DIY Foam Hand Soap

I love foaming hand soap. We have been using Dial's Complete foam handsoap for a few years. Every time they would run out, we would replace them, bottles and all. I hated how wasteful this was, so we researched and found refill bottles. We felt a little better about re-using our plastic foam dispensers. However, we were disappointed to learn that the refill bottles were still very pricey.

Through some experimentation using materials that we already had here at home, we were able to come up with the perfect recipe for the perfect, cheap foaming handsoap.

We calculated that it cost us $0.80 to make forty ounces of foaming liquid handsoap, which is going to last us quite some time. (The liquid handsoap cost us $4.00 for 40 ounces. This means that each ounce of soap cost $0.10. To make 40 ounces of foaming hand soap, we needed only 8 ounces of soap!) 

Materials:

1. hot water
2. measuring cup
3. liquid handsoap
4. an empty soap dispenser (made specifically for foaming soap)
   
   

Step 1:

The key to this recipe is the ratio between liquid handsoap and hot water. The ratio that worked best was 4 parts water to 1 part liquid soap. To garner this ratio, we chose to fill up our measuring cup with 16 ounces of hot water.

Step 2:

Fill the same measuring cup with 4 additional ounces of liquid soap with the hot water still inside. This would bring the total liquid to 20 ounces.

Step 3:

Slowly mix the hot water and liquid together with a spoon. It is important to avoid making foam. This is why it is easier to mix it with a spoon than to pour it in the bottle and shake it.

Step 4:

Once the soap is fully dissolved in the water, pour it into your foaming soap dispenser.

It's ready for use!