Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Pumped Up!

A little pretty never hurt anyone! But when it came time to start washing dishes in a sink again (as opposed to in Wren's bathtub) I decided that store bought dish soap squeeze bottles just weren't up to the pretty standards in our new kitchen. And while a little pretty never hurt anyone, I realized it was going to hurt my wallet when I searched out some options at places like Anthro and Williams Sonoma. $20 for soap (even if I can reuse the dispenser) just didn't seem like a smart purchase while we are still paying for the kitchen. Economy is key!!
My next thought was "hey, didn't Martha make a cool version?" But when I searched it out I saw that she used olive oil dispenser thing-ys and I could picture the soap dripping all over the bottle every time I tipped the thing, much like how my dirty squeeze bottles always looked. Then it occurred to me that most hand lotion comes in pump dispensers, and I had just so happened to have used up the last of a $2 bin find from Bath and Body Works (LOVE those clearance sales of theirs!!!).
Soon as I found my dispenser I remembered that I had a giant jug of Soap in the basement with all my kitchen gadgets that have yet to migrate up to the new kitchen. When you have a Dad who owns restaurants you get loaded up with strange stuff like jugs of soap, 2000 cupcake liners, and the list goes on! A fun perk, I will admit. Whenever he renovates or takes over a restaurant my mom and I come home with trunks full of plates and cookware... and sometime giant jugs of soap.

So all that was left was to remove the old labels, clean out the lotion and fill'er up. Free, fast and so far absolutely no annoying soap drips! Of course, to be safe I avoid placing soap or anything wet directly on the new counters so an antique platter I scouted out for $1 is a perfect sink caddy.
Not a revolutionary idea, but it has made me very happy each evening as I scrub pots and pans!

12 comments:

Rachel Noelle Pallas said...

Looks so much better than the soap bottles! Good idea! :)

Unknown said...

My dishwashing liquid lives in the drawer under my sink, but I am after something similar for liquid soap whenever I wash my hands at the sink before dinner prep etc.

Anonymous said...

Love this idea! I have a bottle of the same lotion- I think I'm going to have to follow in your footsteps once it's used up!

Anonymous said...

Target sells cute glass soap dispensers that I use in my bathrooms. I've received compliments on them!

Tammy said...

I just did this today in my laundry closet! I was tired of looking at the huge jug of vinegar that I put in my rinse cycles for cloth diapers so I took a big pump bottle of shampoo that I decided I didn't like and never use and rinsed it thoroughly. I put the vinegar in there so it's not too heavy to lift while holding a baby and measured that 10 squirts is exactly the right amount(I would just dump and guess before). And just think, you could have recycled the bottle, but true recycling is reusing. Good job!

Rachael said...

Great idea!
(Is that snow I see from your kitchen window??)

Unknown said...

I'm so with you on this! I use a lotion pump that you get in the bathroom section. Love it! And - side not - my mom used to use the olive oil bottle, and I hated it because it would always get clogged. Grr... Pump = perfect

The Chatty Housewife said...

Just a heads up, I did the same thing with a red bottle of theirs and the red started to chip off around the bottom- the bottles are painted! Or at least the red one was. If you keep the bottom dry you should be fine. Or paint it with clear nail polish or some sort of sealant?

I second the advice about target soap pumps. I have two different styles but this one would look great in a kitchen I think.
http://www.target.com/p/Home-Glass-Soap-Pump-Light-Blue/-/A-11942979

To The Moon and Back said...

I squeeled when I saw your post. We love the stress relief scent from B&BW and I did the same thing a couple of months ago. The bottle is a deep green that I love and i poured my dishwashing liquid in there. I love that it's a pump instead of having to tip a bottle.:)

colleen said...

well i have a pretty glass bottle i got from pier one then i got a top for olive oil/liquer actually works great so if it starts to run slow i just throw the top in with the dishes. also i have mixed colors to get the right color.

Soul Pretty said...

Your kitchen turned out beautiful. I have my dish soap in a vintage oil and vin shaker...I'm sure you can find a pretty one at your local thrift for nothing...the color shines through the glass and it makes washing dishes a little happier...

Fancy said...

very clever & cute!

 
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