Three decades ago when liquid soap for home use was "new", I would save bar soap slivers and small hotel soaps and make them into liquid hand soap. Now it's less expensive, and less mess, to purchase gallon jugs of liquid soap (Sam's Club and Big Lots are good sources). For foam dispensers I use a 1:3 mixture of liquid soap and water, so we use all foam dispensers for even more savings. The recipe I used is very similar.... Homemade Hand Soap 11 c. water 1 bar soap (or enough slivers to equal the same amount) 1 T. glycerin optional - 10 drops essential oil Grate soap on a box grater, microplane, or in a food processor. Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add grated soap and stir to a boil. Add grated soap and stir until it melts. Add glycerin. Add remaining water. Once cooled, add essential oils. Let mixture sit overnight. Place 2-cups (at a time) in a blender. Mix well. If you want thicker add 2 more T. glycerin and allow to sit for a few hours. To use in a foam pump dispenser, add 1/4 c. homemade liquid soap and water to fill the bottle. You can add tea tree oil or grapefruit seed extract, or other essential oils like Four Thieves for additional anti-bacterial protection. HOMEMADE BODY WASH 1 c. Suave Shampoo ("flavor" of choice) 1/2 c. water 3 T. table salt or Epsom salts Whisk until frothy. \-Grainlady

I am known to be frugal. I never throw out food, I do like my grandmother did and throw leftovers in a soup pot on Friday. I reuse tin foil pie plates. tin foil and plastic bags. I buy meat in bulk and cut it up myself and only when there is a good sale on it. We grow a big garden and I can, store and freeze most of our winter veggies and some fruit. One thing I would never do however is cut my soap with water. To me the thicker the better. I realized years ago that I use less shampoo when I use a thick one. A nickel sized drop on my hand gives me a good shampoo. The purpose of my using a liquid hand soap is to avoid the bacteria on bar soap, and rid my hands of the same. I don't want to cut that cleaning power, but I have long used the refills instead of buying new bottles every time. My DIL buys that foaming soap and I hate it. You see being frugal is all in how you look at things and what you consider important enough spend a bit extra on. We all have our ways of doing things--I'll stick with mine.

I agree about the amount dispensed and thickness, and find it applies to most of the dispensers (pump bottles like Soft Soap). I still have one of the first liquid soap bottles in my powder room--meaning from when they first came out, early '80's. The pump stem and spout are much thinner and dispense a much more reasonable amount.

I think the 'white' Softsoap brand is just fine and typically what I use. However, I was surprised how much I like this Fig soap though I do find it annoyingly expensive. I originally bought it because I liked the bottle. I find it's actually very moisturizing and like how it feels on my hands. It's very silky smooth when lathering. The scent is pleasant and light. It was at my kitchen sink, but I moved it to the bathroom. I will buy a refill when out. Fig of Provence Liquid Marseille Soap Signature Bottle