This method is part of a grander scheme of things in the house. Did you know that one of the greatest users of electricity is water pumping? Unless you live on the side of a mountain, it takes a lot of energy to get the water, treat it, then pump it at high pressure into your house, so you can enjoy it from taps and showers.

So, this post will concern the saving of water AND dishwashing detergent. It is a very simple method:
1) Get an old washing up liquid bottle and make sure it is clean of other chemicals.
2) Fill the water 90 percent to the top.
3) Fill the rest of the bottle with detergent.
4) Cap the bottle and mix gently.

So, why does this work?

Well normally you would fill the sink with water, then squeeze in some liquid, make it bubbly, then wash the dishes and then have to rinse them, using more water again.
So you might have used 15-20ml of pure washing liquid and about 15 litres of water.

The best way to save the detergent and water is to use the mix described above on dry dishes. You don't need to rinse them first because you already have water in the mix and the detergent will already activate and become bubbly and lovely when you squeeze it into the dirty bowl, glass etc. Then scrub up and rinse off. The rinse will require less water than usual also because you have used less detergent.

If you think that this method won't work because you don't use enough soap, you would be mistaken. Most detergent companies these days make their products so strong that you would never have to wash something with force or strength so that you would continue using their product. It is therefore easily dilutable.

You can use this mix for other things by the way - washing the kitchen benches, cleaning windows (did you know that many professional window cleaners simply use dishwashing liquid because it is more effective, doesn't leave streaks and is cheaper?) and washing the toilet.

Frequently Asked Questions:
It is too watery and I have to use too much liquid every time. What to do?
You are probably not putting enough of the concentrated liquid into the water at the beginning. Sometimes it helps with some detergents to use warm water when mixing at the beginning.

I made a caserole/bake and the detergent isn't strong enough to scrub it off.
Soak the dish in water if it is that crusty and try again later. Or use a metal scrubber or paint scraper/knife to scrape off the crusties and try again with the soft sponge.

Living greener:
Uses less water
Uses less 10 times less detergent - better for the environment where your sewage comes out
Creates less rubbish because you are buying less detergent and not throwing away the old bottle