Soap Dispensers

Soap dispensers come in many different shapes, sizes, colors and styles.  Some mount on walls and mirrors others can mounted in and on counter tops.  The two most common types of soap dispensers are cartridge and bulk soap dispensers.  Both types of dispensers can use multiple types of soaps and come in many different styles.  The most economical of these dispensers is the bulk soap type.  Bulk soap dispensers are filled by pouring soap out of a container into the soap reservoir of the dispenser.  The easiest dispenser to use and manage is the cartridge dispenser sometimes know as the soap dispenser that uses bag in the box soap.

Bulk Soap Dispensers

Bulk soap dispensers are the most economical soap dispensers by far.  Bulk soap can be purchased in quarts, gallons, 5 gallon pails and 55 gal drums.  If you use a lot of soap you can save hundreds of dollars a year by buying using bulk liquid soaps. Bulk soap dispensers are easy to fill and inexpensive to buy. Another advantage of the bulk liquid soap dispenser is that you are not stuck with one brand of soap which can be true about refill cartridge dispensers. (Certain types of refill soap dispensers will only accept refills from the dispenser manufacturer.

Plastic Bulk Liquid Soap Dispenser

 An entry range bulk soap dispensers runs between $20 and $30 dollars with a life span up to 5 years.

Plastic bulk soap dispenser

Bulk liquid soap dispensers don't look like they used too, they come in many shapes and styles.  For facilities that use an abundance of soap we recommend a soap dispenser with a clear or tinted front because you can see when they are running low.  If you use a professional cleaning company who cleans on off business hours it can help them to see when the soap is running low and refill them before they run out.  Plastic bulk soap dispensers are great for private businesses but are not vandalism resistant and can be easily cracked when hit or bumped.  For an economical bulk liquid soap dispensers this is the one we would recommend.

Stainless Steel  Bulk Liquid Soap Dispenser

Stainless steel liquid bulk dispensers look great and are resistant to harsh environments.  These dispensers can be bumped and hit but will still keep working.

Stainless steel soap dispensers

Stainless steel soap dispensers are great for hospitals and schools and have a life span of up to 10 years.  These dispensers are easy to fill by pouring liquid soap into the refilling reservoir.  An entry level stainless steel soap dispenser costs in the range of $40 to $50.

How Bulk Liquid Soap Dispensers Work

Bulk liquid soap dispensers work by pressing a button which opens a valve with rubber seals inside.  Over time the rubber seals can breakdown which will make the soap dispenser leak.  When we talk about the life span of a soap dispenser the seals are what we are referring too.

Interior of a bulk liquid soap dispenser - the release valve with rubber seals is located at the bottom of the dispenser.

On some liquid soap dispensers the seals can be replaced or the dispenser can be fitted with a brand new valve.  If you do have a wall mounted dispenser we recommend using a clear or white soap because colored soaps can stain counter tops and floors.  If you don't have room to use a wall mounted dispenser, a counter mounted bulk soap dispenser might be the right choice for you.

Counter mounted soap dispenser.

The soap reservoir on this type of dispenser is located under the counter and can be hidden away.  All you see looking down at the counter is the chrome head.  We recommend these dispensers only if the soap reservoir bottle is located in an enclosed area so it will not be disturbed by children.  The reservoir bottle can be unscrewed from the unit and filled easily.

Refill Bag In The Box Soap Dispensers

GOJO  800ml cartridge refill soap dispenser

Cartridge refill soap dispensers are easy to manage and maintain.  All the working parts in the dispenser are located in the refill cartridge so every time you replace your refill you are essentially replacing the working mechanisms of the dispenser.  Refills come in an array of sizes to suite every facilities needs.  You can also purchase multiple types of soap to fit in the same dispenser.  Using cartridge refills makes refilling your dispenser an easy and clean task, just pull out the old box out and slide the new one in.

Interior of a GOJO cartridge soap dispenser

Cartridge soap dispensers are relatively inexpensive starting at around $15 with cases of soap refills starting at around $35.  Common sizes of cartridges range from 800ml to 5000ml.