Hand Soap Refill Methods

Hi Everyone,

We are working towards SQF and are looking to consolidate some of our sanitation chemical purchases. A potential vendor came by and was trying to market their hand soap cartridges which are attached to the wall and are then replaced when empty. We have been using bulk liquid soap to refill our dispensers since the beginning of time.

Their selling point was that with the refillable dispensers, they need to be emptied out every once in a while and then washed and dried to prevent bacteria build-up inside the dispenser. We had never heard of this before so I wanted to see what other facilities are doing.

Thank you!

Sales person may be correct---------we use the inserts because it's quick and easy  

Soap is, generally, not sterile no matter what kind of container you got it in or keep it in.  The types of bacteria and the low populations that typically inhabit soap aren't a pathogenic problem.  The ones growing on peoples skin are.  The function of the soap is to dislodge and dilute the pathogens, which it does even if it adds a few of some other kind of bacteria in the process.

While what the vendor is saying is sort of true, it likely deliberately avoids the important details that his cartridge soap isn't sterile either, and the tiny populations of microbes in the refillable dispenser are highly unlikely to be a risk.

ETA:  the need to clean the dispenser isn't unique to refillable containers either.  The cartridge units usually have internal crevices that need cleaning too.

G M,

Thank you so much, your response is very helpful and confirms what my thoughts were.

ETA:  the need to clean the dispenser isn't unique to refillable containers either.  The cartridge units usually have internal crevices that need cleaning too.

Their cartridges each have their own pump so the entire unit is replaced every time with the wall attachment being the only permanent part.