Ten years ago, I walked into my friend’s kitchen and noticed that she was using an oil dispenser to hold her dish soap. I don’t remember where she got the idea, but I remember that she did it for aesthetic reasons. She wanted to be able to leave her dish soap out, but thought that leaving it in the original soap bottle detracted from her beautifully decorated kitchen. I thought it would be a nice touch in my kitchen even though I had placed more emphasis on function over style.
I used my oil bottle without giving it much thought, until our last move when it arrived in several pieces. I tossed it, thinking pretending at prettiness is quite ridiculous. My daughter runs an emergency center for avian victims of feline assault in my kitchen. My sons use it as an art studio. And my kitchen doubles as a greenhouse 6 months out of the year.
After a few months of using soap directly from the bottle, I noticed we were going through dish soap at least twice as fast as before. That is when I realized that the oil dispenser slowed the rate of flow from the bottle, so we used half as much soap. I felt justified when I went to World Market and bought the above pictured oil dispenser, which was on sale for $3.00. It is not elegant, but it is much more attractive than a Dawn bottle sitting on the counter, and it paid for itself in just a couple of months.
This post has been linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesday and Works For Me Wednesday.
Amy golden says
I started using a dispenser because I liked the way it looked it wasn’t until I realized just how long it had been since I had bought dish soap that I realized the connection. Without even trying I was using a noticeable amount of less soap. This is a simple way to save money and a small help to the environment doesn’t hurt either.
Sharinskishe says
I have also keep my soap this way for many years. It is a money saver to say the least. I also have a small spray bottle with diluted dishsoap that I keep at the sink for a quick spray and wash. Saves time, water and soap. And you can avoid dirty dish stack up at the same time!
Heather says
Great tip! I have also seen some people buy the metal dispenser separately and pair it with a vintage soda bottle.
Shannon says
My mom does this for aesthetic reasons…and it really is prettier 🙂 Thanks for sharing this tip. I didn't realize it helped save soap.
Erin @ Closing Time says
Great tip! Thanks for sharing this…
Alea says
My husband is a "if a little is good, a lot is better" type of guy, so using the oil dispenser encourages him to use less soap, at least in the kitchen. 🙂 I went to foaming soap dispensers to cut down on soap in the bathrooms and try my darndest to keep him out of the laundry room!
The Frugal Engineer says
I wonder if that would help my husband learn to not use so much dish soap when washing the dishes!
A great idea for a clean-lined kitchen.