How to Refill Foaming Soap Dispensers
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Often you will find a small note on foaming soap dispensers saying not to refill them as they will get clogged. I don’t buy it. It’s so very simple to make a water/soap solution to refill your dispenser. I’ve used this on MANY prefilled soap dispensers including grocery store and even the Bath and Body Works type!
Using a foaming soap dispenser is great because kids LOVE it and use way less soap! You will save money and use less plastic (a win/win for you and the environment.)
If you’re looking for a pretty foaming dispenser that will last for a long time, there are tons of great options on Amazon! Remember, the ones with Amazon Prime ship free and you will save a TON of money on soap!
Here’s what you do:
- Choose soap. Anything, really, will do… body wash, hand soap, whatever you have on hand.
- Put water and soap into the container. (About 4/5th full of water and the other 5th soap for a 4:1 ratio water to soap.)
- Gently shake!
- You have foaming soap! Voila!
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I’ve seen people try to refill them with non diluted soap. :( That’s probably where the clogging comes in because the straight soap does.not.work.at.all.
The ratio of your foaming soap should be 5:1, not 4:1
I just tried this and it seems to work! I used johnson and johnson baby soap as the refill in a bath and body works foaming bottle. I’m hoping this will help my kids go through body wash slower. I only have two kids and they go through body soap like crazy. I’m sure they use too much but if it’s diluted down like this then it won’t matter. I’d rather have them use too much than too little because little boys can get stinky lol.
Hi I used your method it’s working for the first few days . Then the soap turned to two layers after deposition. Any ideas how to fix this problem? I used advanced Softsoap from Costco.
Sorry Max, I have never experience that issue with this soap. I would try giving it a shake before using to see if that helps.
Great way to use up hotel soaps and shampoos!
Totally agree Paula!
Has anyone tried this in bulk. Thinking of making 1-2 gallon and putting it in a large dispenser (either old tea or maybe even old laundry dispenser). Thinking it might need mixing before dispensing into the individual bottles. Any thoughts?
I haven’t tried it, but it sounds like that’ll work Michelle!
Works great… and makes your nice soap last longer. I can make 5 bottles of foaming hand soap out of one bottle of regular bath and body hand soap…. making my money go further and still getting to use a quality products not cheap soap….Great tip Thanks…
In your how to make the refillable foam soap, um, yeah I don’t get it. It left me highly confused. Sorry, but I don’t get it.
Hi Mel. You add a small amount of soap (⅕) and the rest is water (4/5). Hope that helps!
How can you make the foaming soap colored, like Dial foaming soap?
I haven’t tried making this foaming… perhaps a drop of food coloring? (Not too much so you don’t get colored hands)!
I do this all the time using grocery store foam soap pumps. Works like a dream.
I may sound stupid but I don’t have a 4/5ths so what do i do… I don’t know how much a 4/5th is.. that really sounds like a good idea making your own & cheaper then buying the refills!
Combine 4 parts water and 1 part soap.
one cup of water and 1/4 cup of soap
How do yo clean the reservoir? After many refills, mine has a dark brown residue at the bottom of the pump apparatus.The bottle itself is very clean. I’ve tried pumping through alcohol and peroxide but neither worked. I don’t want to throw out the dispenser but am concerned about bacteria.
Without looking at your soap dispenser I can’t say for sure.
If it is inside the tube you could use a pipe cleaners to clean it out
My absolute favorite to use is baby shampoo. I also use the diluted mixture for hand washing.
Sometimes the dispenser works after refilling and other times. Do you have any suggestions. Thank you
I’m not sure what you’re asking.
Hi. Every time I redo mine, I use a tiny amount of 99% alcohol. It works!
Antibacterial?! Genius! Can’t wait to try!
You’re using too much liquid soap. Add more water. Too much soap will prevent it from pumping properly.
Good tip Carol! Thanks!
I had 2 empty bath & body works foaming soap dispensers… the 1st one I put an exfoliating soap and quickly learned that clogs the dispenser. I tried to clean it out and I added an off brand antibacterial hand soap, but I think the dispenser was already messed up because it didn’t work. Then I took he 2nd dispenser and added a good body wash, toila! Works wonderfully! Any suggestions how to unclog other to use??
Dish soap and water make a nice foaming hand wash soap
Wow Amazing Ideas,an Recipes Thank You..
I’ve tried this, but it always ends up clogging my dispenser within a short time. Any other tips?
You may need to add a little bit of extra water to your mixture.
Add a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol to prevent clogging.
I have been doing this for years also. Can’t convience my girlfriend that is works. Saves lot of money as well! This way you can also get the fragrance you like each time.
Everyone try, it works!!
Do you mix 4 parts water to 1 part soap in yours?
If your dilating the soap that much how effective is the soap?
Been doing this for a few years now :-)
Wouldn’t it be 4/5th water to 1/5th soap? I’m a little confused.
Oops, that was a typo, it definitely would be! Thanks for catching it!
Can you use soap dispensers that you put your hands under and it automatic comes out of dispensers or will it cloud on you i bought it at bath and body
Yes, as long as they are foaming dispensers, this should work perfectly.
Can you use this method with an automatic (battery operated) foaming dispenser ? I have the Lysol foam magic machine. Thanks
We haven’t tried it with that specific foaming soap dispenser but as long as they are foaming dispensers, this should work perfectly.
it says 4/5 water and 1/5 soap
Look at your fractions. What you are saying is still a 4 to 1 ratio.