How do I make wudu with a water bottle?

You make wudu with a water bottle by pouring a little water into your hand for each step, in the normal order. A standard 500 ml bottle is usually enough, because the Prophet ﷺ made wudu with very little water. What matters is that every obligatory part gets wet, not how much you use.

How little water you really need

Anas said the Prophet ﷺ made wudu with one mudd of water, roughly two-thirds of a liter or even less (Sahih al-Bukhari 201). Many people use far more at a tap simply because it keeps running. With a bottle, you learn to use water carefully, which is actually closer to the sunnah. See How much water should I use for wudu?

Step by step with a bottle

Find a spot. A park bench by the grass, a station toilet sink, or a quiet corner with a drain. Stand so the water drips onto grass or a drain, not on someone's floor.
Intention and bismillah. Say "Bismillah" quietly.
Hands: tuck the bottle under your arm or between your knees, pour a little into one palm, and rub both hands.
Mouth and nose: pour a small amount into your cupped hand, rinse the mouth, then sniff a little into the nose and blow it out.
Face: pour a palmful and wipe it over the whole face, from hairline to chin and ear to ear.
Arms: pour slowly along the right forearm up to and including the elbow, rubbing as you go, then the left.
Head and ears: wet your hands and wipe over the head, then the ears. No extra water is needed for this.
Feet: pour over each foot up to the ankles, rubbing between the toes. Or, if you put on socks with wudu, just wipe over them.

Once is enough for each washing; three times is sunnah only if you have water to spare. These are the parts Allah lists:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ "O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles." Quran 5:6

Wiping over socks saves most of the water

Feet take the most water and the most awkward balancing. If you make a full wudu at your hotel in the morning and put on socks, you can wipe over them for the rest of the day (24 hours for a resident, 72 hours for a traveler, in the majority view). See Do I have to take off my socks every time I make wudu?

What if the water runs out?

If you truly can't find water, or only have enough to drink, you may do tayammum with clean earth or dust instead. See How do I do tayammum?

Key points

A 500 ml bottle is usually enough for one wudu.
Pour into your palm for each step; once per part is valid.
Wiping over socks saves the most water on trips.
No water at all means tayammum is allowed.

Tip: A travel bottle with a sports cap or a small squeeze bottle works much better than a wide-neck bottle, because you can aim a thin stream at your arms and feet. Keep one in your daypack and refill it whenever you pass a tap.

How do I make wudu with a water bottle?

How little water you really need

Step by step with a bottle

Wiping over socks saves most of the water

What if the water runs out?

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