apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

hmm...i just use a regular pump bottle. i bought a shiny metallic one from the bathroom accessories aisle, it goes well with stainless steel. the pump keeps me from squirting out too much soap. i pump it directly onto my sponge.

but for the people who use the decanter spouts i have this question: is there a really good one for oils and/or thick sticky substances? one that pours clean and doesn't have a lot of drip?

A long time ago I put my dish soap into a glass olive oil bottle (like the one in the picture filled with blue liquid). Although it looks nice, it's not very functional. The top clogs up and it takes forever to wait for the liquid to drip out. The glass bottle is still on the counter for decoration, but I tend to get the plastic bottle from under the sink if I actually want to use any dish soap.

A plastic squeezy bottle is perhaps more suited for dish soap. I'll try the method mentioned in the archived post of a squeeze bottle with watered down soap. Are there any pretty squeeze bottles out there?

I use a syrup dispenser, like the ones you see at diners. It was a couple bucks at a restaurant supply place. It does get a little gunky, but it's small and it doesn't clog.

I just discovered a local co-op/grocery that will let you bring in your own bottle and fill it up with bulk dishwashing soap (or shampoo, or hand lotion...). It seemed a little silly to go to the effort of decanting, but if you can cut out the extra plastic bottle entirely, that seems like a good thing. I have a Mrs. Meyers plastic squeezy bottle that I'll probably take the label off and reuse, it's got a nice shape and is super functional.

If you dilute your dishwashing soap with some water it flows out of a glass bottle perfectly. I cut mine in half and the dishes clean just as well.

I swear by Ivory; I guess I am one of only two people here who can say that. I don't know why you'd use anything else...

i use the hand pumps that are made for bathrooms. they work great!

I've found that the plastic tops clog too much (like the one in the front-left), but that the metal ones work better (like the one in back). Either way, you need to dilute the liquid with about 1/3 to 1/2 water.

I use a pretty liquor bottle. I asked the bartender of a local spot to hold the empties for me, and I found an oil spout at a kitchen store that fit perfectly. To cut down on plastics, I buy concentrated biodegradable dish soap, and cut it with water. You need much less soap than most people think, so it works perfectly.

done... about 8 years ago. :-)

We've done this, but what I'd like to know is whether it's possible to install a below-the-counter pump into an existing granite countertop (which is way over-the-top for our rental, but our landlord was remodeling at an odd time). The pump that matches the faucet is sitting in the cabinet, but was never installed. How much would it cost to get a hole drilled for it, and is there a way to guarantee it won't otherwise damage the almost-new granite?

I did this at Maxwell's suggestion...with a lemonade bottle. I have to say, however, that I haven't been 100% pleased with it. I got a lot of leakage out of my spout...and when I went to remove it last time, the metal spout dislodged from the plastic part and the plastic fell into my soap. Plus, it's a little unwieldy. I actually broke my French press because I was trying to handle the dish soap and it slipped (characteristic of dish soap...) Anyway, I think I need a smaller more managable bottle!

I'm with brand-eye. I use a bathroom soap dispenser. just a simple white ceramic one.

I use a small Orangina bottle, label removed, with a spout from Target. I am still looking for a good use for the secind one in the package.

In our apartment, we use a clear Koziol soap duck. It's cute, and you dilute the dish soap with some water to get it to flow. I usually use Trader Joe's dish soap which is basically clear, and sometimes add a few drops of food coloring to make it interesting.

In our cabin upstate, we have a "Fairy" dish soap bottle that we picked up in England and refill. It's not "unbranded," but it's, well, appropriate, and makes me happy every time I see it...

I was just about to mention my Fairy bottle ... I've been steadily refilling mine for the last ten years or so (with stateside brands) since I lived in England (although I have the old one ... the white opaque bottle with the baby on it that they had for decades.) It just makes me laugh every time I see the "By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen" stamp ... as if the Queen is really doing her own dishes...

I've been doing this for years, I don't even know what kind of bottle it was before- and I use a spout made for liquor pouring- I think it might even be a Martha Stewart label liquor spout. Every time I re fill I clean out the spout and it works like a champ

We use a honey bear.

Yeah! I am glad you are featuring this. I have been using Ketel One dish soap for a while. :)

Um....

My yellow squeeze bottle is so old I'm not sure what "branding" it used to have. I've been refilling it with "whatever's cheapest" since the first month in my first apartment (January 1990). It's easy to clean and does the job - so why throw it out?

Rather than just trying to conserve in order to reduce pollution, try using a greener brand of dish soap, like Seventh Generation, Mrs. Meyers, or Biokleen.

..... so where's the slide show???