Use Less Hand Soap Without Even Trying

Good hand soap, that’s free of unnecessary dyes and harsh perfumes, can also be pretty expensive. Pair this with the fact that liquid soap dispensers are designed to squirt out more than most people need for regular washings, and you have the perfect opportunity to reduce waste, and cut costs at home. Liquid hand soap is a convenient product that most of us consider a required supply, so when we run out, we’re going to buy more. It doesn’t matter if you choose the highest priced bottle on the shelf, or the cheapest one, because if it takes you longer to use it up, you’ll be able to go longer between purchases, and you’ll save money automatically.

You won’t become a billionaire overnight, but you will save money and make each bottle last twice as long with this money saving tip.

What’s The Problem

Each time you press down all the way, you release a large amount of soap that is often two or three times what is required to get your hands clean. With children in the house, this situation is made worse because their hands are much smaller, and they may find the need to pump several times because it’s fun. In some cases, your hands may be dirty enough to warrant a full pump, but for routine washings, a half pump or less is probably sufficient.

You could try to be disciplined enough to press down lightly when you wash, but for some reason, this is really difficult for most people. It’s almost like you have to press down all-the-way, just because you can. Your kids will never stick to half pumps only, but if each member of your household did start using 50% less soap when washing their hands, they probably wouldn’t notice. Palms and fingers would be just as clean, and germ reduction would be just as thorough. The only result would be slightly more money in your wallet, and far fewer refills on an annual basis.

Reducing Soap Consumption The Easy Way

In almost any bathroom, you’ll find a scene similar to the one above. When washing hands, liquid soap is far more popular than bars due to convenience, appearance, and hygiene. The large pump at the top of the bottle makes dispensing the contents a breeze, but it also makes it incredibly easy to squirt out way too much soap. By making a single, small modification, you can ensure that any hand washer that stands before your sink will use less soap without you having to nag them.

Stuff you’ll need

• One small rubber band or something similar.
• Any regular soap dispenser with traditional liquid lotion soap.
• About four seconds of your time.

Step 1

All dispensers are made with necks that are too long in most instances. This means that if you press it down completely, you will end up with too much soap in your palm. Luckily, the same long neck also allows for the simple and effective modification that follows. To begin, just make sure the neck is clean, and the pump is pulled all-the-way out.

Step 2

Take your rubber band and wrap it around the neck at the base. You’ll need to choose one that’s big enough to do the job, but not so big that it makes depressing the pump impossible. Continue wrapping the band until it’s tight.

Step 3

Once you have the band in place, take a practice pump to see how it works. You may have to raise or lower the band in order to get the right action, and you may need to choose a different one if it’s still dispensing too much. Make any adjustments necessary, and then test again to ensure that you’re good to go.

Step 4

Once the band is in place and you have tested to find the right thickness and position, you will have finished the modification. Each time the pump is pressed, it will not go down as far, so anyone using it, will use less soap. With this change, you will effortlessly reduce overall consumption without preventing anyone from using more if they need to. A single pump will now squirt out half as mush or less, but anyone can pump several times to get the exact amount required when their hands are more soiled.

Using this quick and simple technique, anyone can drastically cut down on the amount of soap that’s dispensed. It’s perfect for parents of small children, but anyone can use it to save money and reduce the amount of liquid that is wasted. You can barely notice the band once it’s in place, so it won’t be visually distracting or ugly to look at, but it will work flawlessly to cut down usage with limited effort.

Other Ways To Save

The above technique is one of several ways you can employ to save money and use less hand soap. It’s one of the best because it requires little effort, almost no time, and once in place, you never have to think about it, but if you’re looking for even more ways to reduce the amount that is wasted, check out the list below that includes several other tips for those that use traditional liquid soap in the kitchen or bathroom.

1. Add water to your soap to make it last longer. You can dilute soap by using up to a 50/50 mix without any reduction in cleanliness. If you squirt out half as much liquid, and each squirt also contains half as much soap, you will immediately reduce soap consumption bay as much as 75%.
2. Using the same concept, you could also try a hair tie or a plastic zip tie.
3. To improve the look, try colored bands to match your bathroom, or the dispenser.
4. By cutting a hole at the center of a soda or water bottle, you can remove the top of the pump, and insert the cap to act as a stop like the rubber band. It takes a little more work, and it looks a little bit more funky, but it works just the same.

Make Your Own Foaming Soap

Foaming soap is a popular way to reduce consumption over regular liquid, so many use it instead, but buying the refills can be pretty expensive, so the high cost of continued usage quickly outweighs the perceived savings for many people. If you make your own foaming refills by using regular liquid, which is cheaper in comparison, you can save even more in the end.

It turns out that the liquid used for foaming refills is very similar to watered down regular stuff. Using a mixture of 5:1-2:1 water and soap mixture, you can make your own at a fraction of the price. The exact mixture will vary depending on thickness preference and the type of soap you are using, but you’ll want to water it down by at least half.

Tip Benefits

• Save Money – Cut the amount you use by an amazing amount, and save money automagically. Most people can easily get away with using a quarter or third the amount they are using right now, and with the tip above, you can use less without even trying. Because you won’t need to buy more as soon, you will quickly save money.
• Save Time – Buying more is a pain, and running out means a trip to the store. When kids use too much, it leads to loads of bubble in the sink, and those take time to wash away. Thinking about using less, and consciously trying to press halfway takes time and effort each time you wash, but when you use the tip above, you can skip the thinking part, and prolong the need to return to the store, while reducing the bubbly mess that can often accumulate in your bathroom.
• Easy-To-Do – Other techniques can be tough to try, or time consuming to finish, but using a rubber band is quick, simple and effective. Anyone can try it, and it will effectively reduce soap consumption, no matter who is washing their hands.

Have you tried this tip or something similar? We want to know.

Do you use something even better to accomplish the same thing? Please share with everyone else. Use the comments section below to share your own tips for saving money and reducing waste in the bathroom.