Why it's Time to Bin the Bulk

Compared with old-fashioned bar soaps, “bulk” – or reservoir refillable – soap dispensers are a significant improvement. They’re less messy, and inexpensive. But what’s good for the budget has now been recognised as good for bugs too. 

Because the dispensers are not sealed, it’s fairly easy for bacteria, fungi or moulds to find their way into the dispensers: from the environment, or from the hands of the person refilling the system. Then once in the dispenser, they will start to multiply and they’re perfectly positioned to end up on the very hands that people believe they are washing effectively. 

The risk increases when dispensers are not refilled from empty,  but “topped off” while some old soap remains inside. Any contamination already present mixes with the new soap and carries on spreading the bacteria.

Even cleaning doesn’t always reduce the contamination risk. A study¹ found that some microorganisms – known as “biofilms” – stick to surfaces even when cleaning is carried out with aggressive bleaches.

But is this anything to worry about, or is it just a storm in a soap dispenser?

Dishing the dirt

Experienced scientists have looked closely into bulk soap dispensers and not liked what they’ve seen. 

Researchers at the University of Arizona found that 25% of bulk dispensers were excessively contaminated². Japanese research discovered 17 different types of bacteria in soaps that came from bulk dispensers³. Another study⁴ concluded that bulk dispensers can leave hands with 25 times more bacteria after washing than they had before!

So although bulk dispensers might be easily refillable, and inexpensive, they’re not the most hygienic or safest choice. 

Sealed for safety

As a safe alternative to bulk dispensers, sealed dispenser systems are refilled by inserting a sealed cartridge of soap into the dispenser. This means there’s no contact between the product and the environment before it’s dispensed for hand washing, which minimises the risk of contamination. 

This is in line with a study entitled Bacterial Contamination and transfer after Use of Contaminated Bulk-Soap-Refillable Dispensers, which stated that “extrinsic contamination of soap can be eliminated or considerably reduced through the use of sealed-soap-dispensing systems⁵.

It’s not only researchers who find sealed containers an improvement. So does anyone who has to fill them. 

Filling a bulk dispenser is a messy process, whereas an empty sealed cartridge can be quickly and easily changed for a full one, with no chance of spillage and only minimal cleaning needed. It saves mess, saves time, saves soap – and also saves money.

Savings by the handful

Sealed cartridge dispensers deliver exactly the right amount of whichever cleaning product you’re using. Bulk dispensers, on the other hand, deliver the same quantity – which can mean costly wastage. So for that reason alone, sealed cartridge dispensers are more economical. But there are even more savings dished out with every squirt of soap.

A sealed cartridge dispenser can use highly-effective foam soaps rather than lotions. These foams use less soap per handwash than a lotion, with a standard 1-litre cartridge enabling over 1,400 washes. They can also cut water consumption by up to an estimated 45%⁶. 

European Union Ecolabel Certified foam formulations help reduce environmental impact. And because less product is required to do the same job, less packaging is required, which means less packaging waste. Sealed cartridge dispensers are robust and durable, they’re designed for high usage environments, so some cartridge dispenser manufacturers offer a lifetime guarantee. 

Now wash your hands

A washroom with a sealed cartridge dispenser system can stay cleaner longer, making it a much more pleasant place to stay long enough to wash hands thoroughly and effectively. And with training available on when and how best to wash hands, and advice on the optimum products for specific environments, you’ll be doing your best to make sure your employees take handwashing seriously. 

But first you have to bin the bulk – and wash your hands of your bulk dispenser units.

References

• 1. Lorenz, L., Ramsay, B., Goeres, D., Fields, M., Zapka, C., Macinga, D. Evaluation and remediation of bulk soap dispensers for biofilm, Biofouling 2012; 28:1 99-109
• 2. Gerba, C.P. et al, Bacterial Contamination of Liquid Soaps, 2006, University of Arizona
• 3. Amemiya K., Taguchi F. 1992. Survey of bacterial contamination of hand washing liquids. J. Antibacterial Antifungal Agents 20:459–463
• 4. Zapka, C., Campbell, E., Maxwell, S., Gerba, C., Dolan, M., Arbogast, J., Macinga, D., Bacteria Hand Contamination and Transfer after Use of Contaminated Bulk-Soap-Refillable. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 2011; 77:9 2898-2904
• 5. Bacterial Hand Contamination and Transfer after Use of Contaminated Bulk-Soap-Refillable Dispensers, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3126420
• 6. Independent research commissioned by Deb Group