Use far less soap, it's good for your washer and your wallet

Use less detergent in your dishwasher, says Alina Tugend in the New York Times: You'll save money now, and later.

According to her chats with several dishwasher and washing machine repair people and experts, we are not just using too much detergent: we are using "10 to 15 times the amount of soap" necessary to get the job done. You read that right: we could all cut our dishwashing liquid and laundry soap budgets by 90%.