Washing your hands with soap is one of the most important ways to keep yourself, your family, and your community safe and healthy. Unfortunately, most conventional hand soaps are made with ingredients and materials that are unsafe for people and the planet. For better handwashing that doesn’t rely on harsh chemicals or disposable plastic, check out this guide of how-tos and FAQs about our Foaming Hand Soap Refill Tablets.
How to use Foaming Hand Soap Refill Tablets
Our easy-to-use Foaming Hand Soap Refill Tablets are formulated to dissolve in water in foaming soap dispensers to make rich, foaming hand soap.
For best results, follow these steps:
- Use Foaming Hand Soap Refill Tablets with a reusable foaming soap dispenser
- Remove the pump attachment from the bottle
- Add one concentrated soap tablet
- Fill the bottle with warm water
- Screw the pump attachment back onto the bottle
- Let the tablet fully dissolve
- Pump Foaming Hand Soap onto hands
- Wash and rinse hands thoroughly
We’ll walk through each of these steps in more detail.
Use Foaming Hand Soap Refill Tablets with a reusable foaming soap dispenser
Our concentrated hand soap tablets are designed to eliminate single-use plastic by refilling reusable foaming soap dispensers. We recommend using a 9 oz. bottle with a foaming soap dispenser to get the right concentration and consistency of soap. We prefer glass bottles to reduce plastic production and minimize the risk of contaminants leaching into the cleaner.
Whatever material, reusing a bottle with refills helps reduce waste and lower the environmental impact.
Remove the pump attachment from the bottle
Hold the bottle in one hand and use the other hand to twist the neck of the dispenser attachment gently. Once loosened, remove the pump mechanism and set it aside.
Add one tablet and fill the bottle with warm water
Add a single tablet to the bottle. Our Foaming Hand Soap Refills include six tablets per box. The tablets may stick together in the box, but can easily be pulled apart by hand.
The tablets are pre-measured for 9 oz. bottles. If you’re using a larger or smaller bottle, you can cut the tablets in half and add either half a tablet for smaller bottles or one and a half tablets for larger bottles. Another option is to measure the water and add about 4.5 oz. for every half tablet you use.
Your solution may be more or less concentrated based on the amount of water you use per tablet.
Fill the bottle mostly full with warm water from the faucet. Do not use very hot or boiling water.
Screw the pump attachment back onto the bottle
Place the pump attachment back onto the neck of the bottle and screw it on. Make sure that the screw-on ring is attached tightly to the bottle to ensure that liquid does not leak when you tip the bottle.
Let the tablet fully dissolve
It can take several hours for the tablet to dissolve fully and become liquid soap. Warm water should help speed up the process. We recommend letting the tablet dissolve overnight for best results. As the tablet dissolves, you will see liquified soap suspended in the water. Shake the bottle gently to integrate the soap before use.
If you go a few weeks between uses, the solution may separate. Simply give the bottle a gentle shake to mix it up before cleaning.
Since our Foaming Hand Soap does not contain any added preservatives, we recommend dumping out any liquid solution after six months, rinsing out the bottle, and starting with a new refill tablet.
Pump Foaming Hand Soap onto hands
Wet your hands with running water from a faucet. Hold one hand palm up under the spout of the dispenser and use the other hand to press down on the dispenser. You’ll get a rich, foamy lather that you can easily spread across your hands.
If you aren’t getting a rich foam when you pump the dispenser, try these steps:
- Make sure you’re using a dispenser designed specifically for foaming soap. Dispensers for regular liquid soap will not produce foam.
- Gently shake the bottle to integrate the liquid soap with the water. Soap may settle at the bottom of the bottle between uses.
- Make sure the stem of the dispenser reaches the bottom of the bottle. If it’s too short, it may not pull up enough soap when pumping.
Wash and rinse hands thoroughly
Follow these instructions from the CDC for effective handwashing:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water. Either warm or cold water is effective.
- Lather your hands completely with soap, including the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands with the soap for at least 20 seconds.
- Rinse your hands thoroughly under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dryer.
Use Foaming Hands Soap with Bath & Body Soap Bars for a plastic-free personal care routine
Our Bath & Body Soap Bars pair perfectly with our foaming hand soap. These long-lasting solid soap bars are made with similar ingredients to our Foaming Hand Soap Refill Tablets so you can choose between liquid, bars, or both.
How to store Foaming Hand Soap
Foaming Hand Soap Refill Tablets come in a small paperboard box, which can store tablets before use. They keep best stored in a cool, dry place like a linen closet. The tablets do not expire. Do not store in any hot (over 100°F) or humid places, as the tablets may soften or melt.
You can store any mixed liquid soap in the bottle for up to 6 months. Since our Foaming Hand Soap does not contain added preservatives, we recommend dumping the unused product after six months, then rinsing out the bottle, and starting with a new refill tablet.
How to recycle or compost Foaming Hand Soap packaging
Our Foaming Hand Soap Refill Tablets are designed for use with any reusable foaming soap dispenser you have at home.
When you finish a box of refills, you can simply fold up the box and recycle it. Paper is a highly recyclable material accepted by recycling services in most communities. Wet, greasy, or food-stained paper cannot be recycled, so if your box has gotten particularly soiled you may not be able to recycle it.
Our paperboard packaging is also compostable! For best results, cut or tear up the box into tiny pieces and add to your compost, following the best practices for maintaining a healthy compost pile.