Today’s tip is quick and easy. Almost TOO quick and easy! I was debating back and forth about devoting an entire blog post to explaining this tip, but I was so excited about how well it worked that I decided to go ahead and post about it anyways. :-) I can’t help but get excited when I discover a solution to a problem that has been grinding on my nerves! This particular problem had to do with the built-in dish soap pump that came with my kitchen faucet.
When I got this faucet for my kitchen sink a year or so ago, I loved the idea of having a built-in soap dispenser! But in reality, the soap reservoir doesn’t actually hold very much soap in it to begin with, which means I found myself having to refill it quite often. And the process of refilling the soap isn’t very fun. I have to get on the floor to reach way back under the sink to snag the reservoir, then replace it once I’ve filled it. I had actually stopped refilling it for a while, just because it had been getting on my nerves!
But a week or so ago, I had one of those blinding “AHA!” moments. I thought to myself… rather than repeatedly filling up the small soap reservoir, why don’t I just tweak it so that the soap pump draws from a much larger source of soap? Armed with my idea and the soap pump from my sink, I headed to the hardware store to gather my supplies. And after I was finished, my soap dispenser idea worked like a dream.
Here’s how you can do it yourself:
Built-In Soap Dispenser Hack
You’ll need:
First, you’ll have to determine what size of vinyl tubing will fit your particular soap dispenser. I ended up just taking my soap dispenser pump with me to the hardware store, to ensure I found a perfect fit. The tubing that fit my pump is 1/4″ in diameter.
Remove the sturdy plastic tube attached to the soap pump, and slide it into one end of your clear vinyl tubing. Make sure it fits snugly so it won’t come loose and leak soap everywhere!
Feed the soap tube down through the soap dispenser hole at your sink.
Then, connect the pump mechanism back onto the original sturdy plastic tube.
Take the other end of the vinyl tubing and feed it into the opening of your large bottle of dish soap. Make sure the end of the tubing rests against the bottom of the bottle, so you’ll be able to use it all without adjusting the tubing.
If your tubing is a bit long, just trim the extra length off with a pair of scissors. I ended up using about a yard of tubing, so maybe buy 4 or 5 feet, just in case. (The kind I bought at the hardware store was only $.50 per foot, so buying extra definitely won’t break the bank!)
And that’s all there is to it! I’m very much looking forward to all the weeks ahead of me that won’t involve refilling the soap dispenser. :-)
Update: I have now been using this system for over two years and it continues to work like a dream! :-)
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How often do you have to refill your soap dispenser?
Jillee, We did this using a kit, but otherwise, just as you did, but we could not keep the soap flowing over time. My husband built a small platform to place the soap container on and lessen the distance, but that did not help, either. I don’t know if the trick to create negative pressure, as M King, suggested, with finger over the spout when the pump rises back up would work, as we did not try that. After 6 months or so, my husband dismantled the setup and we returned to the small bottle filled from the top…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We bought a tube and pump kit using the exact concept as Jillee, but the suction doesn’t hold, or goes through periods where soap doesn’t remain in the tube and it requires tons of pumping to get a little soap.
Jillee, any idea why you don’t have this issue and Angie and I do?? We will have to give up on the wonderful large soap container and long tube if we can’t figure this out.
BTW, we previously always filled from the top, but almost always had a real soap cleanup issue after refilling…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The suction won’t hold. I have to keep pumping every time I need soap. Help!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Will your magic soap dispenser solution work with my touch dispenser?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I figured this out years ago and love it! We have better things to do than to be refilling soap dispensers!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Here’s another one that I’m working on now:
The bolts that hold the toilet tank onto the base are “supposed” to be brass, but they corrode and literally melt in just a few years. What irks me the most is that the rust stains from the decomposing bolts stain the toilet bowl! Then we try and remove with all sorts of horrible and unescessary chemicals. Bad.
I am replacing these bolts, again, and am going to try and seal them with silicone as a waterproof seal. Wish me luck!!!
Great idea, V! Let me know how it turns out :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Anyone- I have a question. a plumber removed out my air thing that sat on top of my sink by the faucet after he replaced my disposal. He asked did I just want a cover for the whole or he had a used soap dispenser in the truck. I choose the dispenser, he placed and filled it. I really like it, however I tried to refill it and tried to removed the bottle, I could get it to unscrew but could not remove it, so I tried to turn the top piece sitting on the sink, the collar turned, where it was stationary after he played it, then i got the pump out, so now the collar is loose, I cannot tighten it, the bottle underneath is loose, I cannot tighten it, I don’t want to add liquid in the pump fearing the bottles heaviness and being loose would cause a mess.
what can I do now- just try to remove the entire thing and replace with a new one?
I’m using it for hand soap, not dish soap.
Thx
Please log in or create a free account to comment.ack- a bit of proofreading would have been great, sorry.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wow what a great hack for our new kitchen setup. Thx
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just did this and it works amazing!!! The tubing I bought was coiled up and I couldn’t get the end to stay down in the bottom of the bottle so I used a bbq skewer wrapped with press-n-seal to straighten and keep the tip of the tube in the bottom of the bottle. I always used to fill the bottle from the top using the funnel that came with the dispenser but it was a pain, needed filling every other week and always overflowed because I couldn’t tell when it was full. This is much better!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Or you could fill it from the top like you’re supposed to…. just take out your pump and pour soap down the hole to fill the reservoir…..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.THANK YOU!!!!! someone finally said what I was thinking the whole time I was reading this article.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Excellent solution!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a SMART IDEA!! I’m totally doing this. I hate filling that tiny soap dispenser, so THANK YOU!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is genius. I hated my soap dispenser because it is so difficult to fill. W
Please log in or create a free account to comment.hen we built our new home I said no dispenser. The builder put one in anyway – twice – and I gave up and said I would keep it because the granite is beautiful. This is the answer to my prayers! Thank you !
I did this after I saw your post on this last year,I am so happy with the way this works. Thank you so much for all your tips,and passing them along. Eileen
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m so glad!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I did this when I saw one of your other posts about doing this. It is absolutely the best idea ever!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love it.
Thank you so much
Sonnie
I’m so glad!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You fill from the top, not the container under the sink…just say’n.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yet, you have to fill it all the time, and with this you don’t have to.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would never have thought of this but it’s a great idea. We had the same level of annoyance with having to grub around under the sink to remove the bottle to refill it, before we finally realized we could just take off the pump from the top (as pictured above) and pour the soap in from the top. No climbing under the sink required!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is ingenious I love your idea for the soap dispenser. I cannot wait to try this!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would drill a hole in the larger bottles cap and push the tubing thru it . Replace the cap on bottle and push the tube to bottom of bottle. Just in case the bottle gets knocked over.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Did this a year ago. Filling the old dispenser was always an issue. Now no issues.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.OMIGOSH!!! What a terrific idea!! I, too, agonize when my dispenser draws air because it’s out of soap…again! I’m so excited to try this. I’m so grateful you shared this incredible hack! Woohoo! :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just remove the pump on the top and refill and then replace pump. No need to ever reach under the sink. Very easy.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a glass bottle that I saved from Bath & Body works aromatherapy lotion that I fill up with handsoap and I turn it upside down in the top of the reservoir so I do not have to crawl under my dirty sink. Lol. The previous owners let grime and dirt build up underneath. It gets quite smelly. Anyway maybe for different post. The bottle I use is pretty close to the same size as the soap hopper so it works well.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Why did I not think of this when I had a dispenser? : ) One smart cookie here…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.With a lot of the concentrated liquid dish soaps on the market today, most of them last for weeks & filling from the top is no problem. It does not take long to establish the amount your dispenser can hold so you measure & pour it in.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My problem doing mine this way is the endless bubbles that keep closing up the top. When popped, I can continue. I’ve had soap everywhere because of those blasted bubbles and it doesn’t matter how slow I pour the soap. I’m tickled about putting a hose on the pump and a Costco sized bottle on the other.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is the problem I have. It takes me forever to fill from the top because of the bubbles, then the soap spills all over .
I too have the same problem. Then you are forever trying to wash away the soap that spills over. I may have to try this idea out and what a great idea it is too!
I took the dispenser bottle out and measured the ounces that it held, and them when I needed to refill I put that much in a measureing cup . Then I used the measureing cup in my dishpan.
Use funnel, pour slowly, premeasure
You can prevent the overflow air bubble from forming with a Bendy Straw. Bend the short section at a right angle to the long end of the straw. Place the short end of the straw in the opening of the pump on top of your sink and pour your liquid soap over it. This will allow the air to escape from the bottle without causing it to overflow. You can then throw away the straw or just rinse out the soap and save it for the next time you need it.
We tried this idea a while ago and could not get the soap to pump up the tubing. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to fix this? We have the same soap dispenser type setup that can be filled in the reservoir or through the top. Thanks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you are just having counter tops installed you may want to consider installing two soap dispensers, one for dish soap and one for hand soap.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You probably need to create negative pressure to get the initial suction moving the soap through. Pump it down and then put your finger over the opening while it lifts back up. Do this several times to get the soap moving through the tube.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Perhaps a little bit larger tube clamped at the neck to keep it from leaking and falling off? Good luck!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ll have to share this idea with my husband, though he has started filling the soap dispenser from the top, as suggested above. Using a funnel has made the job easier, but using a larger container of soap from which to draw sounds like a real winner to me! We use liquid hand soap instead of liquid dish soap. We buy it at Sam’s and it lasts a long time.
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