Even if you’re not smack-dab in the middle of the worst drought in Texas history, saving water should be at the top of any global human’s list of concerns. Enough soapbox’ing for today, here’s how you can avoid wasting water during your handwashed dish sessions.

This hip trick comes courtesy of my good pal, Zora in Astoria, Queens, who reminded me that you don’t have to use/fill an entire dishtub (as described in my book on pages 24-25) in order to efficiently handwash dishes. Use a small bowl, something from the stack of to-be-washed items, as a suds enliven’er and suds-up all your items at once. Rinse them all at the same time.