When it comes to liquid soap, one of the most debated is whether or not you can put foaming hand soap in a regular dispenser. Some people say yes, others say no. While there are some pros and cons for both sides of this debate, the real answer is fairly simple: It all depends on your job. If you are a personal care professional or an employee at a fancy spa, then you probably can’t live without the ability to dispense soap using only your hands. Soap has historically been used as hand sanitizer because it’s non-drying and doesn’t smell bad like other hand soaps do (thankfully!). However, today, more and more people have come to realize that they don’t need to slather their hands in itty bitty drops of lye just to be able to wash their hands. In fact, you can now get fancy dispensers that let you pour small amounts of foaming soapy liquid directly into your hands while working in a hospital or at an important meeting.
Can You Put Foaming Hand Soap In A Regular Dispenser?
Yes, you can put foaming hand soap in a regular dispenser. The reason is that liquid soap is chemically different than foam soaps. Liquid soap is made up of water, sugar, and other ingredients that are saponified. Foam soaps are made up of water, glycerin, and a variety of other ingredients that are fortified. Thus, it’s not possible to saponify liquid soap and make it foam like foam soaps can do.
What is Foaming Hand soap?
1. Foaming hand soap is a liquid hand soap that is designed for dispensing with just your hands. It’s typically pumped from a bottle-shaped dispenser, and it foams up into a frothy foam when you press the pump.
2. The differences between regular liquid soap and foaming hand soap are fairly obvious: Regular liquid soap has to be dispensed from a bottle or container, and it usually comes out of the top of the bottle. Foaming hand soap, on the other hand, is dispensed just by squeezing it out of the dispenser.
3. Because foaming hand soap is dispensed just with your hands, it doesn’t have to worry about drying out because you won’t be applying too much pressure to get more product out of the dispenser. If you’re using regular liquid soaps like Dove or Johnson’s Baby Mild (which can become very drying), then using foaming hand soaps like Palmolive Liquid Hand Soap will actually leave your hands feeling moisturized!
4. Foaming hand soap is a great alternative to liquid soap for people who don’t have time to wash their hands or for people who have dry skin. Foaming hand soap also won’t leave your skin feeling dry, which is especially important when working in a hospital or other places where you might get very dirty.
Why Can’t I Put Foam Soap in a Dispenser?
- Foam soap can sometimes be squeezed out of the dispensers, but not all foaming soap isn’t meant to be dispensed just via your hands. Professional soaps and other soaps specially prepared for hand use, known as customized soaps or specialized hand soaps, are meant to be squeezed with your hands. Specialized soap can only be dispensed by hand once it’s been prepared with a recipe that includes a special no-lather ingredient (like glycerin).
- Some foaming soap has additives like scents or moisturizing agents that make the dispensing handle more sticky or tacky. So some people say that it may help to soak their handle button in something like saliva or baby oil before going at it with their sweaty palms. Yours may need some TLC first, but this stuff is pricey – why not take advantage of a cheaper lube?
- Some hand soap dispensers use a lock mechanism to prevent dispensing, which means that the soap is locked in. A few numbers of special tricks can get the soap out, including wedging the back end of your bottle into the opening and putting your fingernail on the bottom of the dispenser, and pulling it up. Yours may be different, but it’s worth trying.
- If all else fails, call the manufacturer and talk to their support staff. They may be able to open and re-formulate the soap into a dispensable kind with less nasty ingredients. Or, if you’re in Canada, you can call Canadian LifeSavers
- Your hand soap may have a lock on it from the factory that prevents dispensing unless it’s been used for a set amount of time. Check your factsheet or call the company to find out how long it needs to be opened before being dispensed.
- A few choices have rubber-ish rungs on the side of the bottle that prevent you from scratching the surface. Some people suggest putting a little amount of soap in a bowl and then dipping your hand into the bowl with your fingernail covered in tons of soap before reaching for your dispenser.
Which Way Is Better, Regular Disposable Soap Jars or Pads?
1. I can’t really tell you. The debate is near-religious. Some people say it’s just not hygienic to use disposable soap, and others say if you’re going to use it, use the real thing – just don’t reuse it! As a compromise, some people buy a reusable hand soap dispenser for their sinks and then wash off their hands before using the dispenser. Or, you could use gray or blue water soaps in your dispenser instead of white or clear water ones. See the nearby page for more on that topic. And don’t forget your favorite bar soap – bar soap is perfectly safe and in fact quite convenient, especially if you only need a little of it at a time!
2. Just because they look like baby wipes doesn’t mean that they are like baby wipes. These pads are actually made of special white surface material (like paper) designed to be used with hand soap that won’t clog up over time (they’re even supposed to produce less waste than regular baby wipes!). They come in pad form and small plastic bottles too – some hospitals even supply them as hygiene supplies for their employees!
3. Regular disposable soap doesn’t have to be disposable. Check around – there are a lot of companies that make reusable dispensers.
4. They work just fine! I personally use regular disposable soap in my dispenser because they’re easy to find, cheap, and a little goes a long way! I also do like my gray/blue water soaps because they are a bit more specialized, but I would never consider them disposable.
5. Check your soap sources carefully. Some soap companies make them in plastic packaging (which is cheaper) with a hole on the side of the package just big enough to allow the dispenser to fit in there – and they cost just as much or more than regular soap! Maybe you could call that hospital or clinic to see if they have any bar soap on hand and ask them to sell you some small bars.
6. Many people do this as well as others don’t. It all depends on which kind of dispenser you use, whether it fits over or under a standard soap dispenser, and whether you can find the regular soap you like in the dispenser size you need (you can buy smaller containers of soap from a variety of sources). The bottom line is that while they probably aren’t the best thing for the environment, they are much better than regular disposable bars or even baby wipes – so if you don’t mind that extra step then by all means make use of them!
Are There Any Cons to Putting Foaming Hand Soap in a Dispenser?
- A little hand soap can go a long way. I personally feel like these dispensers produce less waste than regular bottles of hand soap, but you might not find that to be the case – it really depends on how much you use. I just use a dash for my hands and my face, but that’s enough to cover my whole body!
- There is a definite learning curve since they are not just one-step dispensers (you have to work around the hole in the side). However, once you get used to it, it may not seem like much of a hassle and will take less time to use than regular bars of soap.
- You will have to learn how much product you need in each dispenser: how much does your hands-only bottle contain? How much do you need for your entire body? Do you want one or two more bars per day than your hands-only bottle? These are all things that are important to consider when putting together your own personalized bar soap system!
- Don’t be afraid to experiment and try different things – I’m sure there are other uses for soap dispensers besides soap!
Conclusion
In the end, it comes down to personal preference. Some people enjoy the smell and feel of foaming hand soap while others find it too foaming and liquidy. Ultimately, you should decide what works best for you. If you decide to use foaming hand soap, make sure to use it correctly. Make sure you wash your hands with a soft, clean tissue after using it, and don’t use it on an empty hand. Having a routine for your hand soap will make sure that you are able to get the full benefit from this great product.