SheldonTimes

Martha Stewart sold me on the idea of using attractive refillable containers for items you tend to keep handy on the sink or counter to avoid being constantly assaulted by advertising and unattractive products. I invested something under a dollar in a pour spout that I added to a Prussian blue liter bottle that once held mineral water or something, and I've been using that ever since for my olive oil. Very handy and it looks great. Olive oil bottles aren't nearly as offensive as dish detergent containers, however, so it wasn't long before I had to remove that example of blight by purchasing a stainless steel soap dispenser, which I would refill every month or so from a big economy size bottle of detergent neatly out of sight under the sink. I loved the new dispenser, but after a few years it developed a little hole so I could only fill it two-thirds full, and I started looking for a replacement. That task proved difficult. Even at a price beyond what I would want to pay, I didn't find anything I really liked.

When I saw a Freecycle notice for old bottles, I responded thinking of containers I could use for general storage, but included in the box was a wine bottle with a little brass spout. It was unusual but appealing. Not having any other ideas for what use to put it, I tried it on the kitchen sink. It seemed overly large for the spot, but adds color and is very striking. It took some time to clean out the spout, and I had to improvise a new washer. (I cut one from the corner of my silicone pot holder, and after some trimming it worked perfectly.)

My detergent is a little too thick to flow freely through the small spout so I mixed in water until I had the flow I wanted. I won't have that problem when I make the switch to Dr. Bronner's, which is much thinner. I'm also not using the nice cork stopper because that will inhibit the flow.

Besides its great looks, there's another feature that I love. Getting soap to sponge is now a one-handed operation. I hold the sponge under the spout and move the lever open or shut with my thumb. Very simple. And did I mention free?