Need help on deciding to switch to liquid soap dispensers in shower

[Baygirl]

Hi..
I keep going back and forth on whether or not to switch from bar soap to liquid soap dispensers in the shower.. My worry is our hard water making the dispenser over time look water stained, also if the liquid soap makes a mess on the shower walls.
I already use refillable liquid soap at the sinks and love it. A lot less mess than the bars.
Input would be greatly appreciated as I'm getting down to the end of my bar soap supply and need to make a decision soon. I have seen some of the posts on here on where some of you get your dispensers from and the prices are very reasonable.
Thanks,
Karen

 

[Proud Texan]

When we were opening, we tussled with this as well. The feedback we received from those we polled came back overwhelmingly that they prefer to use a soap or shampoo that had never been used by another. This is kind of silly since they had no problem with a pump hand soap. Germaphobes? You got me, but we went with the individual bars, bodywash and shampoo/conditioner.
It's the same reason we put a fresh roll of toilet paper out with each new guest. People are quirky.

 

[Copperhead]

We have the dispensers in each bath but we do keep homemade bar soap in our basket in each bath. Most do not even touch the bar soap - why who knows? If they are 'bar' soap people, they go out and buy their own brand. How often does that happen.... maybe 25% of the time.
Personally I like the neatness of the dispensers, no caked residue to clean up on each shelf in the tub/shower, no paper wrappers, half used bottles etc left on the shelves either. When I had individual bottles, I found most did not use them anyway. They carried them home or to their next stop. We all would lke to think that the labels will remind them of their good times and come back...but how many of you keep things like that because you want to remember the place???? A brochure or a picture yes, not little bottles of shampoo. How do I know, because I have been one of THOSE people too.

 

[The Farmers Daughter]

I have the Dispensers in all my showers. They are a breeze to fill and maintain and so much less waste than bar soap and way more affordable. Once you jump the fence into Dispenser land, you will never go back.
I also have hard water. I clean with white vinegar to keep a handle on it.

 

[Baygirl]

Thanks so much for the info. The other question is do you just have soap in your dispenser or are you offering shampoo as well? I currently don't offer shampoo...I have it available if someone needs it, but don't have it in each room. Most people bring their own. And I do have people that buy their own bar soap...Usually Dove...
I know this may sound silly, but where do you guys have them placed in your shower? Under the shower head or on the back wall?

 

[gillumhouse]

I have used dispensers for 13 years. They do not make cleaning the shower/tub any more difficult than any other cleaning. It costs soooo much less than the little bars of soap - and yes, when I travel I do collect them to use when we need soap in the kitchen (the liquid dispenser tank is under the sink and it a total

to get to) and i do not have room for a dispenser bottle.
I would not go to bar soaps to clutter up my garbage and increase not only my costs for shampoo, conditioner, and soap (if you have little bars of soap you also need bottles of shampoo and conditioner) but my garbage costs would go up and my "Green" rating would go down. Lots of reasons for doing dispensers. BTW, some of the high end hotels have gone to dispensers so they can be rated as "GREEN".

 

[Willowpondgj]

Thanks so much for the info. The other question is do you just have soap in your dispenser or are you offering shampoo as well? I currently don't offer shampoo...I have it available if someone needs it, but don't have it in each room. Most people bring their own. And I do have people that buy their own bar soap...Usually Dove...
I know this may sound silly, but where do you guys have them placed in your shower? Under the shower head or on the back wall?.

We have the dispensers and hard water, vinegar wipe down with each cleaning handles that, they don't leak, the only problem we have had was a guest accidentally broke it off the wall once, but it wasn't mounted with screws, just the super sticky it came with, we screwed it in and it's fine now...Ours are at the front of the shower on the right if you are facing the spout, where you would naturally reach for it...get in there and see what you would want if you were in there... I think they are great. I would get one that had three chambers, ours only have 2, but one extra for body wash would be nice...

 

[Tim_Toad_HLB]

Our first two years, we bought custom made bar soaps, body wash bars and even matching shampoo from a local artisan that came in oval shaped logs about 10" long. I would take a very sharp filet knife and slice them according to the number of nights folks were staying. 3/16" for one night, 1/4" for two, etc...
There were little cellophane wrappers provided and pre-printed stickers to note which was which.
The scents were all "southwest" and it actually was a very nice product.
The rub was that even these sometimes only 3/16" thick slices for a one nighter barely got used, left a much bigger mess and we ended up with literally a giant ball of soap slices melted together that we ended up using ourselves.
I can't speak of anyone else's observations or experiences, but I'd say about 75% of our guests bring their own body care products. The rest love our stuff and I'm sure many of the ones bringing their own even try ours to see if they like it.
I've never bought the whole "memento" idea and when we travel, those things are never a priority for us, so we're following our gut on this one.
You know what kind of memento we give our guests when leaving?
On mornings we have check outs, my much better half bakes several extra of the breakfast baked goodie and puts them in a cute little paper bag for folks to take along on their drive home or further journey. That combined with a big sincere thank you seems to resonate with folks.

 

[gillumhouse]

Thanks so much for the info. The other question is do you just have soap in your dispenser or are you offering shampoo as well? I currently don't offer shampoo...I have it available if someone needs it, but don't have it in each room. Most people bring their own. And I do have people that buy their own bar soap...Usually Dove...
I know this may sound silly, but where do you guys have them placed in your shower? Under the shower head or on the back wall?.

In the 48 inch shower it is under the shower head, in the 60 inch shower it is on the center wall, and it is on the wall at the side of the claw-foot tub. Each of these is a 3-unit dispenser, soap, champoo, and conditioner. There is a 2-unit on the wall by the sink in the original bathroom and it had soap and hand lotion. After all this time, the soap unit has started having problems and i have a decorative dispenser. I an seriously thinking of getting another one just for the dispenser units.
I get a GOOD shampoo at Sally's (the local beautician supply store - they get an discount with ID and I pay retail - and the shampoo is about $15 per gallon. Conditioner is often a buy a shampoo and get a conditioner free (or the other way around), I do not buy it that often but the conditioner comes from there also. I have pump dispensers in those bottles for doing my refills. The soap I bought from Greenwich the last time. I have also gotten it from The Enterprising Kitchen in Chicago and I used to get a castile liquid soap through the local co-op organic/bulk store. Other than the castile glycerine soap, I never paid $20 per gallon for any of it.

 

[Samster]

Thanks so much for the info. The other question is do you just have soap in your dispenser or are you offering shampoo as well? I currently don't offer shampoo...I have it available if someone needs it, but don't have it in each room. Most people bring their own. And I do have people that buy their own bar soap...Usually Dove...
I know this may sound silly, but where do you guys have them placed in your shower? Under the shower head or on the back wall?.

I guess I'm in the minority but I don't like the dispensers as a guest and won't have them here. I don't like the look of them, they can malfunction (one did when I was in the shower at a B&B), and I want to know the ingredients of what I'm using. I do find that most folks that come here bring their own shampoo, etc. except for biz guests that are on the road. Cleaning up after the individual items is no big deal & I recycle the bottles.

 

[Tim_Toad_HLB]

I have used dispensers for 13 years. They do not make cleaning the shower/tub any more difficult than any other cleaning. It costs soooo much less than the little bars of soap - and yes, when I travel I do collect them to use when we need soap in the kitchen (the liquid dispenser tank is under the sink and it a total

to get to) and i do not have room for a dispenser bottle.
I would not go to bar soaps to clutter up my garbage and increase not only my costs for shampoo, conditioner, and soap (if you have little bars of soap you also need bottles of shampoo and conditioner) but my garbage costs would go up and my "Green" rating would go down. Lots of reasons for doing dispensers. BTW, some of the high end hotels have gone to dispensers so they can be rated as "GREEN"..

"I do collect them to use when we need soap in the kitchen (the liquid dispenser tank is under the sink and it a total

to get to) and i do not have room for a dispenser bottle."
Doesn't the plunger part of the dispenser just pull out on yours?
We just pull ours out and refill from above.

 

[Morticia]

Totally a showering person's opinion...I hate liquid soap in the shower. I would like a bar of soap.

 

[Morticia]

Thanks so much for the info. The other question is do you just have soap in your dispenser or are you offering shampoo as well? I currently don't offer shampoo...I have it available if someone needs it, but don't have it in each room. Most people bring their own. And I do have people that buy their own bar soap...Usually Dove...
I know this may sound silly, but where do you guys have them placed in your shower? Under the shower head or on the back wall?.

We do have the shampoo dispensers. They were installed before we got here in totally the wrong location. In every single shower they are located exactly where your arm comes when washing your hair. So, I vote for under the shower head even tho that may not seem intuitive in that the water is right in your face.The best bet is to stand in your shower and figure out where the dispenser will get hit the most by elbows and then don't put it there.

 

[gillumhouse]

I have used dispensers for 13 years. They do not make cleaning the shower/tub any more difficult than any other cleaning. It costs soooo much less than the little bars of soap - and yes, when I travel I do collect them to use when we need soap in the kitchen (the liquid dispenser tank is under the sink and it a total

to get to) and i do not have room for a dispenser bottle.
I would not go to bar soaps to clutter up my garbage and increase not only my costs for shampoo, conditioner, and soap (if you have little bars of soap you also need bottles of shampoo and conditioner) but my garbage costs would go up and my "Green" rating would go down. Lots of reasons for doing dispensers. BTW, some of the high end hotels have gone to dispensers so they can be rated as "GREEN"..

"I do collect them to use when we need soap in the kitchen (the liquid dispenser tank is under the sink and it a total

to get to) and i do not have room for a dispenser bottle."
Doesn't the plunger part of the dispenser just pull out on yours?
We just pull ours out and refill from above.
.

No. It dates from the 1950s and is a screw in from under the sink tank.

 

[Morticia]

I have used dispensers for 13 years. They do not make cleaning the shower/tub any more difficult than any other cleaning. It costs soooo much less than the little bars of soap - and yes, when I travel I do collect them to use when we need soap in the kitchen (the liquid dispenser tank is under the sink and it a total

to get to) and i do not have room for a dispenser bottle.
I would not go to bar soaps to clutter up my garbage and increase not only my costs for shampoo, conditioner, and soap (if you have little bars of soap you also need bottles of shampoo and conditioner) but my garbage costs would go up and my "Green" rating would go down. Lots of reasons for doing dispensers. BTW, some of the high end hotels have gone to dispensers so they can be rated as "GREEN"..

I have used dispensers for 13 years. They do not make cleaning the shower/tub any more difficult than any other cleaning. It costs soooo much less than the little bars of soap - and yes, when I travel I do collect them to use when we need soap in the kitchen (the liquid dispenser tank is under the sink and it a total

to get to) and i do not have room for a dispenser bottle.
I would not go to bar soaps to clutter up my garbage and increase not only my costs for shampoo, conditioner, and soap (if you have little bars of soap you also need bottles of shampoo and conditioner) but my garbage costs would go up and my "Green" rating would go down. Lots of reasons for doing dispensers. BTW, some of the high end hotels have gone to dispensers so they can be rated as "GREEN".

You don't have to have the little bottles of stuff just because you have the little soaps. We have both a liquid hand soap for the sinks and a shampoo dispenser for the shower but we also have the little soaps. Yes, we probably throw an awful lot of little soaps away half used, but I like the little soaps. It's a pet peeve I guess...I like a bar of soap for the shower. Each week I buy a $4 bar of soap at the farmers mkt...I just like my bar soap.

 

[mooseberry]

I have dispensers and have had no problems with them yet. No dripps or spills on the walls, not water deposits from the shower since we attached them opposite of the showerheads.
It saves me sooooo much money, no wasted soap, no empty plastic containers ( OK, they are nice and I found some really good ones, but I can't see myself throwing half of my money out on a daily basis)
I do put one bar handsoap by the sink, next to the handpump soap...there just are the few ( like DH...) which do prefer at least a bar of soap, but modt people don't even touch them.
Try one in one room and see how it works out for you.

 

[Tim_Toad_HLB]

Thanks so much for the info. The other question is do you just have soap in your dispenser or are you offering shampoo as well? I currently don't offer shampoo...I have it available if someone needs it, but don't have it in each room. Most people bring their own. And I do have people that buy their own bar soap...Usually Dove...
I know this may sound silly, but where do you guys have them placed in your shower? Under the shower head or on the back wall?.

I guess I'm in the minority but I don't like the dispensers as a guest and won't have them here. I don't like the look of them, they can malfunction (one did when I was in the shower at a B&B), and I want to know the ingredients of what I'm using. I do find that most folks that come here bring their own shampoo, etc. except for biz guests that are on the road. Cleaning up after the individual items is no big deal & I recycle the bottles.
.

"I guess I'm in the minority but I don't like the dispensers as a guest and won't have them here."
You know what you like and I respect that. You are a majority of one and thats cool too!

"I don't like the look of them, they can malfunction (one did when I was in the shower at a B&B), and I want to know the ingredients of what I'm using."
We looked at those wall dispensers when ready to make the switch and didn't like the look or feel of how the buttons could get damaged if they were really abused.
So, we use the regular, pre-printed 16 oz. retail type bottles and refill them from 1 gallon containers.
"I recycle the bottles."
We're still on the first set of the 16 oz. bottles and the gallon jugs can be brought into the store and refilled from huge 55 gallon drums of the product.

 

[muirford]

Thanks so much for the info. The other question is do you just have soap in your dispenser or are you offering shampoo as well? I currently don't offer shampoo...I have it available if someone needs it, but don't have it in each room. Most people bring their own. And I do have people that buy their own bar soap...Usually Dove...
I know this may sound silly, but where do you guys have them placed in your shower? Under the shower head or on the back wall?.

I guess I'm in the minority but I don't like the dispensers as a guest and won't have them here. I don't like the look of them, they can malfunction (one did when I was in the shower at a B&B), and I want to know the ingredients of what I'm using. I do find that most folks that come here bring their own shampoo, etc. except for biz guests that are on the road. Cleaning up after the individual items is no big deal & I recycle the bottles.
.

"I guess I'm in the minority but I don't like the dispensers as a guest and won't have them here."
You know what you like and I respect that. You are a majority of one and thats cool too!

"I don't like the look of them, they can malfunction (one did when I was in the shower at a B&B), and I want to know the ingredients of what I'm using."
We looked at those wall dispensers when ready to make the switch and didn't like the look or feel of how the buttons could get damaged if they were really abused.
So, we use the regular, pre-printed 16 oz. retail type bottles and refill them from 1 gallon containers.
"I recycle the bottles."
We're still on the first set of the 16 oz. bottles and the gallon jugs can be brought into the store and refilled from huge 55 gallon drums of the product.
.

"I guess I'm in the minority but I don't like the dispensers as a guest and won't have them here."
You know what you like and I respect that. You are a majority of one and thats cool too!

Make that a majority of two - I don't like them either, have never had a good one where I've stayed even at upscale B&Bs/hotels, and I don't use them here.

 

[Tim_Toad_HLB]

Thanks so much for the info. The other question is do you just have soap in your dispenser or are you offering shampoo as well? I currently don't offer shampoo...I have it available if someone needs it, but don't have it in each room. Most people bring their own. And I do have people that buy their own bar soap...Usually Dove...
I know this may sound silly, but where do you guys have them placed in your shower? Under the shower head or on the back wall?.

I guess I'm in the minority but I don't like the dispensers as a guest and won't have them here. I don't like the look of them, they can malfunction (one did when I was in the shower at a B&B), and I want to know the ingredients of what I'm using. I do find that most folks that come here bring their own shampoo, etc. except for biz guests that are on the road. Cleaning up after the individual items is no big deal & I recycle the bottles.
.

"I guess I'm in the minority but I don't like the dispensers as a guest and won't have them here."
You know what you like and I respect that. You are a majority of one and thats cool too!

"I don't like the look of them, they can malfunction (one did when I was in the shower at a B&B), and I want to know the ingredients of what I'm using."
We looked at those wall dispensers when ready to make the switch and didn't like the look or feel of how the buttons could get damaged if they were really abused.
So, we use the regular, pre-printed 16 oz. retail type bottles and refill them from 1 gallon containers.
"I recycle the bottles."
We're still on the first set of the 16 oz. bottles and the gallon jugs can be brought into the store and refilled from huge 55 gallon drums of the product.
.

"I guess I'm in the minority but I don't like the dispensers as a guest and won't have them here."
You know what you like and I respect that. You are a majority of one and thats cool too!

Make that a majority of two - I don't like them either, have never had a good one where I've stayed even at upscale B&Bs/hotels, and I don't use them here.
.

A couple more of you and we'll call you the "soapbox gang" LOL
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

 

[Baygirl]

Wow thanks for all the feedback.. I think I'm going to go with the dispensers.
Just checked dispenser.com out and watched the video..Looks easy to install and also easy to fill. I'm just so tired of having to throw out so much soap every day. I may keep a bar also in the bathroom for that guest who is a bar person.
Happy 4th of July to all........