Sure, it takes H₂O to get dishes clean. But many of us use much more water than is necessary. Here’s how to save a precious resource while getting dishes clean.

Install a low-flow faucet aerator. You won’t notice the dishwashing-power difference, but you’ll save water every time you turn on the tap.

Don’t ignore a leaky faucet. Get drippy faucets repaired. A mere 60 drips a minute adds up to 192 gallons per month!

Think ahead. When you’re in prepping-and-cooking mode, consider what you’ll need to wash later, and don’t pull out every utensil you own. Wipe clean and reuse the same knife to chop different veggies. Serve food in the pots you cooked them in rather than using separate serving bowls or dishes. These simple shortcuts will help reduce the number of dishes and utensils you need to wash.

Shut off the faucet during dishwashing. Don’t run the water continuously while you’re washing. At first, it may feel odd to scrub without the water flowing, but it will quickly become a habit. Turn the tap back on only when you have more than one item ready to rinse.

Collect cold water. Does your water take a minute or two to get hot enough for dishwashing? Don’t let the cold water just drain away! Fill a pot or other container, and save it for future use, like for cooking or watering plants.

Use efficient dish soap. With the powerful formula of Dawn^® Direct Foam^TM, you can clean an entire sink full of dishes.* Simply apply on pump of Dawn Direct Foam to an damp sponge and wash away. If you need to reactivate the foam, just squeeze the sponge.

* based on average load of dishes.