That's it. Bar soap from now on

[maestramommy]

I can't even remember why we we went to foaming pump soap few years ago. The foaming pump bottles using castille soap were such a pain. After a one or two fills worth they'd get gunked up. Finally someone suggested completely switching to Method, and just using their refills. Great. until I read the back of the refill bag yesterday. It waxes on and on about how their environmental footprint is much smaller than plastic bottles because it takes 83% less of everything to manufacture. Lovely. Except that the bags are NOT RECYCLABLE!! These bags don't even contain that much liquid soap. I can only refill a bottle a couple of times before it's empty and I have to toss it in the trash, adding to the landfill, gah!

Today I went to Sam's club and and bought their 14pk of dove bar soap. That's what we use for baths/showers. And as soon as all the pump bottles run dry, it's what we'll use for hand washing. Time to buy nice draining soap dishes.

[hillview]

I hear you. I like this one
http://www.amazon.com/Steeltek-Basic-Rectangular-Stainless-Steel-Soap/dp/B0006A0306/ref=sr_1_40?ie=UTF8&qid=1337218750&sr=8-40

I also saw here on BBB someone suggest this one
http://www.amazon.com/Trademark-Home-WaterFall-Soap-Saver/dp/B004MYF7XU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337218716&sr=8-1

[Puddy73]

I'm right there with you. I switched back to bar soap because it was too darn messy. The kids would pull the top off the dispenser whenever it gunked up, then leave soap all over the counter. Or, they would pump it too hard and squirt it all over the place. Bar soap is easier and probably cheaper. I have a bar of Pre De Provence that has lasted for months.

[elliput]

:thumbsup: I can't leave liquid soap in the kids' bathroom as DD has a tendency to pour it all into the toilet or squirt it everywhere, so it is bar soap all the way in there.

[OKKiddo]

Google how to make your own bar soap...I saw an excellent show on the Live Well Network about how to make these gorgeous chocolate cupcake soaps and then she showed some simple bar soap recipes re-using pudding cups (and other plastic forms) as soap molds. I think there are several simple soap recipes out there that you can give a try.

[maestramommy]

LOL, glad to see some feel the same way! Ironic that I just remembered the reason I switched to foam is because I thought it would be tidier. Which it was, when we didn't have kids:hysterical: Now it's just awful. The kids drip all over, sometimes the foam squirts too fast, and I'm constantly mopping up the sink counter.

[hillview]

My kids like to talk 10 soap pumps at a time. UGG.

[pastrygirl]

Yeah, we just gave up on the foaming pump dispensers. I have the last one at my sink, but when it's empty, I'm not filling it back up. I hadn't thought about bar soap, but that's a good idea at least for the kids' bathroom. They run through a bottle of soap in a week, between spilling, "cleaning," and whatever else they do.

[hellokitty]

I use old B&BW foam bottles with castile soap mixed with water and have never had an issue with it getting gunked up. Were you maybe putting too much soap in it? It doesn't need very much. I noticed that a few times DH made it and it was gunked up and I think it was b/c he put too much soap in it. I also notice that ideally it needs to sit for a few hrs before use to dissolve well.

[Melaine]

I use old B&BW foam bottles with castile soap mixed with water and have never had an issue with it getting gunked up. Were you maybe putting too much soap in it? It doesn't need very much. I noticed that a few times DH made it and it was gunked up and I think it was b/c he put too much soap in it. I also notice that ideally it needs to sit for a few hrs before use to dissolve well.

:yeahthat:

[TwinFoxes]

I've never had the gunk problem either. I think the fill line for soup is about 1/5 of the dispenser, which is much less than I would have thought. It's funny, I bought the pump because people on here talked about how much easier it is for kids when they start washing their own hands! :)

[maestramommy]

I use old B&BW foam bottles with castile soap mixed with water and have never had an issue with it getting gunked up. Were you maybe putting too much soap in it? It doesn't need very much. I noticed that a few times DH made it and it was gunked up and I think it was b/c he put too much soap in it. I also notice that ideally it needs to sit for a few hrs before use to dissolve well.


My sis told me about that, so I diluted it down to 1:4, and it STILL gunked up. I was using the foaming pump bottles from the spave, so I'm not sure where they came from. We actually like the castille soap. I was thinking of using the bars, but I think they are pretty pricey.

[hellokitty]

My sis told me about that, so I diluted it down to 1:4, and it STILL gunked up. I was using the foaming pump bottles from the spave, so I'm not sure where they came from. We actually like the castille soap. I was thinking of using the bars, but I think they are pretty pricey.

1:4 is still too much. I would say my ratio is more like 1:7.

[Melaine]

Yeah, I do almost 1:10 probably.

[Sopamanda]

I use about 3 tbs Bronner's soap. Love it.

[maestramommy]

Well the trouble is, when it's that dilute, it doesn't work well for actually cleaning hands. At least not for us.

[Melaine]

Yeah, I use about 3 squirts. I like castille but even diluting it it gets expensive. I'm tempted to go to bar for that reason too.

[hellokitty]

I let my kids do several squirts of the foam soap, so maybe that's why it works for us. My big beef with dove (and yes, I grew up using dove soap as sink and bath soap, b/c my dad had tons of free samples), is that it turns into mush, even with a soap tray. My kids are slobs, I would be seriously unhappy about them using bar soap, esp a soft one like dove, due to what slobs they are. It always ends up leaving soapy residue all over the sink and counter too. If you do bar soap, I'd pick a, "hard" soap that doesn't turn mushy as easily as dove.

[Toba]

Going against the grain here, but maybe it's just something that tweaks my already bad OCD. I have to have hand pumps just on a purely sanitary basis. If I had to use the same bar that my DS uses (I don't understand WHERE it comes from, especially because I tell him about once every hour to wash his hands, but his hands are always visibly dirty), I'd be too busy vomiting in the toilet.

[sophiesmom03]

I use old B&BW foam bottles with castile soap mixed with water and have never had an issue with it getting gunked up. Were you maybe putting too much soap in it? It doesn't need very much. I noticed that a few times DH made it and it was gunked up and I think it was b/c he put too much soap in it. I also notice that ideally it needs to sit for a few hrs before use to dissolve well.

:yeahthat:

I guess now I'm glad I never sprang for nice bottles! :ROTFLMAO:

I have tried Method and Mrs. Meyers soft refill packs and I don't think either is recyclable. Grrr.

[crl]

Going against the grain here, but maybe it's just something that tweaks my already bad OCD. I have to have hand pumps just on a purely sanitary basis. If I had to use the same bar that my DS uses (I don't understand WHERE it comes from, especially because I tell him about once every hour to wash his hands, but his hands are always visibly dirty), I'd be too busy vomiting in the toilet.

I'm not convinced reusable dispensers are better from a sanitary basis.

http://news.discovery.com/human/soap-bacteria-clean-110506.html

(Study done on dispensers in a public setting.)

Catherine

[pastrygirl]

Going against the grain here, but maybe it's just something that tweaks my already bad OCD. I have to have hand pumps just on a purely sanitary basis. If I had to use the same bar that my DS uses (I don't understand WHERE it comes from, especially because I tell him about once every hour to wash his hands, but his hands are always visibly dirty), I'd be too busy vomiting in the toilet.Yeah, I can't use the same bar as anyone else. I even use my own bar soap in the shower. I'd be willing to put bar soap in the kids'/guest bathroom, though, because I don't have to use it. ;) My husband thinks it would be a worse disaster than pump soap, though.

[AnnieW625]

We use pump soap too. I just can't see bar soap working well with my girls either, esp. DD2 as she would want to carry it around the house or worse try to eat it.I just bought a bag of Method soap and it lasts about 2-3 months, but I work outside the home do I guess we don't go through too much, but we also only have two sinks in our house.

I also think soap pumps are great for guests. I guess I could just get guest soaps for that, but those are $$$ sometimes.

[MamaMolly]

Dolly is 2 now and I think she has finally given up on eating bar soap but we had to switch to pumps from bars because I'd find it either in her mouth or it would have tooth marks in it. Of course, when I came home with the pumps the girls were really excited and I asked them to put them in the bathrooms. Several long minutes later I go looking for Dolly and she's standing in my bathroom SUCKING ON THE PUMP.

Gross kid. I love her, but EEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW.

[crl]

Dolly is 2 now and I think she has finally given up on eating bar soap but we had to switch to pumps from bars because I'd find it either in her mouth or it would have tooth marks in it. Of course, when I came home with the pumps the girls were really excited and I asked them to put them in the bathrooms. Several long minutes later I go looking for Dolly and she's standing in my bathroom SUCKING ON THE PUMP.

Gross kid. I love her, but EEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW.

I really, really think our daughters would bestest friends in real life. So gross. (But so cute.)

Catherine