroleum based so it saves oil, and it is safe for the environment and your health. In dishwashing detergent that means a lot to me because let’s face it we basically eat this stuff. Everybody with an even rudimentary understanding of chemistry knows that the dishes we eat from are basically coated in the soap they are washed with. It is also cruelty free and comes in a recyclable plastic container that was manufactured with 25% post consumer recycled plastic. Not a whole lot - but at least it’s a start.
So now to the math part. I made a couple of assumptions - let’s hope I don’t make an ass out of myself!
I dilute my dishwashing detergent to about 1 tablespoon per cup of water. I have a rather nice looking bamboo hand soap dispenser at my sink - I was never a friend of having the dishwashing bottle right at the sink - somehow not a great look.
So I go through about 1 cup of diluted dishwashing detergent per week. The bottle with its 739 ml lasts about 50 weeks!
If I filled up the dispenser with straight up undiluted dish detergent it would last three weeks. I know that some of you might say you would use less if it was not diluted, but I doubt that. I just think you would wash it down your drain. Even if my math is slightly off - you will definitely be miles ahead budget-wise if you choose to dilute! The soap dispenser can be found at a dollar store or a discounter for under a buck and there are thousand of designs to choose from.
Anyway - I think this boils down to another item eliminated from your grocery list - except once a year - I guess we can all swing that!
1 comment:
You're so right, Moni - diluting dish soap does make sense. I always did it when on the verge of running out, but since your June 20th blog, "Insane & Unheard Ways to Save Money", I've been diluting all of my soaps, shampoo, etc. by adding purified tap water each time I use them. And they work just fine! I don't have separate soap dispensers, but at this rate, it will be a long while before my bottles are empty & ready for recycling! I love Seventh Generation products, but they're a bit pricy for my budget, so I use Sun & Earth dish liquid - it's $2.79 for 13 oz. I also use their laundry detergent & all-purpose cleaner! Good, inexpensive non-toxic & green products & easy to find at most grocery stores.
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