DIY Homemade Foaming Hand Soap – 7 cents per bottle
Do you love Foaming Hand Soap as much as I do? Well, I have a dirty little secret to divulge; that luxurious fluffy soapiness is mostly water. The real magic is not the soap itself, it’s the pump. The pump aerates the water and soap, therefore creating the foam.
Like it? REPIN it on Pinterest and give it a try!
The magic of foaming soap…it’s the pump!
Well, no need to buy ready-made bottles of foaming hand soap anymore. Here is a Pinterest hack that really does work. With a small initial investment of a bottle of liquid soap and a foam pump bottle, you can make your own for pennies.
Step 1.
Gather Supplies:
1 empty Foaming Soap Dispenser Bottle
1 Bottle of Liquid Soap
My Dr. Bonner’s Liquid Castile Soap I bought for half price on clearance!
Note: You can purchase empty “foaming pump dispensers” on Amazon. They are nicer, but expensive. They run about $13-$15 each. It is way more affordable to buy the plastic pre-filled ones and reuse them when they are empty. I have had my two bottles for 2 years. TIP: Check thrift stores and yard sales for empty foaming hand soap bottles!
Step 2.
Fill empty the Foaming Soap Dispenser bottle about a ¼ of the way up from the bottom with liquid soap.
Step 3.
Add water. Do not fill all the way to the top. You need to leave a bit of “head space” for the pump.
Step 4.
Screw the top on and give the bottle a little shake to mix.
Step 5.
Your pump is ready to use! Easy!
Now, here’s the math.
My cost:
2 foaming bottles (I purchased two ready-made bottles initially)
- Bottle 1 (Dial) =$3.95
- Bottle 2 (Kiss My Face, on clearance) =$3.29
One bulk refill bottle of Dr.Bonner’s Castile Soap, 32 oz (on clearance) = $6.39
Initial investment of $13.63
For my family of four, I refill the bottles about twice a month. I originally purchased the Dr. Bonner’s soap TWO years ago, and finished it today.
4 bottles a month x 24 months (2 years) = 96 bottles of soap
$13.63 initial investment divided by 96 bottles of soap I made:
$13.63/96= $0.14 each
After the initial investment in the pump bottles, you’re paying as low as 7¢ per refill.
Is it really cheaper?
That’s 7 cents a bottle! That’s a lot better than paying $3.95 for each bottle.
Bulk refill bottles cost anywhere from $8 – $50. I found a bottle of Dial 33.8 oz for $8.09, which will refill my bottle 4.5 times (@ $1.79 per refill). Target’s Up & Up brand is $3.49 for a 50 oz bottle, which will refill my bottles 6.7 times (@ $0.52 per refill). 7 cents looks pretty amazing compared to those!