Super Eco

Photo credit: DeepBlu, stock.xchng

For all the references we make to the old saw "lather; rinse; repeat" (a directive that does manage to lend a certain nonchalance to advice shared at the water cooler), here's betting you still do it—when shampooing, that is.

And even if you're not quite that literal, it's likely that you're among the legions of us who squirt great, gooey globs of shampoo into our hands every time: "Oh, dang, I didn't mean for that much to come out!" You can bet the manufacturer did. Joke's on you.

While too much scrimping and stretching can turn being green into a hairshirt of a lifestyle, this is one area where a little extra care keeps your money and a lot of waste from going right down the drain. Here are 5 easy ways to squelch how much shampoo you squirt:

• Stop shampooing every day. Try it and see who notices. Right, nobody. Carry on.
• Water it down. Add a little water. Yeah, it's thinner. Yeah, it rushes out of the bottle faster. And yeah, it works just as well and lasts a lot longer.
• Dime it out. Manufacturers recommend a quarter-sized amount. If your favorite brand lathers well, you may be able to get away with a squirt the size of a dime.
• Do lather; do rinse; just don't repeat. Many organic or natural shampoo brands lather less luxuriously than you may be used to. Don't worry; your hair and scalp are still getting clean.
• Switch to castile soap. Quit buying shampoo and use something that works for all your personal and home cleaning needs, like Dr. Bronner's castile soap.

Still feeling clean and shiny? Good. Make a clean sweep by checking out our article on organic shampoo, review our shampoo comparator and even consider trying no shampoo at all.