I've used a couple styles of foam soap dispensers - had them long before Dial came out with theirs and the special liquid soap to go with them.

I use the FOAMPUMP in the kitchen. I can do MUCH better in savings than the Consumerist web site shared. It takes 2-3 T. of regular liquid soap (not those that contain moisturizers, however) and about 2 cups of water. Instead of using a small pump dispenser of liquid soap each month, that same amount will last a year or more, using the FOAMPUMP.

The other is EURO-FORMER. I use this for pricey shower gel-type liquid soap in the shower.

Both foamers makes a thick mousse-type foam.

-Grainlady

Like we talked about in the splurge thread, the foamers is one splurge I make although I've been refilling from the start. I recently found a gallon jug of SoftSoap that I got cheap many many years ago. It doesn't work as well as dish soap for making foam but it's workable and will get used up.

The thing I like about the foam and for that matter the liquids, you put it on your hands and it pretty much forces you to wash your hands long enough to be effective (15-20 sec) if you want to get it off your hands, and hand washing if the best thing you can do to prevent disease. It's far better than a flu shot!

I hate to ask this, but do I buy a filled foam pump dispenser to begin with, or can I use the liquid soap dispensers I have that are built in to the sinks? Can I buy just the foaming pump somewhere? I love foaming soaps in other people's houses, always wish I could have one.

I buy dial foaming hand soap bottles, and refill them with diluted liquid dish washing detergent. The price of liquid dish washing detergent is much cheaper than the refills of liquid hand soap and works just as well. You'd think it would dry out your hands, but it doesn't.

victoria

I have been doing that since I first bought the foaming soap. My hand and dish detergent last a long time now.

Now that we've figured out a way to say money on these, the company will start making the bottles impossible to open, so they can't be reused. Only a matter of time now.

I doubt that the companies would spend the money to retool to change the bottles. Especially since in addition to the lost money from R&D and retooling, they would then additionally lose the sales of the refills. Plus the foaming is still not even close to being as popular as plain liquid, which has been getting refilled since its inception.

Maybe it's my water. I tried it with several Dial foaming dispensers and they all jammed up after a short time using the regular soap diluted. The plunger won't move. I disassembled the pump, everything looked fine, reassembled and the thing is just jammed.

Now I buy the generic foaming soap refills at Wally's and have had no problems.